The design and production of tactile graphics is a skilled process.
There are various organisations including the NCTD who provide a design and production process, if you do wish to create your own tactile graphics we strongly recommend you seek advice and where possible attend a training course.
There are basic principles of tactile graphic design which can be applied to any method of production, and without condiseration to these principles the graphics produced are typically unusable.
The details contained within this section of the site are intended to provide
an overview of each method of tactile graphic production.
Please use this information as a starting point, but do not treat this site as the definitive guide to tactile graphic design an production.
There are many methods of producing tactile graphics, some of which
apply themselves to certain types of graphics better than others. More
importantly the person for whom the graphics are intended will often
have a preference, and this should be established where possible.
If you have not already done so, you may wish to view information on When
Tactile Graphics are Useful, and What Tactile Graphics are Not.
Diagram Types
Commercial processes: eg screen-printing,
signs
Craft: model making; smelly vision;
tactile colour
Embossed: (designed on computer
then printed on a braille embosser)
Free-hand: Heat Pen; German
Film; Foil
Swell-Paper / Microcapsule / Minolta (heat-sensitive paper)
Tactile-Audio (designed on and
used with computer and touch tablet)
Thermoform / Vacuum-formed (collage
master copied)
NCTD Random Design Tip:
Tactile objects which are less than 6mm apart will feel like one object.
(you can refresh this page (F5) for a different
design tip)
