As mentioned previously, special tools, materials, and machinery are necessary for

fabricating ADA braille signs. But one of the advantages of partnering with Erie
Custom Signs is that you don’t have to invest in new equipment. Instead, you can
save money and feel confident that our team will use state-of-the-art equipment to
get the job done right.

Here are just some of the tools we use for in-house fabrication of braille signage:

 Adobe CS6 Suite – For designing signs

 Grade II Braille Translation Software (Grade 2) – For translating text to
ADA-compliant braille
 24″ x 48″ Vision 2448 Router / Engraver / Raster Braille – For creating
braille lettering
 Four 16″ x 24″ Vision 1624 Engravers / Raster Braille – For creating
braille lettering
 Two Direct Color Systems UV1024 Direct to Substrate Printers – For
printing text and graphics directly on the sign substrate

If you haven’t realized it already, fabricating ADA braille signs can be a

complicated process. After all, there are several working parts involved in
manufacturing high-quality, ADA-compliant signs with braille lettering. However,
we’ve streamlined the process so this intricate work is done both quickly and
correctly to yield the best results possible.

Here’s a quick overview of how we make braille signs:

1. Gather materials.

Before the printing actually begins, it’s important to have all the necessary supplies
on hand. This ensures the process of fabricating ADA braille signs goes as
smoothly as possible. For the first step, our team members check that they have the
correct printing hardware and software, the proper substrate material, and the ink.

2. Design the sign.

Using our design software, those on our design team map out how the sign will
actually look. This includes not only the layout and colors but also where the
braille will be located and what it will say. The software we use allows designers
to choose from standard ADA sign templates rather than having to create new ones
from scratch each time. As a result, we can minimize the time spent on each
project.

3. Load the substrate.

Once the design is approved, we move on to the next step—loading the substrate.
At this point, our production team has already pulled the substrate material and
chosen the finish. All they have to do is put the sign substrate directly into the
printer so it’s ready to go.

4. Ready the print job.

Our production team then takes the file that was created in our design software and
sends it to the printing software. The printing software we use has special
capabilities for designing ADA braille signs. This makes the printing process
significantly easier.

5. Print.

Finally, our production team waits for the sign to be printed. The whole print job
typically takes about four minutes per display. Once the ink is dry, which is almost
immediate, we send the sign off for a quality check before it’s securely packaged
in shipping.

Takeaway
Fabricating ADA braille signs is no easy task, and getting it right is vital to
customer satisfaction. Thankfully, our tried-and-true process allows sign and print
professionals to get high-quality braille displays quickly, easily, and affordably.
Now that you’ve seen how we make braille signs here at Erie Custom Signs, you
can trust our team to handle any large or specialized sign orders you receive.

If you want to learn more about our process or get a no-strings-attached quote on
custom braille signs, reach out to Erie Custom Signs today! We’d be happy to
answer any questions you have and work with you to produce the ADA-compliant
displays your clients need.