Canon and the Royal Society for Blind Children use tactile printing to help visually impaired students experience photography through touch.
Photography is usually something we experience with our eyes. But what if you could explore a photograph with your fingertips instead?
That was the idea behind a recent collaboration between Canon and the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), giving visually impaired students the opportunity to create and experience photography in a completely different way.
As part of the project, seven students created portraits inspired by their interests, personalities and experiences. Their photographs were then transformed into tactile prints, using elevated printing technology to turn selected elements of each image into raised surfaces that can be explored by touch.
Turning images into experiences
The tactile prints were produced using a Canon Arizona 2380 XT with PRISMAelevate XL, building up layers of ink to create a raised, textured surface.
Rather than simply reproducing the photographs, the process gives the students another way to interpret and connect with their images. Details that would normally be communicated visually can become shapes, textures and raised areas that can be explored with the hands.
The result is a different kind of photographic experience, one where an image becomes something physical and interactive.
From photography to touch
For Canon, the project forms part of its wider Young People Programme partnership with the Royal Society for Blind Children, which aims to help young people develop skills, confidence and opportunities through creative activities.
The tactile photography project demonstrates how print technology can help make visual communication more accessible, while also opening up new ways to think about what a printed image can be.
A photograph does not necessarily have to remain something you look at. With the right combination of creativity and technology, it can become something you can feel, explore and experience.
Read the full story: Canon and the Royal Society for Blind Children enable visually impaired students to experience photography through touch
Learn more about the Canon Young People Programme: Canon partners with the Royal Society for Blind Children