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The modern braille library

Index Braille Catalogue 2005 in PDF format.  

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The modern Braille Library

Producing Braille books is a tedious and expensive process. Files have to be edited, translated, embossed, proof-read, then sometimes re-edited and again embossed.

In the past the books was manually typed on braille type writers by dedicated braille typists. Nowadays the books are mostly embossed, but unfortunately too often heavily underutilized and consequently spending most of their life span standing on the shelf.

Re-produce old hand-typed books.

To maintain the books may be an even more expensive process, especially in countries that enjoys a tropical climate, countries that typically also have limited financial resources.

There is a treasure in old books typed in braille, many not even available in print anymore. These books were typically brailled manually in a Perkins brailler and can now easily can be recovered and transferred into electronic media, then reproduced using standard computer technology.

With modern OBR technology (Optical Braille Recognition), you can now scan a braille book or document, recover it into a computer file. The modern technology to scan braille is now so accurate that running the file through the standard spell checking system in MS Word would remove any scanning mistake.

The modern braille scanning technology scans and recognizes text in double-sided braille as fast as single-sided braille. Using a standard Scanner in A3 or A4 size (HP, UMAX, Mustek, Microtek, EPSON, CANON and BENQ) you can scan any braille document, transferring it into a computer file, translate and it is ready to be embossed at anytime.

Do not produce braille books for the shelf

Too often library braille books are utilized to a level that the production cost can not be justified.
According to a worldwide  survey, a library braille book is sent out to a reader once every 24 month. In the meantime it is only standing on the shelf, occupying space, causing administration and maintenance at a high cost.

By using the OBR technology you can now basically eliminate the books, even your old hand typed books, from the shelf, .
Scan all the braille books and keep them as translated braille files, through any of the available braille translators. Print the specific book that the reader request on demand and send it out free of charge at a significantly lower cost than to keep the books on the shelf.

This would require a significantly lower amount of space to run library services. Even a national braille library would need only a very limited space, saving resources that can be used to provide a more efficient and optimized service.
All your books can be listed the library’s own web page where the readers can read a résumé and order their own copy. By the end, the cost will be significantly lower than to keep and maintain the books on the shelf.
Even better, books in digital format can be shared between different libraries, reducing the required work for recovering old books.

How to reproduce braille books and in the same time maintain the library's shelves empty?

The procedure is simple;

1. Scan the braille book using OBR software.

2. Copy the scanned file into MS Word and run it through the spell checking system.

3. Translate the file back to Braille format using WinBraille.

4. Emboss on demand, preferable using an Index 4x4 Pro, when a reader request the specific book.

5. Send the book to the reader, free of charge, with no return conditions.

A braille book of 100 pages is embossed in app. 18 minutes, using the 4x4 Pro. The binding process takes only seconds, so consequently a braille book of 500 pages, which is an average size, can be produced in less than 2 hours.

Set up your own cumputerised braille productions unit

Now you can set up your own Braille production unit at a affordable cost with Index Braille Printers which are portable, high speed double sided Braille printers easily affordable by blind schools, institutions, braille libraries, colleges, etc., You can print braille textbooks, storybooks, notes, question papers, test sheets in English or any language in your own blind school/ institution.

All these years you may have been depending on large Braille presses to supply Braille textbooks for your school and perhaps receiving these textbooks months after the start of the academic year; thus school children are deprived of braille books causing immense difficulties to cope with the curriculum. But now you can change the situation and provide the braille textbooks in-house, on demand in any no. of copies in your own language also.  

What embosser to use?

Using modern embossing technology basically allows anyone to produce their own high quality braille documents. Most embossers are compatible to use the information that is acquired from the OBR system, however not all are very economical.

The by far the most economical system available today is the Index 4x4 Pro, producing braille books directly into magazine format for saddle stitch binding, at basically no binding cost. With this system it is also possible to use cheap copy paper to produce high quality braille documents.

Index Braille Embossers

Index 4Waves Pro

Index Braille proudly presents the 4Waves PRO, a modern heavy duty production embosser. With its unique module design it has a significantly higher durability than any other technology. One of the key points is continuous braille production even during service.
The 4Waves PRO is the first embosser in the world based on revolutionary multi-printer design. With four identical embossing modules it will provide an availability and production speed that is much higher than any other embosser. The high speed (1000 pages per hour), the network support, the high-resolution graphics, the status feedback and the outstanding durability makes it a class of its own.

Index 4X4 PRO

·         Users are guided by speech feedback, together with the ink and Braille labeled front panel

·         47 characters per line, 29 lines per page and 380 pages per hour

·         Multiple copy function, 9999 copies

·         400 pages text buffer  

·         Automatic programming of data into text book or magazine format up to 200 pages at a time.

·          Single & double-sided, 4 side stitch Braille Embossing on cut sheet paper

·         Embosses a pre-folding line for easy folding

·         Automatic stacking

Index Braille stapler

Index 4X4 PRO can be delivered with an optional heavy duty stapler  ideally suited for centre stapler if braille documents with paper length upto 476 mm (19") capacity.

Index Everest

·         Users are guided by speech feedback, together with the ink and Braille labeled front panel

·         Single and double-sided printout

·         Multiple copy function, 9999 copies

·         400 pages text buffer  

·         42 characters per line,

·         324 pages per hour

·         Cut-sheet paper, 100 gsm or more

·         Automatic stacking

Supplied with WinBraille Translation software for direct translation of English braille in windows environment free of cost.

Index Basic D  
Index Basic S 

·         Users are guided by speech feedback, together with the ink and Braille labeled front panel

·         Single and double-sided printout

·         Multiple copy function, 9999 copies  

·          400 pages text buffer

·         Up to 42 characters per line

·          170/340 pages per hour

·         Continuous tractor feed paper, min 120 gsm

·         Graphic capability

WinBraille is a braille editor that makes embossing from Windows as easy as printing to a normal laser printer. Each Index embosser includes a free copy of the WinBraille braille editor. It works with all modern Index embossers and all Windows platforms, with braille in literary or contracted format. WinBraille is developed by Index Braille to make braille production easy and effective for a low total cost.

Windows + Braille = WinBraille
WinBraille is developed for Windows 98 and above and handles most Windows compatible editors and browsers.

Ready to emboss
Install WinBraille on your Windows computer and you can immediately start to emboss with your Index embosser. There is no need for additional investment, installation or support of special braille editing software. Word, Word Perfect, Outlook or other Windows compatible programs will work with WinBraille. Use your favourite word processor as your braille editor.
The translation, formatting and embossing can be made from the print icon in your Windows editor. If you want to check the braille translation and braille formatting there are options to do so in WinBraille.

Emboss direct from the Internet
When you find an interesting page on the Internet you can emboss it directly without leaving your normal browser. Simply open the print menu and select the WinBraille driver, and the information will be processed and embossed.
Pictures and other information, which cannot be direclty re-produced in braille, will be excluded.

Braille layout and 6-key entry
When the document is translated and formatted into braille it can be viewed on the screen. The final braille text can be edited and formatted until it is perfect. The braille document is presented in text or braille fonts, and can be edited using a normal keyboard or with 6-key input. The displayed braille document is in WYSIWYG format (What You See Is What You Get) when braille presentation is selected.

Easy installation
The installation procedure is similar to the installation of any Windows program. This will set-up a user profile in WinBraille. The profile defines for example, model of Index embosser, communication port, page format, page numbering and braille translation tables. Several profiles can be defined and changed at any time within WinBraille.

Easy set-up
WinBraille is easy to set-up. All functions are defined in profile within the program. WinBraille will control the embosser for you. There is no risk for mistakes with the printer set-up because you don't have to do it manually. It is all controlled by the printer driver in WinBraille. It will work perfectly with all Index embossers equipped with the latest firmware.

Note that you may need to update your embosser to latest firmware in order to utilize all changes in WinBraille.

Adapt your braille translation
WinBraille can be adapted to translate correct braille into your language. Insert the local translation rules by using the included rule file editor. Check that your braille translation is correct at the screen. When your local translation code is ready, it can easily be uploaded to Index Braille's web site and included in Index rule file library on the web and on the next CD.
WinBraille will handle most braille languages around the world in literary and contracted braille. Rule files in more than 25 different languages are available on Index Braille's CD and on Index Braille's web site.

WinBraille will handle your local character set
With functions in the rule file editor you can work with most types of local character sets, for example: Latin, Cyrillic and Greek. Support for languages using UNI-code fonts will be implemented shortly.

In the with the rule file editor you can edit and check the translations on the fly.

Effective Internet support
WinBraille is the platform for Index Braille's Internet support to customers. Within WinBraille you can for example, upgrade to the latest WinBraille version, get new braille translation files, upgrade your Index embosser to the latest firmware or post a message to Index development team.
By using WinBraille for support, the information about your system set-up is transferred to the Index Braille support team.