[NFBCS] Recommendations for Single Sheet or Non-Tractor Feed Braille Printers

[Greg Kearney]

See my answers below:

> On Jan 16, 2022, at 12:11 PM, Beth Hatch via NFBCS <nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Greg, I appreciate your experience with Braille production, but if the printer holds cut sheet paper, in the same way that an ink printer does but with Braille paper, it shouldn't be necessary to cut any pages afterwards when printing. Perhaps I misread something in your message?

I think you may have misread my answer. Cut sheet feed embossers either hold the sheets at the top of the embosser and the sheet is then pulled downwards into the embossing mechanism or they pull the paper horizontally. By definition you would net need to separate the sheets as you do in tractor feed embossers. The problems come in that the process of pulling the paper into the embosser is more complex with rollers that grasps the paper by fiction and these rollers need to be adjusted and will over time need to also be replaced.

Web feed embossers are very expensive and really only organizations doing production grade work can even consider them. They have automatic paper cutting system at the end of the feed that cuts the paper to size after the embossing is finished. Buying these is the Braille equivalent of buying a full scale printing press and they cost ten of thousands of dollars.

You're right tractor feed embossers do require carful setup but the mechanics are much simpler and you are not trying to feed heavyweight paper by means of a friction roller. Well setup they are very reliable and would always be my fist choice.

> 
> I'd also like to use the talking menus some of the newer embossers have. The tractor feed printers I could get at work don't have that option.

All modern embossers with the exception of the big web roll feed embossers now come with speech options. 

I will add here that my experience comes out of large scale Braille production where issues such as paper weight, speed and avoiding paper dust collection come into play in ways they might not in the home. For example paper dust is a big issue in large scale production to the point where the paper, in dry climates such as Australia, must be given a mist of water so as to prevent paper dust from flying about and creating a hazard.

Greg