How Braille Signs Are Made

On the outside of a permanent room in a commercial building, one thing must be present: an ADA-compliant sign, otherwise known as a Braille sign. These signs may be commonplace, but have you ever stopped to think about how Braille signs are made? In the past, it has been an intricate process that takes time, money, and extremely specialized tools. If you wanted to add Braille signs to your offerings for your customers (which is a great idea because every business needs them), then it was a huge investment.

But all of that has changed. Now, with the Direct Jet UVMVP Series UV LED printers from Direct Color Systems, the three-dimensional signs that are required can now be made easily and affordably. This is how Braille signs are made with our exclusive patented UV printing process:

Materials Needed

Before you begin your Braille sign printing, you will want to make sure you have all of the necessary supplies so that the process goes smoothly. Here is what you need:

• One of our Direct Jet UVMVP Series printers. Yes, even the small one can make Braille signs.
• As far as software is concerned, you will need the Color Byte RIP 9 program, which was designed specifically for use with our Direct Jet printers, as well as the ADA add-on module.
• For the substrate, we recommend our InkMark™ UV metal substrate with a matte finish or the InkMark™ UV acrylic substrate. Other options may be compatible with our system, but they should be tested first.
• Finally, you need the ink. For this important component, our Multisolve IR2 UV LED ink is ideal.

The Process

Now that you know what you are going to need, it’s time to get into the details of how Braille signs are made. Here’s our simple four-step process:

• Step 1: Design your sign with the Color Byte software and ADA module. With our unique printing capabilities, you can be as creative as you would like. You can do a combination of raised and visual text, or concentrate on just one. You can opt for a Braille only sign, or choose pictograms and symbols from the built-in library. If you don’t feel like starting from scratch, all of the ADA standard sign templates are included.
• Step 2: Load the matte-finish metal or acrylic substrate into the Direct Jet UV LED printer.
• Step 3: Send your file to the printing software (Color Byte RIP), which has special ADA/Braille capabilities and print modes, making the process effortless.
• Step 4: Wait for your ADA-compliant sign to be printed, which takes an average of four minutes. Your sign will come out ready to hang, with the ink dry and everything.

There you have it—now you know how Braille signs are made. Was it harder or easier than you thought it would be? We’re willing to bet that it’s way simpler than you anticipated, thanks to our exclusive ADA/Braille printing system and high-tech inks. If you are ready to add Braille to your printing repertoire while expanding your customer base tenfold, contact Direct Color Systems today.