Tactile Image

A tactile image is a raised or textured representation of a visual image designed to be perceived through touch rather than sight. Tactile images can be produced through various methods including embossing, swell paper (microcapsule paper), Braille printers, thermoforming, and 3D printing. They are used to make visual information such as diagrams, maps, charts, and pictures accessible to blind and visually impaired people. Designing effective tactile images is challenging because touch processes information serially with a much smaller perceptual field than vision, meaning images that work well visually may be unrecognizable by touch — particularly those with 3D perspective, overlapping elements, or asymmetric compositions.