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From: campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Braille fonts?
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Date: 5 Dec 90 20:42:29 GMT
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Reply-To: campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell)
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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