Good afternoon, Carol! This is a HUGE topic, and often a conversation or a series of conversations is the best way to approach answering your questions, but I will get you started.
These four resources will help a lot - I can’t upload them here because the discussion board only takes certain file types, but I will be happy to email them to you:
- Braille font download
- Word drawing space (a tactile template document with preset parameters)
- File with line drawing elements that I have saved so that they don’t have to be continually recreated
- List of ASCII symbols for typing in braille (see below)
These are the items that are useful to know in getting started:
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If you use the Braille29 font that I will share with you and anyone else who would like to have it, the font size throughout your document must be 29 point. This includes both font in inserted text boxes and font that you type directly in the document.
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Use the Insert tab on the Microsoft Word ribbon to find and add shapes and other drawing elements to your graphic.
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If you click on drawing elements that you have added, you can then use the Shape Format tab that appears to manipulate those elements. You can also right-click on an element, choose “Format shape,” and then use the menu or dialog box that appears to make changes to it. Just a note - I like to use a 2-point line or curve, black only, for most drawing elements.
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To add a text box, click on Insert, then Text box, then inside your drawing space. Change the font to Braille29, 29-point (if that’s the font you’re using). You can enlarge the text box by clicking on its edge or corner and then dragging your mouse to the right or left.
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If you type in uncontracted braille without capitals, you don’t have to do anything special - you can just type using the letters on the computer keyboard. If you want contracted braille, you have to use ASCII symbols. ASCII is basically a code where every key on the computer keyboard is assigned a value that corresponds with computer braille symbols, and if you know these, you can use a braille font to type in contracted braille in a Word document.
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The specific path for saving a PDF file is going to vary from Word version to version, but here are the steps: a) Go to Save As. b) Choose PDF in the dropdown list of file types. c) Click on Save, or tab to Save and press Enter. d) To transfer your file to the Monarch, save the PDF file on a USB drive.
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Here are the steps for opening the graphic image on the Monarch: a) Insert the USB drive into the Monarch. b) From the Home menu, open the File Manager. c) Press Space + D to select your drive. d) Navigate to USB drive and press Enter to open it. e) Navigate to your file and press Enter to open it. f) Find “Open with Tactile Viewer,” then find “Just Once button” and press Enter. g) Your document should open in the Tactile Viewer. Use your Zoom and panning keys, and also your navigation commands, to move around the image.
This is the perfect place for you and all of our other Monarch trainers to continue to ask questions about tactile drawing, and I will stay close to it while you are working through this process - this way, everyone will be able to see the questions and answers and learn together. If you get stuck anywhere, this is also a great place to share what happened and we will work together to resolve any challenges. For anyone who needs the files or resources that I listed above, my email address is jwheeler@aph.org and I would love to hear from you.