Hi! I far prefer the PIAF (Pictures In A Flash) system to the one currently under discussion; however, the process is the same. See the following Web sites for information on PIAF: http://www.optelec.com/braille-speech/products-solutions/tactile-educational -braille-products/piaf http://www.quantech.com.au/products/quantum_products/tactile/piaf.htm In general, you use a paper (called capsule paper generically; TIE and PIAF are brand names) that is coated with a special surface that contains microcapsules (polypropylene beads). You can transfer an image onto the paper using black carbon-based inks--by using a copy machine or a laser printer. You can also draw directly on the paper using China markers (also called grease pencils), very soft-lead pencils, or gel-based pens. You then expose the paper with the image to light and heat using a machine (often called a "toaster") that heats up sort of like a lamination machine does. You run the paper through the machine, and wherever the black lines are on the page, the microcapsules expand (sort of like the way corn expands when making popcorn) and "puff" or "swell," creating a raised line. The beauty of the process is that you can create the drawing for a tactile graphic on the computer and easily create many copies in the raised format. You can also make slight alterations to the computer files, allowing you to make other graphics with less effort. The results are very nice, but the technique does have its drawbacks. You do not get really crisp lines, for instance, and you really need to experiment with sizes of lines and textures to see what works well. The paper has a rubbery sort of feel that some blind folks do not like. I also find that Braille labels need to be somewhat larger than normal for some users as the Braille does not feel quite as "defined." Those drawbacks aside, the method is quick, reproducible, and easy to learn. PIAF and TIE are competing brands, each with a slightly different machine and slightly different paper. I have never had the sort of problems with the PIAF system (which is a few hundred U.S. dollars more than the TIE) system that folks are discussing about the TIE system. I hope this helps! Gaeir Dietrich High Tech Center Training Unit of the California Community Colleges De Anza College, Cupertino, California -----Original Message----- From: accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:accessibleimage-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Janet Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 2:13 PM To: accessibleimage@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [accessibleimage] Questions about Swell paper and tactile graphics Hi! I have been reading the emails about using a printer with Swell paper to create Tactile images. Please forgive my questions if they are ignorant. I haven't heard of this before and it sounds very interesting. Am I understanding correctly? You have an image, say a picture of a cat, you send the picture to an ink-ject printer loaded with this special paper, Swell paper, and it prints a raised line drawing? If this is not correct could you please explain it to me? Thanks