How to output just a page's contents in page.tpl.php in Drupal 7?
Somethings can be done in page.tpl.php &amp; some in node.tpl.php

Like you said, you need to make title of the node appear before tabs. You can do this in your page.tpl.php. Find $title variable as well as $tabs &amp; arrange accordingly in your page.tpl.php. Like --

&lt;?php if ($title) : ?&gt;
  &lt;h1 class="title"&gt;
    &lt;?php print $title; ?&gt;
  &lt;/h1&gt;
&lt;?php endif; ?&gt;
&lt;?php if ($tabs): ?&gt;
  &lt;div class="tabs"&gt;
    &lt;?php print render($tabs); ?&gt;
  &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;?php endif; ?&gt;


After this you will have print render($page['content']);, where node.tpl.php comes into the scene, so arranging other things like node content, comment, links you will have to go to your node.tpl.php &amp; arrange accordingly. More modification such as in comment &amp; other TPLs will come into the scene like comment.tpl.php etc..