campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell) (12/03/90)
Index Number: 12128 I am looking for fonts to print braille on printers such as laser or inkjet printers. I heard that there is one for the Mac. Does anyone know where I could get it, or of any others? I am also looking for information on different codings used in braille printing devices; the mapping between the ASCII character and the dots printed. I know the code used by the Braille 'N Speak and the LED120, but I would like to know if there are any others out there that are used by machines. Thank you. -- Gary Campbell Internet: campbell@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com Phone: (208) 323-2532
curt@boombox.micro.umn.edu (Curtis Griesel) (12/04/90)
Index Number: 12196 In article <16043@bunker.UUCP> campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell) writes: >Index Number: 12128 > >I am looking for fonts to print braille on printers such as laser or >inkjet printers. I heard that there is one for the Mac. Does anyone >know where I could get it, or of any others? Marie Knowlton, a professor at the University of Minnesota, is doing somthing like what you describe. She has created braille fonts which show up under the "fonts" menu of Macintosh word processors. These fonts consist of braille cells rather than the standard English characters. What do you want to use the fonts for? As far as I know, a standard computer printer will only print these cells in ink, so a document produced this way would be visual, not tactile. (A person could see the braille but not feel it). Do you know some way to get tactile printing out of these printers? To produce tactile braille, Marie prints onto what I think what is called "thermal-cap" paper. She then runs this paper through a transparency maker (any evenly-heated source might work), which caused the thermal-cap paper to expand wherever there is black ink on it. Thus, the visual braille cells raise up, and can be read! She hasn't combined these fonts with a braille-translator, so anything that you want in grade 2 has to be typed in as grade 2, but it is a neat idea. There is especially great potential for creating tactile drawings this way, complete with braille text, by using something like MacPaint or MacDraw. I havn't asked her permission to spread her address around the world, so if you want more info, drop me a note and I'll pass it on to her. I'm also using this technique so would be glad to hear from you. --- Curtis Griesel Coordinator of Adaptive Technology, University of Minnesota MWNC,125 Shepherd Labs, Minneapolis MN 55455 curt@boombox.micro.umn.edu 612/626-0365
campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell) (12/06/90)
Index Number: 12333 curt@boombox.micro.umn.edu (Curtis Griesel) wrote: >Index Number: 12196 > >What do you want to use the fonts for? As far as I know, a >standard computer printer will only print these cells in ink, so a >document produced this way would be visual, not tactile. (A person I work in the group in the lab here at HP that makes the LaserJet fonts. We have received a request to register a braille symbol set. The person who keeps track of symbol sets and characters asked me what different codings I knew or could find out about so that he could do a little planning in how he makes the assignment. I also have a friend here who has asked me for a braille font to write demos and teaching material, etc. >could see the braille but not feel it). Do you know some way to >get tactile printing out of these printers? Only the possibility of the way you mention, or something like the PixelMaster. >To produce tactile braille, Marie prints onto what I think what is >called "thermal-cap" paper. She then runs this paper through a >transparency maker (any evenly-heated source might work), which >caused the thermal-cap paper to expand wherever there is black ink >on it. Thus, the visual braille cells raise up, and can be read! I have had various contacts with this method in the last few years. When I was vacationing in England in the fall of 1987 (I think) I talked to the people at RNIB in London about this. They use paper from Minolta, who have a special machine called the Stereocopier, I think. I asked about how to get the paper, since some years before I had called Minolta in response to a magazine article and was told they had never heard of it. The person at RNIB was mystified at this-- she showed us a package and said to just call Minolta-- no problem at all! This time when I called Minolta in the U.S. they had heard of it, but only because of other requests like mine. Several years ago I heard that there was a similar braille font developed in the Netherlands for a Mac. I also have heard that the same kind of paper was sold by Otsuki Communications. >creating tactile drawings this way, complete with braille text, by >using something like MacPaint or MacDraw. That is what RNIB uses it for mainly-- that and Moon Type-- it's too expensive for regular braille production. I don't know if they were using computers in the process or not. They were definitely using computers, though. I missed an opportunity to see a BrailleLink display because I got to talking with the guy using it and forgot to look at it! :-) -- Gary Campbell Internet: campbell@hpdmd48.BOI.HP.COM