[Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...

[David Andrews]

Where I work, where we do hundreds of books a year, if not thousands, 
we use cardboard covers, and make labels for the covers on plastic 
with adhesive backing -- just Braille in Perkins cut them out with 
paper cutter, and put them on.

In terms of messing around with the text, translator, and embosser to 
do covers, it isn't worth the effort.

Dave

At 09:03 AM 11/11/2012, you wrote:
>I wouldn't use a Braille embosser to create covers. That's a good 
>way to wear an embosser out! I'd just buy cardboard covers and label 
>with a slate and stylus.
>Mike Freeman
>
>On Sun, 11 Nov 2012, James Kelm wrote:
>
>
>>Dear Heather and gang...
>Mike Freeman
>>
>>   I sincerely appreciate all of your guidance and help!  Obviously 
>> the purchase of an embosser is a sizable investment, so I am 
>> trying to gather as much information as I can in order to make the 
>> correct choice for me.
>>
>>   One of the things which concerns me about having only the 
>> tractor feeder, without the additional feature of being able to 
>> use individual cut sheets, is when I do covers for books, or other 
>> such specialized printing. Of course since this is new to me and I 
>> may be misunderstanding, but I do not want to have to buy a large 
>> and costly roll of plastic covers, only to print a few covers at a 
>> time.  I can foresee having to print a large number of 
>> sheets/pages for a particular job, but only a few covers.  If I 
>> can only use a tractor feeder, does this mean that I either can 
>> not print specialized covers, or that I have to have a large and 
>> very expensive amount of plastic for covers and such?
>>
>>   From what I have understood from the postings that I have read, 
>> along with my personal research, is that I may be better off 
>> buying the machine that offers both options.  This way I will have 
>> the stability of the tractor feeder for the majority of my 
>> printing needs.  But I will also have the "luxury" of being able 
>> to use individual cut sheets  for the jobs that would best be 
>> suited for these types of projects.  For the little extra, it may 
>> be better to have both options?
>>
>>   Take care, and again, thanks for all of your wise guidance!
>>
>>
>>
>>Respectfully Yours in Christ,
>>James Kelm
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Heather Field" <missheather at comcast.net>
>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 11:16 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>
>>
>>>Hello James,
>>>In my opinion, it is wise to spend more money at the start and 
>>>purchase the machine that can take cut sheet paper. I personally 
>>>have far better things to do with my life than to sit and pull the 
>>>tractor-feed strips off the edges of 4 or 5 volumes of newly 
>>>embossed braille sheets every week or two.
>>>I use an Everest embosser which takes cut sheet paper and it's 
>>>great. The first model had some issues, as one would expect with 
>>>ground breaking technology, but that's been fixed for over ten 
>>>years and now all models work great without the tractor feed 
>>>mechanism. I just go to my local office depot or Staples and buy 
>>>heavy weight paper of the size I require and use it in the 
>>>embosser. It's much cheaper than purchasing specialised braille 
>>>paper. And, I can be binding and reading my books only minutes 
>>>after the pages have been embossed. No tearing fan fold paper 
>>>apart, trying to keep track of the page numbering, and no tearing 
>>>fiddly edge pieces.
>>>If you are convinced that the Juliet is your embosser of choice, 
>>>and they are a very good embosser, then I strongly encourage you 
>>>to choose the more expensive one that will give you choices. It is 
>>>human nature to tell ourselves that we can save some money by 
>>>purchasing the cheaper embosser. We can convince ourselves that it 
>>>won't be that much trouble to tear apart the fan fold pages and 
>>>rip the edging off. However, if you are a busy person, this soon 
>>>becomes a frustrating drudgery and one sees the deception. This, 
>>>of course, depends somewhat on how much braille you produce per 
>>>week. I emboss a lot of pages every week and don't have time to 
>>>spend preparing tractor feed paper for binding.
>>>Now, to all of you great folks who have tractor feed embossers and 
>>>don't mind that monotonous job of de-edging thousands of pages of 
>>>braille, I did say this was only my opinion.
>>>Regards,
>>>Heather Field
>>>
>>>-----Original Message----- From: James Kelm
>>>Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 1:35 PM
>>>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>Okay...  Another question about the embossers...
>>>
>>>    I have noticed that the lower priced machine only allows printing via
>>>the tractor feeding, while a bit more expensive machines also allow you to
>>>feed cut sheets through the machine.  My question is...  How often do those
>>>of you who use an embosser use cut sheets rather than tractor feeding?  In
>>>other words, is the additional cost justified by the extra feature of being
>>>able to feed individual cut sheets through the machine?
>>>
>>>Respectfully Yours in Christ,
>>>James Kelm
>>>
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Jones" <jtj1 at cableone.net>
>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 1:00 PM
>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>
>>>>Very good point, and very true!!!
>>>>Judy
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
>>>>To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 11:02 AM
>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>
>>>>>James:
>>>>>I agree with you completely on the importance of reading well and on the
>>>>>fact that a decreasing number of people (blind or sighted) read 
>>>>>more than a
>>>>>headline or two. It's going to catch up with us (society) 
>>>>>eventually when we
>>>>>wonder why China is out-innovating us and when the citizenry thinks
>>>>>Presidential debates are a substitute for understanding economics, foreign
>>>>>policy and the consequences of proposed governmental actions in detail.
>>>>>That said, I'm perfectly happy with a refreshable Braille display. It's
>>>>>getting the Braille that counts, not the form it takes. But all 
>>>>>bets are off
>>>>>when it comes to math Braille. Math Braille should *always* be on paper.
>>>>>Mike Freeman
>>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: blindtlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
>>>>>James Kelm
>>>>>Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 9:16 PM
>>>>>To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>>Dear Jasmine and group...
>>>>>
>>>>>    It is nice to hear that so many folks still enjoy reading in general,
>>>>>and who enjoy reading the physical book format.  It is sad that so many
>>>>>people now days, both blind and sighted, simply do not read!  I personally
>>>>>think that they are missing so much, and while a lot of information can be
>>>>>gotten via the Internet and all of the magical forms of technology, it
>>>>>simply is not the same as actually reading a book.
>>>>>
>>>>>    Perhaps this will be controversial, and please know that I 
>>>>> do not intend
>>>>>for it to be!  I am simply stating my own personal opinion...  But I think
>>>>>that a large degree of social and occupational empowerment can be achieved
>>>>>by the blind, simply by actually having the skills to read.  Of 
>>>>>course this
>>>>>applies to reading refreshable Braille as well, but I know that for me
>>>>>personally, simply having the ability to sit down with a book or magazine
>>>>>has afforded me a nice feeling of equality and compatibility with the
>>>>>sighted world.  I think that it is a shame that so many young 
>>>>>blind people,
>>>>>are no longer being taught Braille in school!  It is nice to 
>>>>>have the luxury
>>>>>of when I want, not to have to depend on technology or other advancements
>>>>>such as this, but to actually sit down and read a book, magazine, or
>>>>>whatever.  Perhaps this is largely because I am of an age when books held
>>>>>actual power and a sort of magic.  There is an intimacy when you actually
>>>>>lay your hands on the words that an author has written, rather 
>>>>>than having a
>>>>>rather sterol relationship with technology.  Now don't misunderstand me! I
>>>>>love my technology, and I spend way too much of my time on the Internet!
>>>>>But there is still something about grabbing a book off of the 
>>>>>shelf, sitting
>>>>>in my favorite armchair, and reading.  Also, I can read in bed at night,
>>>>>without having to bother my sighted wife.  LOLL  Sighted folks can't say
>>>>>that!  *smile*
>>>>>
>>>>>Respectfully Yours in Christ,
>>>>>James Kelm
>>>>>
>>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Jasmine Kotsay" 
>>>>><jasmine.kotsay at gmail.com>
>>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 6:07 PM
>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hi,
>>>>>>I couldn't agree with you more about having an actual hard-copy book to
>>>>>>read by the fire rather than a refreshable display.  I have a BrailleNote
>>>>>>Apex, and wouldn't trade it for anything, but I still love my hard-copy
>>>>>>books! LOL!
>>>>>>Sincerely,
>>>>>>Jasmine
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "James Kelm" <jameskelm at earthlink.net
>>>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>Date sent: Thu, 8 Nov 2012 20:18:29 -0600
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>>>Dear Judy,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    I debated over getting an embosser VS.  something like a refreshable
>>>>>>Braille display, and I came to the following conclusion.  Firstly, I hope
>>>>>>to
>>>>>>produce material for other blind individuals, churches, etc.  With an
>>>>>>embosser I will be able to produce material that I can then pass on.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    Secondly, and this may just be a matter of my old age...  LOLL  But
>>>>>>there is something magical about actually sitting down in the 
>>>>>>evening with
>>>>>>an actual physical book.  For some reason, and maybe this is again just a
>>>>>>matter of my experience, but the image of sitting down in front of a fire
>>>>>>in
>>>>>>the fire place in the evening, and holding a refreshable display on my
>>>>>>lap,
>>>>>>just doesn't have the same pizzazz.  LOLL
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Respectfully in Christ,
>>>>>>James Kelm
>>>>>>
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "Judy Jones" <jtj1 at cableone.net
>>>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 7:10 PM
>>>>>>Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Hi, James,
>>>>>>I have the Juliet Pro 60 and have been very happy with it.  It's a real
>>>>>>workhorse and does a good job.
>>>>>>As a braille user, I have to ask this question.  Rather than having all
>>>>>>the braille hard-copy taking up shelf room, do you have a note taker or a
>>>>>>portable device you can use on which to store digital files?
>>>>>>I have a note taker for home and one for the office, and can carry all
>>>>>>electronic files on the note taker, or on a thumb drive to download as I
>>>>>>need them.
>>>>>>Just curious.
>>>>>>Thanks.
>>>>>>Judy
>>>>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>From: "James Kelm" <jameskelm at earthlink.net
>>>>>>To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 5:30 PM
>>>>>>Subject: [Blindtlk] Questions about embossers...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Dear friends,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    I am hoping that you will be able to assist me!  I am looking to make
>>>>>>a rather sizable purchase, and I am looking for advice on which machine
>>>>>>will best meet my needs, while also offering the most for the money.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    First of all, let me tell you what uses I will be needing a new
>>>>>>embosser for...  First of all, as a pastor, I obviously present a Sunday
>>>>>>message each week.  So I would like to be able to produce my notes each
>>>>>>week on my computer, and then push a button to have my notes "printed"
>>>>>>out in Braille for use when I give my message.  These notes will range
>>>>>>from 3 to 10 pages of Braille at a time.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    Secondly, I want to begin producing material for 
>>>>>> distribution to other
>>>>>>churches, organizations, etc.  This means that I will produce a book
>>>>>>ranging from 50 to 200 pages, and then I want to be able to "print" from
>>>>>>my computer the material that has been E-mailed to me via pdf, doc, etc
>>>>>>files.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    Thirdly, of course within a professional office setting, there are a
>>>>>>number of different situations in which having the ability to print a
>>>>>>Braille copy of material would be of great use.  This would range from
>>>>>>copying an E-mail, copying study material that has been produced either
>>>>>>myself or others, etc.  I would not be producing great numbers of Braille
>>>>>>pages per week, but the quality and easy of use would be a huge plus!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    The two embossers that I am looking at is the Index Basic-D V4, and
>>>>>>the Juliet Pro 60.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    What are your impressions of these two machines, or do you have other
>>>>>>suggestions for me?  Also I should tell you that while I am quite capable
>>>>>>at general computer usage, I have never worked with an embosser before.
>>>>>>Do I need any additional equipment such as sound proofing boxes and such?
>>>>>>I understand that any embosser can be quite loud?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>    Thank you so much for your guidance in this matter!