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12.07 Troubleshooting common printing issues

This page collects the most common errors that can occur when embossing TactileView designs.

Index embossers – Paper length settings in Index firmware (Error 213)

When printing a TactileView design using Index V4 embossers with firmware version 1.5.3 or earlier, the embosser may prompt you with an audible ‘Error 213’ message. This is caused by an incorrect maximum number of lines per page in the firmware of the embosser. For example, the firmware uses 26 instead of the correct 27 lines for letter or 11 inch paper, or 28 instead of 29 lines for A4 paper.

When you select an Index V4 embosser in File > Print setup, you will be prompted with a ‘Paper length settings in Index firmware’ dialog that allows you to avoid or solve this error. You can also access this dialog via Help > Configuration wizard, then proceed to step 2.

To test whether you will encounter this error when embossing, first make sure to select the same paper size in TactileView and in the embosser. Next, click the button ‘Test printer for error 213’ and wait at least 10 seconds. If you hear no error message from the embosser, you do not have to take any further action and will not encounter the error when embossing a design. If you are prompted with error 213 however, press the ‘Off’ button on the embosser control panel and follow these steps:

1. Update the embosser firmware to firmware version 1.5.4 or higher. Check the Index website for availability and instructions.

2. If updating the firmware is not possible, follow the instructions on the Index website on ‘Error 213 – How to adjust to fit DBT lines/page’.

3. If step 1 and 2 do not resolve the problem, you can temporarily reduce the number of lines per page in your TactileView designs. To do this, select ‘Reduce TactileView design height by 1 line per page’ in the ‘Paper length settings in Index firmware’ dialog. Important: if you execute step 1 or 2 later on, you will have to make sure the reduced design height option is no longer selected.

Index embossers – Error caused by mismatched paper size settings

When printing on an Index braille embosser, it is important to match both the design size and settings in the embosser with the size of paper you wish to print on. If these settings do not match each other, the embosser will report an error and the document will not be embossed correctly or will not be printed at all.

To solve this problem, check whether all paper size settings are set to the correct paper size. In TactileView, go to File > Print Setup and select the desired paper size.

Please read the Index Braille manual for your embosser for specific instructions on entering the right page formatting settings in your embosser model.

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12.03 Embosser driver installation

In TactileView, a wide variety of different braille embossers is supported (for an overview of their embossing properties, see Properties of different braille embossers).

It is essential to install the corresponding printer driver for your embosser model in order to produce the correct tactile graphics. The two steps of the ‘Embosser driver installation’ dialog will guide you through the installation of the correct driver.

TactileView driver versus manufacturer supplied driver

Some embossers require installing a driver that is supplied by the manufacturer. For the remaining supported embossers, TactileView supplies a specialised graphics driver.
To install the correct driver for your embosser model, open the dialog by selecting menu File > Install printer driver. In the first step you will be prompted with the list of supported braille embossers. Choose your particular model from the list, then click ‘Next’. In the second step, depending on your embosser type, you can either directly install the TactileView driver, or follow the written instructions to install a driver supplied by the manufacturer.

Option 1 – Driver supplied by TactileView

Some embossers are capable of creating tactile graphics, but are not supplied with a driver that supports this by default. In these cases, TactileView supplies a separate driver that needs to be installed via step 2 of the ‘Embosser driver installation’ dialog.
Please note that some models require additional settings, such as language selection. If required, this will be presented in the dialog.

Option 2 – Driver supplied by manufacturer

For a number of embossers, the driver that is supplied by the manufacturer also supports producing tactile graphics with TactileView. In this case, the driver will not be installed via TactileView, but using an installer file (.exe) that you receive with your embosser or download from the supplier’s website.
You will find complete instructions in step 2 of the ‘Embosser driver installation’ dialog for the installing driver and selecting the embosser in TactileView.

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12.02 Properties of different braille embossers

Below, you will find an overview of the braille embossers that are supported in TactileView. Some embossers on the market are only capable of printing braille texts, whereas these all support printing both text and graphics.

An overview of the installation instructions for all embosser models can be found in the manual section Embosser driver installation.

The embossers from different manufacturers are produced with varying technical specifications. For example, the shape and size of the braille dots varies, as well as the possibilities for dot placement on the paper. This results in differences in the tactile properties of the graphics that can be produced. The specific properties for the selected embosser can be viewed in TactileView by enabling ‘Design mode: dot view’; see: Design mode: dot view/line view.

For a more extensive list of the technical specifications such as printing speed or supported paper sizes, visit the respective websites of the listed manufacturers.

Differences in printing methods: dot matrix vs. floating point

One of the most notable differences between the various embosser models is the way the dots are positioned to create the tactile graphics. The majority of embossers will place the dots in a fixed matrix. Any curves in the image will be built up of small interconnected horizontal and/or vertical line segments. The resolution of this two-dimensional matrix of dots determines the level of detail that can be achieved in the tactile image.

In some cases, the dots are not evenly spaced in the horizontal direction of the dot matrix. This is derived from the positions of the dots in braille characters, where no dots have to be placed in between two characters. This results in a less continuous dot spacing when printing graphics.

Other models are not restricted to a fixed matrix of dots, but instead can freely place dots at any position on the page. This is often called ‘floating point’ graphics. As a result, the images have much more continuous, smooth curves allowing for a relatively high level of detail and accuracy.

Comparison of print techniques: dot matrix (left), non-uniform dot matrix (middle) and floating point graphics (right).

Figure 1. A comparison of different embossing techniques: dot matrix (left), non-uniform dot matrix (middle; note the difference in horizontal and vertical dot placement) and floating point (right).

Embosser manufacturers overview

We support models from diverse manufacturers, such as:
APH, BrailleTec, Enabling, Harpo, HumanWare, Index, Irie AT, Nippon TeleSoft, ViewPlus.
For a comprehensive list of supported models and their properties see our List of Supported Embossers.

Design aspects in TactileView for different embossers

Below, you will find a list of the effects on a TactileView design of the printing properties of the different embossers.

Viewplus

All models support variable dot height, which can be set individually for the lines, surface and texture of all blue objects in TactileView. These dot heights are shown on screen in different shades of blue.
See also: Using variable relief height

The SpotDot (previously called EmPrint) and EmFuse models support printing in braille as well as black or coloured ink. In TactileView, the ‘Design mode: line view’ will show the design as it will be printed in ink, whereas the ‘Design mode: dot view’ will show the tactile output.

Index Braille

The floating point method that is used in the Index embosser models allows for smooth curves and a relatively high level of detail in your designs.

Brailletec

The floating point method that is used in the Brailletec embosser models allows for smooth curves and a relatively high level of detail in your designs.

Enabling Technologies
The following discontinued models are still supported in TactileView: Juliet, Romeo Pro and Romeo Attaché.

For the Juliet (discontinued) and Phoenix embossers, you have the option to select the embossing resolution by selecting ‘Print setup’ from the File menu.

Nippon Telesoft

The dot matrix for the Gemini embosser is based on the positions of the dots in braille text. The matrix therefore has a relatively low resolution and will not be uniform in horizontal direction; keep in mind that this allows you to use a limited level of detail when creating your designs.

Harpo

The dot matrix for the Mountbatten Brailler is based on the positions of the dots in braille text. The matrix therefore has a relatively low resolution and will not be uniform in horizontal direction; keep in mind that this allows you to use a limited level of detail when creating your designs.

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7.06 Text label – Math input

When using mathematical text labels, some knowledge of mathematical notation in braille is required. This is covered in the manual section on mathetics in TactileView. See: Introduction on mathematical notations.

To read all about placing and editing a text label with math input, see: Text label – math input (equation in braille).

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7.04 Text label – Computer keyboard input

To read a tactile diagram with ease, it is very helpful to add text information to the design. For example the different parts of a flower or rooms in a building can be labelled in the design to add descriptive information to the image.

Once the text label is added to your document, it can be edited at any time; see Editing text labels. For the other input methods for text labels, see Text label – Braille keyboard input and Text label – Math input.

Text label placement
To place a text label, click on the ‘Add text label’ icon in the drawing tools, then move the mouse to the desired position in the design and click again. You can start typing right away or use Ctrl+V to paste a copied text.
A text label can be positioned anywhere in the design. Leave enough space around texts labels to ensure the braille dots can be distinguished easily, so make sure that text label are not too close to lines in your design. This way you will maintain optimal tactile usability.

When placing a text label, the width of the text label is automatically adjusted to fit within the sheet of paper or within the alignment frame when this is enabled.

Add Text Label icon:

Text label placement

Figure 1. Click in the design to place a text label.

Precise placement: centre or align (snap)
Two functions in the options toolbar allow for more precise placement of text labels. The ‘Centre’ function will horizontally place the label in the middle of the design.
With ‘Text label alignment’ turned on, text labels can be aligned with previously placed labels. Green dotted lines appear in the design when placing or moving a label close to the vertical or horizontal position of other labels. The text label you are adding or moving will then snap to the green line.

You can also use the braille grid as a layout tool for alignment of text labels throughout the document.

Text label alignment icon:

Centre text label icon:

Green lines indicate text label alignment

Figure 2. Text label alignment with green dotted lines.

Adjusting label dimensions using word wrap length
Word wrap length is the maximum number of characters per line of text in a text label. For example, a word wrap length of 10 will divide a text of 25 braille characters into three lines of text. Line breaks will be placed at the position of spaces to avoid breaking up words. The lines of braille text have a fixed height that matches the standardised height of embossed braille text.
The word wrap length can be adjusted by dragging the sides of a text label. The tooltip will display the value of the word wrap length. Alternatively, select ‘Text and position’ from the properties toolbar or context menu of the selected text label to enter a value for the word wrap length.

Adjusting word wrap length by dragging the sides of the text label

Figure 3. Adjusting the word wrap size by dragging the sides of the text label; the tooltip signifies the word wrap length.

Text label presentation on screen
The text label is presented on screen by a combination of green characters with black dots that represent the braille characters that will be printed on the braille embosser or on swellpaper. With this setup you are able to have an eye on the braille characters. You can change how text labels are displayed on screen by selecting ‘Text label presentation: on screen’ in the toolbar or via the context menu.

Text label presentation on screen icon:

Automatically correct braille: braille tables
The guidelines (so-called braille tables) for how texts are displayed in braille differ internationally. By selecting the correct default braille table via Settings > Braille Tables, the braille in your text labels will automatically be correct. This means that you do not need to have any knowledge of braille to get accurate braille in your designs. For example, braille composition signs for capital letters or numbers are automatically included.

White space behind labels (transparency)
By default, labels have a white space behind and around the braille text to ensure that other design elements do not interfere with the braille. Keep in mind that lines can be covered by the white space if the label is placed too close.
By switching off the white space (making the label transparent) you are able to place the text label on top of lines, but make sure they do not disturb the braille.

‘Add/remove white space’ icon:

Text label transparency

Figure 4. Difference in text label transparency; notice that the line is visible below the top text label, but is covered by the white space of the second label.

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7.05 Text label – Braille keyboard input

There are three input methods for text labels; for the other two input methods, see Text label – Computer keyboard input and Text label – Math input.

The computer keyboard input method is used to enter texts similar to using a Perkins style braille keyboard. This works by simultaneously pressing the keys that represent the 6 or 8 dots of a braille character (see Braille tables – Inherent braille properties).

To place a text label with braille keyboard input, first select ‘Add text label’ from the drawing tools toolbar and choose ‘Text and position: braille keyboard input’ from the properties toolbar or context menu. Next, click on the position in the design where you wish to place the text in braille. You can now type your text directly in your design.

‘Text label: braille keyboard input’ icon:

Entering braille text

When entering the braille text, the letter keys f, d and s correspond to braille dots 1, 2 and 3 respectively; keys j, k and l with dots 4, 5 and 6. Keys a and ; can be used to type dots 7 and 8 when using 8-dot braille. The space bar is used for spaces in braille text as well.

Overview of the keyboard keys used for 6-dot or 8-dot braille input

Figure 1. Overview of which letter keys correspond with the dots in a braille character.

To enter a character, press all letter keys simultaneously, then release them at the same time. For example, to enter the letter n in braille containing dots 1345, press f, s, j and k.

The typed text will appear as black braille characters on screen, but without the visual text characters that are shown for text labels with computer keyboard input. The orange dot in front of the text label signifies that the braille keyboard was used as input.

Once the text label is placed in the design, it cannot be converted to another input method.

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7.03 Braille tables – Inherent braille properties

In braille, many different conventions and variations are used. Below, you will find an overview of the aspects of braille that are supported in TactileView. By using text labels in TactileView with the correct braille table selected, in-depth knowledge of braille to still produce correct braille texts is not required. However, below you will find a list of the most prominent inherent properties of braille script that determine the layout of braille text labels in your designs.

Braille cell size, white space and composition signs

TactileView automatically ensures the braille is sized correctly (following the most commonly used distance of approx. 2,5 mm = 1/10 inch between braille dots) as well as using the correct distance between braille characters (approx. 6 mm) and lines of text (approx. 10 mm). A white space around the braille makes sure that there is enough space between adjacent objects or texts to ensure they can easily be distinguished with your fingertip. The braille grid can be used as a layout tool for alignment using these standard dimensions, see Braille grid (text alignment).

Other aspects that are specific to braille such as braille composition signs (capital letter sign, number sign, symbols, etc.) are also applied automatically. These composition signs are highlighted on screen with a light grey background. Remember that these composition signs differ significantly between different languages and braille tables.

Braille cell sizes visualised: distance between dots within a character (2,5 mm), width between two characters (6 mm) and two lines of braille text (10 mm).

Figure 1. Braille cell sizes.

Figure 2. Capital sings as an example of composition signs; the rules for these signs vary between different languages and braille tables.

Six dots and eight dots

With the introduction of refreshable braille displays, two extra dots were added to form 8-dot braille. This way, using 255 braille characters are available (not including the space character) instead of the regular 63, allows a larger range of characters to be denoted in braille, such as mathematical symbols. Other notable differences with 6-dot braille are found in the braille composition signs.

For more consistency, braille display users that are familiar with reading 8-dot braille can use an 8-dot braille table producing designs from TactileView as well. Text labels (including the white space behind the braille) will automatically be higher to accommodate the addition of the two extra dots.

Figure 3. Comparison between 6-dot and 8-dot braille (example: LibLouis tables en-us-g1.ctb and en-us-comp8.ctb).

Uncontracted (grade 1) versus contracted (grade 2) braille tables

To save space in an embossed braille document, frequently used syllables or entire words can be represented by a shorter combination of braille character or even a single character. This is called contracted braille or grade 2 braille.

As an example, the word ‘the’ would be denoted with three braille characters in uncontracted English braille. In contracted braille however, this is shortened to just a single character.

When using a contracted Liblouis table, these contractions and abbreviations are applied automatically. The reader must be familiar with these conventions to be able to read contracted braille. On screen and when the design is also printed in ink, the font size of the visible text is reduced to match the text position with the braille characters.

Figure 4. Length difference between contracted and uncontracted braille.

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7.02 Settings – Braille tables

With the 6 dots of regular braille, only 63 different combinations can be made (not including the space character). However, the languages from around the world use a far larger amount of letters and punctuation marks. To accommodate these differences using only the 63 available braille characters, each language or country uses a specific braille table (sometimes called rule-set, braille code or mapping).

This way, a braille character in one language can have a different meaning in another. It is crucial, therefore, to select the correct braille table for the visual impaired reader.

Once the braille table is chosen, TactileView will automatically produce the correct braille for text labels according to the inherent properties of braille script.

Braille table settings dialog

Via menu Settings > Braille tables, you can select your braille table of choice. There are three sets of braille tables:

– TactileView braille tables: these tables are currently only used for uploading designs to the TactileView catalog, but will be replaced completely in future releases;
– Liblouis braille tables: an open-source braille translator that contains a large number of languages and braille codes.
– Japanese braille table from Extra: a translator for Japanese braille that can be purchased from Extra.

The selected braille table will be your main braille table, which is used as a default for all new text labels that are placed in your design (including the title label). When you change your main braille table, all labels that are designated as such will be changed to the new table.

Figure 1. Braille tables settings dialog; click on the image to enlarge.

Choosing which braille table to use

The large list of Liblouis braille tables is recommended over the TactileView tables, as they are now only used for uploading designs to the TactileView catalog or in cases where personal adaptations of a braille table are required.

Liblouis is an open-source braille translator containing an extensive list of braille tables for a wide range of countries and languages. For some there is just a single braille table available, whereas others (most notably English) have several alternatives. In general, they use the following elements in the table names to distinguish them:
– g0 or ‘comp’ for computer braille;
– g1 for uncontracted braille (letter by letter transcription);
– g2 for contracted braille (using abbreviations and contractions);
– g3 for non-standardised personal shorthands (rarely used).

Most of the braille tables without a specified grade will either be grade 1, or a specialised braille table such as mathematical braille notation.

The Japanese braille from Extra is only available once this package has been bought separately.

Once you have chosen your preferred braille table, click ‘OK’ confirm to save the selected main braille table. The main table is also recorded in the document when saved.

Using multiple braille tables in one document

By default, your main braille table is selected for new text labels. However, you can choose to use another braille table for individual text labels. This is useful for example when combining regular text with mathematical equations, or texts in different languages in their corresponding braille tables.

There are two ways of changing the braille table for a selected text label:
– From the properties toolbar or context menu, choose ‘Select braille table’ and select your preferred table from the list; you can choose from your main table, the 5 most recent tables or the complete list of Liblouis tables via ‘More braille tables’;
– Choose the braille table from the list of Liblouis table in the ‘Text and position’ dialog.

To get an overview of all the braille tables that are used in the document, first make sure nothing is selected. Next, choose ‘Show used braille tables’ from the properties toolbar; this option can also be found in the context menu that opens when right clicking in an empty part of the design. When this option is selected, the colour of the markers of all text labels in your design will signify the used tables; the legend near the top left corner shows which colour corresponds with which table.

Figure 2. Overview of the braille tables that are used in the design.

Mathematical braille notation

When it comes to mathematical notation in braille, there is a number of additional aspects that come into play. These are also supported in TactileView. For a full overview, read the manual sections ‘Introduction on mathematical notations‘ and ‘Add mathematical label (equation)‘.

Figure 3. Mathematical text label.

Text label representation on screen

By default, the braille characters are shown on screen on top of the entered text to give the designer an idea of the occupied space. For better readability, the braille can also be disabled on screen by selecting ‘Hide braille dots on screen’ from the properties toolbar or context menu of the design or a selected text label. Choose ‘Show braille dots on screen’ to make them visible again. Alternatively, the braille can also be disabled via menu Settings > Text label presentation: on screen. See manual section ‘Editing text labels‘.

‘Hide braille dots on screen’ icon:
‘Show braille dots on screen’ icon:

Opening documents with a different main braille table

When opening a document that was saved using a main table that is different from your current one, you can choose between:
– applying your current braille table to the document;
– use the original braille table in the document;
– use the original braille table and make this your default main braille table.

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5.06 Measurements grid (object alignment)

The measurements grid is composed of a regular grid of squares that visualize the physical dimensions of your design. This can be used for the alignment of objects in your design.

For a comparison with the braille grid, see: Alignment frame and grids or Braille grid (object alignment).

In the ‘Alignment grids’ settings dialog, you can select the size of the grid squares. The grid settings dialog can be opened by clicking on the light green markers on the righthand side of the screen or via menu Settings > Alignment frame and grids. You can choose from a number of convenient the grid square sizes based on your selected units of measurement, which can be selected in menu Settings > General.

When the alignment frame is enabled, the measurements grid will only be shown within this frame.

Figure 1. Measurements grid shown across the entire design.

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5.07 Braille grid (text alignment)

The braille grid is used to align text labels in a regular grid for consistency and to conform to certain layout guidelines for braille documents.

For a comparison with the measurements grid, see: Alignment grids or Measurements grid (object alignment).

Figure 1. Braille grid shown within the (optional) alignment frame.

Aligning text labels

The braille grid is composed of a regular pattern of cells the size of a braille character. This grid can be used to align text labels in this regular pattern throughout your design. This will ensure all characters are aligned above each other and that the lines of text are evenly spaced in the entire document, as is required in some guidelines for braille documents.

By default, text labels are ‘magnetically’ aligned (snapped) to the braille grid by dragging or placing the label with its edges close to the grid lines. Dashed green lines will indicate when the text label is aligned to the grid. You can switch off the alignment in the Alignment grids settings dialog by deselecting ‘Align text labels to grid’ or by disabling alignment in the context menu of a text label. Any text labels that extend beyond the edge of the braille grid are automatically resized to fit within the grid area.

The lines and characters in each line are numbered along the sides of the braille grid. By default, the title label is placed at character 1 of line 1.

Figure 1. Green dashed lines indicate the text label is aligned in the braille grid.

Braille cell size

The size of a braille character has been standardized, but not all braille embossers have a printing resolution that allows text to be embossed exactly matching this standard size. The grid cells on screen will represent the true size of the embossed braille characters. A red exclamation mark at the top left corner of the braille grid will notify you when the size of the embossed braille will differ from the standardized braille size.

The size of the grid cells will also be automatically adjusted when an 8 dot braille table is selected as the main braille table of the document.

Figure 2. A red exclamation mark near the top left corner of the grid signifies the braille cells have a non-standard size.

Additional line spacing

You can choose to use extra line spacing between lines of text throughout the document. For example, a value of 0.5 will add an empty space of half the height of a braille character between two lines of text. This line spacing is visible on screen in the braille grid.

This can be selected by clicking on the light green markers on the left hand side between text lines 2 and 3. Alternatively, the value can be changed in the grid settings dialog or by selecting ‘Additional line spacing’ from the properties toolbar or context menu of a selected text label.

Additional line spacing adds white space between lines of text in the braille grid and text labels.

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