Braille printers receive data from computer devices and emboss that information in braille onto paper through the use of solenoids that control embossing pins. Braille printers typically print on heavyweight paper and use up more pages for the same amount of information than pages printed on a regular printer. They are also slower and noisier. Interpoint printers are braille printers that emboss braille on both sides of a page. The price of a braille printer is directly related to the volume of braille it produces. Small-volume braille printers cost between $1,800 and $5,000 and large-volume ones may cost between $10,000 and $80,000.
Here are some possible questions to ask when purchasing braille printers:
- How does the printer connect to your computer?
- What is its embossing speed (measured in characters per second [CPS])?
- Is the height of the braille dots adjustable?
- Is the printer portable?
- How loud is it? Is a soundproof case needed?
- Does it print single-sided or double-sided?
- Do you need a printer that can produce both print and braille?
Braille Express
Portable interpoint braille printer that comes in two models—Braille 100, which embosses at 100 characters per second, and the Braille 150, which embosses at 150 characters per second. Both models provide speech feedback and support DoubleTalk LT-compatible ET Speaks, which can also be used with the computer’s screen reader and play WAV and other audio files.
Braille Place
Interpoint embosser that connects to a computer through its parallel or serial ports. Includes ET Speaks for speech output.
Braillo 200
High-speed compact interpoint printer for large-volume production. Produces 600 pages an hour.
Braillo 300 S2 Embosser
Embosser for medium-to-heavy braille production. Embosses at 300 CPS (900 pages per hour) using continuous (tractor/Z fold/fanfold) braille paper.
Braillo 400s
High-speed compact interpoint printer for large volume production. Prints simultaneously on both sides of the paper. Produces braille at 400 characters per second, 1,200 pages per hour.
Braillo 400SR
High-speed interpoint printer for large volume production. Uses paper rolls instead of standard continuous fanfold paper. Produces braille at 400 characters per second, 1,200 pages per hour.
Braillo 440SW
High-speed compact interpoint printer for large volume production. Prints simultaneously on both sides of the paper. Produces braille at 440 characters per second.
Braillo 650 SF Braille Embosser
Heavy-duty high-speed braille printer ideal for creating both magazines and textbooks. Has the ability to add a cover, staple and fold it in order to make a complete and finished book.
Gemini
Single-sided braille embosser that produces print with braille in one simultaneous pass at a speed of 45 characters per second on traditional braille tractor paper. Also allows users to print print or braille alone.
Index Basic D
Double-sided interpoint embosser that produces braille at a speed of 340 pages per hour or 100 characters per second. Controls are located in a front panel and are labeled in print and in braille.
Index Braille Box V5
Double-sided braille embosser with high-resolution tactile graphics that produces volumes of material from 11.5”x11” paper and can format cut-sheet tabloid-size paper to emboss magazine format automatically.
Index Everest-D
High-speed braille embosser that uses off-the-shelf cut sheet paper and has a front control panel labeled in ink and in braille with voice confirmation.
Marathon Brailler
High-speed, single-sided embosser with a capacity of 200 characters per second. Sixteen menus allow users to customize the embosser once for every task they need and call all the settings into action with a few keystrokes.
Mountbatten Brailler
Electronic braille embosser that translates text input from a braille keyboard and sends it directly to a printer connected to it. Can also be used as a braille translator and embosser of text sent to it from a QWERTY keyboard or PC application. Includes a special graphics mode, which supports conventional braille graphics production packages.
PED-30
Braille printer which uses zinc master plates from computers for commercial production. Plates from the PED-30 go onto a specially modified commercial printing press, which stamps the dots into the paper.
Thomas
Single-sided braille printer in a noise-muffling desktop case with dynamic braille scaling for different braille sizes within a document--6- or 8-dot braille. Can make up to 99 copies.
ViewPlus Columbia
Single-sided or interpoint braille embosser that prints up to 100 characters per second on fanfold paper for home, office or school, use. Includes the Columbia ViewPlus Tiger Software Suite ® printing software.
ViewPlus Elite
Compact desktop sized high-speed braille printer with Tiger high-resolution graphics and automatic double-sided embossing. Includes a license for the Tiger Software Suite for braille translation, tactile graphics design and more.
ViewPlus EmBraille
Compact and portable braille printer with tractor-fed paper for classroom, professional, or home use.
ViewPlus Premier
Compact desktop sized high-speed braille printer with Tiger high-resolution graphics and automatic double-sided embossing. Includes a license for the Tiger Software Suite for braille translation, tactile graphics design and more. Tiger embossers are also compatible with Duxbury and other braille and tactile graphics software.
ViewPlus SpotDot
Braille printer that embosses braille, raised print and diagrams, printing the corresponding color ink characters above or beside the braille. Uses the same paper and ink cartridges as does an HP Inkjet printer.
ViewPlus® Cub Embosser
Network-compatible braille embosser that allows users to adjust settings directly from the computer, or from the machine's physical interface. Embosses at a speed of 50 characters per second, or 4 pages per minute. Compatible with Duxbury Braille Translation Software, Megadots and the ViewPlus® braille translator for converting text to braille. Comes with Tiger Software to produce graphics.
ViewPlus® Cub Jr Embosser
Network-compatible braille embosser that allows users to adjust settings directly from the computer, or from the machine's physical interface. Supports graphics and is compatible with Duxbury Braille Translation Software, Megadots and the ViewPlus® braille translator for converting text to braille. Comes with Tiger Software to produce graphics.
ViewPlus® Max Embosser
Network-compatible braille embosser that allows users to adjust settings directly from the computer, or from the machine's physical interface. Embosses at a speed of 60 characters per second, or 4 pages per minute. Compatible with Duxbury Braille Translation Software, Megadots and the ViewPlus® braille translator for converting text to braille. Comes with Tiger Software to produce graphics.
