What Is Swell Touch Paper?
Swell Touch paper is a specialized paper used to create tactile graphics that can be read through touch. It is designed with a proprietary coating that reacts to heat and black ink, allowing printed or hand-drawn graphics to rise and form tactile surfaces.
This makes it an essential material for producing accessible content for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
How Swell Touch Paper Works
To create tactile graphics, a design is first printed or drawn onto Swell Touch paper using black ink.
Graphics can be produced using a standard inkjet or laser printer, or drawn by hand using specialized black markers. The black areas absorb heat and reacts with the coating during processing.
The paper is then passed through a Swell Form machine, or Swell Form Pro machine, where the black ink expands to create raised tactile graphics.
This process is fast, reliable, and produces consistent results.
Why Swell Touch Paper Is Different
Swell Touch paper is engineered specifically for tactile graphic production.
Because Zychem manufactures its swell paper in-house, it provides consistent quality, reliable performance, and controlled production standards. This ensures that tactile graphics are clear, accurate, and repeatable.
The proprietary coating is designed to respond evenly to heat, producing precise raised lines and shapes that are easy to read by touch, and extremely durable.
Common Uses of Swell Touch Paper
Swell Touch paper is used to create a wide range of tactile graphics, including:
- Maps and geography materials
- Math concepts such as shapes and angles
- Graphs and charts
- Scientific structures and systems
- Educational illustrations
- And more…
These tactile graphics help make complex concepts more accessible and easier to understand.
Creating Tactile Graphics with Swell Touch Paper
When used with swell paper and a Swell Form machine, Swell Touch paper allows educators to create tactile graphics in seconds.
For higher-volume production environments, the Swell Form Pro machine provides increased capacity and efficiency.
This combination makes it possible to produce tactile graphics on demand, whether in a classroom or a large-scale production setting.
Conclusion
Swell Touch paper is a key component in creating tactile graphics quickly and effectively.
By combining Swell Touch paper with a Swell Form machine or a Swell Form Pro machine, educators and organizations can produce high-quality tactile materials that support accessibility, learning, and independence.
