Accent Raster Braille User manual

TM
Raster Method of Braille
Getting Started Guide
2322 chestnut ave west – minneapolis MN 55405 – phone [phone] – fax [phone] – www.accentsignage.com
TM
Raster Pen

Congratulations on your purchase of the
Raster™ Method of Braille. Raster™ Braille
is the fastest, easiest way to create fully
compliant Braille signage.
To use the Raster™ Method you need a rotary
engraving machine and software capable of a
single-point drill function. You should also
use Braille translation software to ensure that
your Braille is accurate Grade 2.
When properly produced, Raster™ Braille is
durable, impervious to environmental
conditions, easy for Braille readers to use, and
fully compliant with all regulations.
We strongly recommend that you read all
the instructions in this booklet before you
begin.
TM
Raster Braille cutter
(red label)
-or-
Collet drill assembly
(black label)
TM
Raster Method of Braille
What's Included
The Raster™ Method consists of three main
components: the cutter, used to drill holes in
the sign; the Rasters™ themselves, precision-
machined spheres of acrylic, stainless steel, or
brass, and the Raster™ Pen, a simple-to-use
mechanical device for inserting the Rasters™
into the sign.
How It Works
It's simple: Translate text to Braille, drill the
corresponding holes, and insert Rasters™.
The top portion of each spherical Raster™
stands above the surrounding surface, creating
a perfect dome-shaped Braille dot.
The substrate material you choose will
determine the installation method you use.
For most engraving plastic, wood, and other
soft materials, use the friction-fit method. For
metals, stone, and harder plastics like
phenolic, use the adhesive-assist method. TM
Raster Pen
TM
Jar of Rasters
Grade 2
Braille
If you just type in
text using a Braille
font, you are
creating Grade 1
Braille, a direct
letter-for-letter
translation. Grade
2 Braille, on the
other hand, is
condensed, with
over 200
contractions where
a single character
can stand for a
group of letters or
even a whole
word. Grade 2
Braille is required
by the ADA
Accessibility
Guidelines.
Page 1
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cutter Setup
1. Install the cutter in the spindle. Use the red-
label Raster™ Braille cutter for plastic and
wood, and the black-label collet and drill bit
assembly for metal, stone, or solid-surface
materials.
2. Turn the spindle micrometer all the way up,
then down to the first “0.” From this setting,
turn the micrometer 0.075” down (exactly
three turns), stopping at “0.”
3. Loosen the setscrew in the cutter's brass
knob and pull the cutter up inside the nose.
Hold a flat piece of plastic flush against the
nose of the spindle, and lower the cutter until
it touches the piece of plastic. Re-tighten the
setscrew while holding the plastic in place.
Don't over-tighten the setscrew! It only needs
to be “snug.”
4. The nominal depth setting for plastic and
acrylic substrates is 0.042”. Turn the spindle
micrometer up one full turn, plus 17 tick
marks.
5. For metal substrates, or any time the
adhesive-assist method is used, the depth
should be 0.002-0.003” deeper to allow for
the thickness of the adhesive.
Note: Set all you cutters to the same zero
point, so the micrometer settings are the same
for all of them.
Page 2
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
5020
5020
Up until it stops
Down to “0”
Down three full turns to “0”
1 full turn = 0.025”
5020
5020
Past the first "0" and up to "17"
Tip
TM
Raster Braille
cutters are made
from solid carbide
for precision and
long life. Solid
carbide cutters are
heavy and one-
sided, so balance
is important. If
your cutter seems
to be making the
wrong size holes,
see Page 7 for
instructions on
how to find a
cutter's "sweet
spot."
...and re-tighten the setscrew
while holding it in place.
Loosen the setscrew,
hold the plastic against
the bottom of the nose...

Page 3
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Press down to
TM
insert Rasters
TM
Raster Pen
The Raster™ Pen is the tool used to place the
Rasters™ in the holes. The Pen is a simple
device; it has only one moving part. The
spring-loaded tip holds one Raster™ at a time
below a plunger. As you press down, the
plunger presses the Raster™ into the hole.
1. Remove the rubber cap and fill the Pen's
barrel with Rasters™ using a small funnel. Fill
the barrel as full as possible, but be careful
not to spill any Rasters™. Replace the cap.
2. Shake the Pen and click the mechanism a
couple times by hand to make sure the
Rasters™ are dropping into the tip.
3. Hold the Pen vertically over the Braille
holes with the tip's flat side facing you. Align
the tip with the hole and press down. You
should feel the Raster™ "pop" into place.
Don't use any more force than necessary;
excess force can crack the Rasters™, damage
the sign, or cause a jam in the Pen's
mechanism.
NOTE: Proper grip and hand position is very
important when using the Raster™ Pen.
Don't try to operate the Pen using only your
fingertips. Experiment until you find a
comfortable grip, but remember to keep the
Pen vertical.
We recommend that you practice with the
Raster™ Pen before using it on a live job. Use
the included test piece, and make a couple
practice pieces of your own. Once you get
used to the feel, you should be able to use the
Raster™ Pen quickly and easily.
Storage Tip
Save an empty
TM
Raster jar to use
as a stand for the
TM
Raster Pen. The
jar will keep the
Pen upright, which
keeps the
mechanism full of
TM
Rasters , so it's
always "primed"
and ready to use.
The jar also keeps
TM
Raster Pen from
rolling off the
edge of a table.
Cap
Barrel
(fill with
TM
Rasters )
Grip
Tip
Plunger
(inside)
Hold Pen VERTICAL
when using!

Friction-Fit Method
Use this method when installing Rasters™ in
plastic or acrylic substrates. The Rasters™ are
held in place by the friction fit between the
Raster™ (which is 0.0625” in diameter) and
the hole (which is 0.060”). This method is not
recommended for use with ABS plastics. For
ABS, use the adhesive-assist method.
1. Set up the red-labeled Raster™ Braille
cutter in your machine.
2. Use your engraving software to create the
Braille message and run the machine. Make
sure your software uses a single-point drilling
function to drill the holes. Use the same speed
settings you use when engraving plastic. Drill
to a depth of 0.042".
3. Move the sign to a clean area and make sure
the holes are free of debris. If you are using
clear Rasters , any leftover plastic chips in
the hole will be visible through and magnified
by the Raster , so keep your work area clean.
4. Use the Raster™ Pen to insert Rasters™
into the holes. The Rasters™ should "pop"
into place without much force. If too much
force is needed, or if the Rasters™ won't stay
in the holes, drill the holes a little deeper and
try again.
5. Check the height of the installed Rasters™
with calipers. Measure the thickness of the
material next to the Braille, then measure the
thickness including the Braille, then subtract.
The height should be 0.025" to 0.031" (0.6-0.8
mm). If the Rasters™ sit too low, try drilling
the holes a little shallower.
™
™
Working with
Acrylic
Here are a couple
tips to make
working with
acrylic a little
easier:
1. Slow down the
RPM of your
spindle. Acrylic
has a low melting
point and the
cutter can get hot
enough to melt
the edges of the
holes if the RPM is
too high.
2. Don't use
alcohol or
petroleum-based
cleaners on an
acrylic sign. These
products will
attack the acrylic
and cause tiny
cracks to appear
around the Braille
holes. Use soap
and water or a
mild detergent.
Page 4
©2005 Accent Signage Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
TM
Raster Method of Braille
Drill holes
in substrate
TM
Press Raster
into place
Overall height
– material thickness
TM
= Raster height
TM
Use Raster Braille cutter
(red label)