Back to Resources

Tactile graphics library

SHARE
Image of accessible tactile reindeer with raised lines and braille created on Swell paper using a PIAF machine.

The Tactile Graphics Library contains digital images ready for a tactile graphics machine and accessible digital worksheets which are teacher-adapted mainstream worksheets for students with low vision and/or CVI. These worksheets have simple images with uncluttered backgrounds.

The digital images are developed specifically for a tactile graphic machine. A tactile graphic machine (also known as a thermal image enhancer or heat fuser) is a machine that makes raised line drawings on special paper, called capsule or swell paper. Educators can draw, print or photocopy pictures (including braille labels!) onto the capsule or swell paper and run the paper through the machine. The heat causes the lines to raise or “swell” enabling the student to access the drawing tactually. The most commonly used tactile graphics machines are the PIAF (Pictures in a Flash) and Swell machines.

Resources

Be sure to check out these additional free tactile image libraries available.

Tactile Images

The tactile images available below on Paths to Technology typically have accompanying educational lessons. The digital images below are in alphabetical order. A thumbnail image is shown along with the link to download the image. If available, the link to the associated post is also given.

Photo of PIAF/Swell ready image of the Math Melodies game Absolute Position. A 3x3 table with 4 answer options at bottom of screen and tool bar along right edge of screen. Absolute Position base and advanced pdf for PIAF/Swell graphics machine PIAF/Swell graphics created and shared by Jessica McDowell; embossable tactile graphics created and shared by Transcribing Mariners. Note: The PIAF/Swell diagrams can be used as an overlay on top of the iPad for the Math Melodies game, Absolute Position.

Outline image of an acorn.Acorn

Photo of tactile overlay for Math Melodies Addition 1st grade advanced level. Addition Overlay docx for embosser (for Math Melodies app, 1st grade Advanced Level) Embossable diagrams created by Transcribing Mariners and PIAF/Swell machine diagrams created by Jessica McDowell. Note: The PIAF/Swell diagrams can be used as an overlay on top of the iPad for the Math Melodies game, Addition.

PIAF/Swell Tactile Graphics Image of the Add or Delete Math melodies game Add or Delete 1st grade base and advanced color pdf for PIAF/Swell Graphics Machine. PIAF/Swell graphics created and shared by Jessica McDowell; embossable tactile graphics created and shared by Transcribing Mariners. Note: The PIAF/Swell diagrams can be used as an overlay on top of the iPad for the Math Melodies Add and Delete game!

Airplane

Ambulance

Ambulance 2

Outline image of a jar holding a paint brush and marker beside a paint palette. Art image

Solid silhouette images of arctic animals: hare, caribou, moose, seal, walrus, polar bear, squirrel, fox, wolf and sheep.Arctic Animals

Photo of PIAF-ready Audacity app's screen. Audacity Swell PDF (Audacity App’s Screen) Shared by S.C.O.E. Vision Support

outline image of a ball with a band of starts around the middle. Ball

Outline image of a balloon.Balloon

outline image of a bananaBanana

Outline image of a basket ball. Basket ball

Simple Solid image of a bat flying with wings spread. Bat

Original Parts of a Bat print worksheet with a bat outline and boxes for word labels. Plain bat outline and Bat with textures

Photo of the tactile Bear Hunt coding grid with raised picture symbols and braille labels and  Bear Hunt Coding Grid Swell PDF

Outline image of 8 bird heads with different types of beaks.Bird beaks with text

Photo of attached file for the Brown Bear grid with tactile images and braille created with swell paper. Brown Bear Coding Grid Swell PDF (3 pages: tactile images, image key and grid with braille labels only)

Outline image a bed with four posts, blanket and pillow.Bed

Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt

Outline image of a sail boatBoat image

outline image of a closed book.Book

Outline image of a closed book. Book 2

Outline image of an empty bookshelf.Bookshelf empty

outline image of a bookshelf with books.Bookshelf with books

Braille "e" coloring page: 6-dot braille cell with black dots for 1 and 5, outline drawing of an elephant, and SimBraille "e". Braille Alphabet Coloring Pages (A-Z coloring pages – one page for each letter)

Donald Duck cartoon character coloring page with braille letter D

 Braille Alphabet Coloring Pages Part 2 (A-Z coloring pages – 1 page for each letter)

simple Bus coloring page Bus Coloring page

outline image of a camera, showing buttons on top, round lens, and other features. Camera

Outline image of a candy cane.Candy Cane

Outline image of a long cane.Long cane

Solid silhouette image of a caribou.Caribou

Simple black line drawing of the cat and the cat bed - ideal for PIAF machine. Cat PIAF png (spatial concepts/prepositions) Shared by Dr. Blevins

Simple caterpillar imageCaterpillar – simple

Caterpillar with details.Caterpillar – detailed real life

Outline image of the Very Hungry Caterpillar character.Caterpillar – The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Outline image of a cell phone.Cell phone

Cement Mixer Truck Simple

Cement mixer truck with details Cement Mixer Truck 2

Outline image of a wooden student's chair.Chair

Christmas tree

Outline image of a round clock with hands.Clock

Photo of clip art coloring page of an Osprey as a tactile book cover. Clip Art coloring pages (Creating PIAF Tactile Images: Graphic Book Cover post using clip art coloring book images)

4 color-by-shape pumpkins worksheet Color-by-Shape Pumpkins download

Photo of the outline of the coconut tree coloring page with shapes indicated what color to use in each area. Color-by-Shape Worksheet Coconut Tree

Photo of the modified mouse color-by-shape worksheet with fewer lines. Color-by-Shape Mouse2 (modified/simple version) The post contains original (more complex mouse version) and the mouse2 only (no shapes, letters or numbers of the simple mouse2.)

Image of 3 (rubber duck shaped) solid ducks in a row. Counting Ducks 3 PDF

Image of Counting Duck page with 5 small "rubber duck-type" solid images. The duck beaks are lighter grey color. Counting Ducks 5 PDF

Counting 5 ducks page with a horizontal line under the ducks in each row to assist students in straight line tracking. Counting Ducks 5 with Lines PDF

Image of 3 simple, solid ducks in a row. At the bottom of the page are spaced out braille Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Counting Ducks with Answers PDF

Image of 4 small, solid ducks in the first row and three small, solid cows in the second row. Counting Ducks and Cows PDF

Full page image of a simple, solid cow with the word "cow" in braille. Cow Full Size PDF

Silhoutte image of a cowCow

Conjunction Image: Southwest sky on Dec. 21st with the moon, Jupiter/Saturn, Altair, Deneb, Fomalaut, & Vega labeled. Conjunction Swell PDF (3 pages depicting the southwest sky and west sky and two print pages of images) Note: Conjunction occurs when any two astronomical objects (in this case Jupiter and Saturn) appear to be close together in the sky, as observed from Earth.

Simple black line drawing of dog and firetruck images - ideal for PIAF machine. Dog PIAF png (spatial concepts/prepositions) Shared by Dr. Blevins

Outline image of a standing dog (Lab).Dog

outline coloring page of a dolphinDolphin

Outline image of a door with hinges on the left, round door knob and 4 sections.Door

outline image of a dump truck dumping a load. Dump Truck (Dumping)

outline drawing of a dump truck.Dump Truck 2

Outline image of an egg.Egg

photo of PIAF-ready image of electromagnetic Spectrum with braille text. Electromagnetic Spectrum Swell PDF Shared by Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Outline image of an elephantElephant

Outline drawing of an elephant.Elephant

Outline image of a feather. Feather

photo of Find My Friend with choices in print and sim braille ready for the tactile graphics machine. Find a Friend PIAF.docx

outline drawing of a firetruckFiretruck

Outline image of a cartoon gold fish. Fish

Screenshot of tactile graphic with four different sizes of Sim Braille with text, "Adding Braille font to an iPad". Font Size Comparison (Page with different Swell-Braille simulated braille font sizes – options to help you determine the right size font for standard braille dots when creating tactile graphic labels on an iPad using the GoodNotes app.)

silhouette image of a fox.Fox

Solid silhouette of an arctic fox. Fox (arctic)

Outline image of a garbage truck.Garbage truck

Image of a magmatic environments (active volcano) with text, "Geoscience Tactile Images"

Outline image of a guide dog in a harness.Guide dog

Simple Outline image of a flying ghost with eyes and open mouth.  Ghost

Outline image of a gingerbread man with details.Gingerbread Man

Silhoutte images of a cow, pig, woman, horse, fox and man.Gingerbread Man Sequencing Activity

Outline drawing of a giraffe.Giraffe

PIAF/Swell-ready Graphics Machine image of Google Drive Google Drive PIAF pdf (created and shared by S.C.O.E. Vision Support)

Print of Google Slides (Puppy slide)PDF for PIAF/Swell Graphics Machine Google Slide PIAF pdf (created and shared by S.C.O.E. Vision Support)

Image of the Halloween matching worksheet with ghost, bat, pumpkin and gum drops in random order in two columns. Halloween Matching Worksheet

Photo of print Halloween Suduko puzzle for tactile graphics machine. Bat, ghost, pumpkin and gum drops each appear 3 times in a 4x4 grid. Halloween Suduko worksheet

Solid silhouette image of an arctic hare.Hare (Arctic)

Print image of the iPad's Home Screen for PIAF/Swell graphics machine iPad Home Screen Portrait Piaf pdf and iPad Home Screen Portrait docx (for embossers). PIAF/Swell graphics created and shared by Jessica McDowell; embossable tactile graphics created and shared by Transcribing Mariners. Note: The PIAF/Swell graphic can be used as an overlay on top of the iPad!

Silhouette image of a horse.Horse

Outline image of a simple house. House

Outline image of a jeepJeep

Outline drawing of a leopard. Leopard

Outline image of a leprechaun dancing a jig.Leprechaun dancing

Outline image of a leprechaun face with beard, pointed ears and hat.Leprechaun face

Outline image of a leprechaun hat.Leprechaun hat

Outline image of a leprechaun show with pointy toe, small heel and buckle.Leprechaun shoe

outline drawing of a female lion.Lion (Female)

outline drawing of a Lion maleLion (male)

Silhouette image of a man/male iconMan/Male

3 pages of PIAF Math calendar (Number Corner)  Math Calendar Page 1, Math Calendar Page 2 and Math Calendar Page 3

Print image of the Math Robot app screen with braille for PIAF/Swell graphics machine Math Robot for Embossers, Math Robot with Braille pdf for PIAF/Swell Graphics Machine, and Math Robot without Braille pdf for PIAF/Swell Graphics Machine (can add braille with Perkins after graphic created) PIAF/Swell graphics created and shared by Jessica McDowell; embossable tactile graphics created and shared by Transcribing Mariners. 

Raised line dog maze with multiple path options. Maze: Dog (raised line maze with several dead-end paths) for tactile graphics machine.

Simple preschool "stay between the lines" type maze leading to a dolphin. Maze: Dolphin (“stay between the lines” simple, one path maze leading to a dolphin) for a tactile graphics machine.

Monkey hanging by its tail from a limb coloring page Monkey coloring page

Silhouette images of 6 monkeys in various positions, hanging, climbing, walking and sitting. Monkeys (6 monkey silhouettes in various poses)

Solid Silhouette image of a moose. Moose (arctic)

outline image of a red oak leaf. Oak Leaf: Red

Outline image of a white oak leaf.Oak Leaf: White

Outline image of an old oak tree. Oak Tree

Outline image of an orange.Orange

outline image of a palm tree. Palm Tree

Penguin coloring page Penguin

Outline image of a landline phone receiver with a curly chord.Phone

Silhouette image of a pig. Pig

Outline image of a simple pine treePine Tree

photo of the PIAF-ready planet Mars image with braille text, "Mars". Planets and Stellar Images Swell PDF (17 images of planets and some major types of galaxies) Shared by Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Original Parts of a flower worksheet with labels for roots, stem, leaf, and petals. Parts of a flower (original worksheet)

Parts of a flower worksheet for tactile graphic machine without text or boxesParts of a Flower worksheet (for tactile graphic machine)

Solid silhouette image of a polar bear. Polar Bear

Polygons with text and Polygons without text

Outline image of a pot of gold.Pot of gold

outline image of a pot of rainbow flowing into a pot of gold.Pot of gold with rainbow

Present

Outline Image of a big pumpkin above a little pumpkin.  Pumpkin Big and Little Worksheet

Image of a carved pumpkin, with circles for eyes, triangular nose and carved mouth (with teeth).  Pumpkin Carved Worksheet

Photo of the Pumpkin color by shape worksheet.  Pumpkin Color-by-Shape Worksheet      

  Image of 6 solid pumpkins: Pumpkins Counting worksheet. Pumpkin Counting Worksheet        

Photo of a plain coloring page of a pumpkin with rib lines.  Pumpkin Plain Coloring Page Worksheet

Image of a large (full page) solid black pumpkin.  Pumpkin Solid Large Worksheet

4 photos of the pumpkin life cycle for tactile graphics machine: seed, flower, vines with small pumpkin and pumpkin. Pumpkin Life Cycle images (Images are cut out and student places them in sequence or in circular life cycle pattern)

Pumpkins matching worksheet: 2 columns each with a solid pumpkin, plain pumpkin and carved pumpkin.  Pumpkin Matching Worksheet

Pumpkins Same and Different: 5 of the six pumpkins are plain pumpkins and the 6th pumpkin is carved. Pumpkin Same and Different Worksheet

Quadrilaterals with text and Quadrilaterals without text

Outline image of a cloud with rain forming a big puddle.Rain

Leaping reindeer

Image of accessible tactile reindeer with raised lines and braille created on Swell paper using a PIAF machine. Reindeer Swell PDF Shared by Jessica McDowell

Outline image of a rose with thorny stem and leaves.Rose

Outline image of a rhino Rhino

Same and Different Shapes Worksheet: 3 solid squares and a triangle. Same and Different Easy Shapes worksheet 

Same and Different Ducks worksheet: 3 solid ducks and one cow Same and Different Easy Ducks worksheet

Same and Different shapes worksheet with 3 random solid circles and 3 squares. Same and Different Shapes worksheet

Same and Different Matching Shapes worksheet with a solid square, triangle and circle on the left to be matched with corresponding shapes on the right. Same and Different Matching Shapes worksheet

Same and Different shapes in a Row Worksheet with 3 rows. First shape in the row is given and student finds either the same or different shape in that row. Same and Different Shapes in a Row worksheet

Outline image of a Christmas elf's hat and a Christmas elf's striped socks and shoes.Santa elf hat and shoes

Santa hat

Outline image of a striped winter scarf.Scarf

Outline image of a shamrock Shamrock

worksheet image with a colorful circle, oval, triangle, rectangle, square, and diamond 25 pages of shape-related graphics are available in this post!

Coloring page of a seagullSeagull

Seal coloring page Seal

solid silhouette of a seal. Seal

Solid image of an arctic sheep with curled horns. Sheep (arctic)

Outline image of a sink, front view. Sink

outline image of a slide. Slide

Outline image of winter boots with fuzzy tops.Snow boots

Snowflake

Outline image of a snowflakeSnowflake

Snowman

Outline image of a snowman Snowman

Outline image of a pine tree covered in snow.Snowy Tree

Image of spider coloring page (outline of a spider) for a tactile graphics machine. Spider Coloring Page 

Image of a large, solid black spider ready for a tactile graphics machine.  Spider: large solid spider image

Image of Spider Life Cycle with Egg sac, spiderlings, adult spider and eggs with braille labels.  Spider Life Cycle Worksheet

Spider Simple

Spider Real

Two happy front-facing spiders each dangling by a thread from a spider web. Spider Dangling

Solid spider Spider Solid (1 large spider)

outline image of a sports car.Sports Car

Stocking

Photo of subtraction overlay for the Math Melodies app subtraction with regrouping. Subtraction Overlay docx for embosser (Math Melodies subtraction with regrouping, 1st Grade Advanced). PIAF/Swell graphics created and shared by Jessica McDowell; embossable tactile graphics created by Transcribing Mariners. Note: The PIAF/Swell machine graphic can be used as an overlay on top of the iPad for the Math Melodies game, Subtraction.

Solid silhouette image of an arctic squirrel. Squirrel (arctic)

Odd shape top is almost a triangle shape and larger than the bottom shape, connected near the bottom left corner. Bottom is smaller and almost a triangle shape. Symmetry: Odd shape

Square with dotted lines showing 4 folds/lines of symmetry.Symmetry: Square shape

Outline simple drawing of the Taj Mahal building. Symmetry: Taj Mahal

3 rows of 5 shapes with symmetry. Each shape has a line of symmetry running from top to bottom. Symmetry worksheet

X shape with bottom wider than top; dotted line down the center showing symmetry. Symmetry: X shape

Photo of a PIAF-ready worksheet to test student's tactile sensitivity with various line widths, gradient (black to white colors) for highlighter and pen. Test Tactile Graphic pdf

Image of a swing set with 2 swings.Swing

outline drawing of a tow truck.Tow Truck

Coloring page of a simple train.Train simple

Outline of an Amtrak train.Train (Amtrak)

Outline image of an tree with roots, trunk, branches and leaves. Tree (can be used to label the parts of a tree)

simple outline image of a tree, branches and leaves. Tree: Summer (simple outline)

Outline image a winter tree with bare branches. Tree: Winter

Classification of Triangles with labeled images for Equilateral, isosceles, scalene acute, right and obtuse triangles.Triangles with text and Triangles without text

Turkey color-by-shape worksheet: circle = red, square = orange, triangle = brown. Turkey Color-by-shape worksheet

Photo of side-view turkey with textures for the tactile graphics machine. Turkey (Label the Turkey) Worksheet (side view of turkey)

Coloring page a front facing turkey. Turkey Plain Coloring worksheet (front view of turkey)

Outline image of a turtleTurtle

outline image of an open umbrella. Umbrella

6 Black and white tactile valentine's hearts with "be Mine" in braille in the center of each heart. Valentine “Be Mine” Stickers (6 large black and white stickers with braille “be Mine” in the center.)

Image of numerous small and middle sized hearts in black, grey, red and pink and a hand-drawn cat face. Valentine’s Day Stickers (3 pages of colorful small and medium hearts, cat, dog, and braille stickers)

Outline image of a walnut. Walnut

Solid silhouette image of a walrus. Walrus

outline image of a school drinking fountain, side view, with water arc.Water fountain

Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt

Watermelon with numerous seedsWatermelon with seeds

orca whale coloring pageWhale (Orca)

Humpback whale coloring pageWhale (Humpback)

solid silhouette image of an arctic wolf howling. Wolf (arctic)

Silhouette image of a Woman, icon Woman/female icon

Outline drawing of a zebra.Zebra

Image of PIAF-ready Zoom Visual Screen with tactile symbols and braille text. Zoom Visual Screen Swell PDF (Zoom virtual meeting app’s screen) Shared by S.C.O.E. Vision Support

Adapted Worksheets

Modified for Students with Low Vision and/or CVI

picture of cat matching worksheet with word choices on left (in, left, right, under, above, behind) and cat images with cat bed or table in the right column. Cat Spatial Matching pdf (spatial concepts/prepositions worksheet) shared by Dr. Blevins

Cat cut and paste worksheet with cat images and blank boxes underneath on the first page and spatial words on the second page.  Cat spatial cut and paste pdf (spatial concepts/prepositions) shared by Dr. Blevins

Matching worksheet: in front, left, right, under, above in left column and images of dog and firetruck in right column. Dog Spatial Matching pdf (spatial concepts/prepositions worksheet) Shared by Dr. Blevins

Images of dog and firetruck with preposition words to be cut and pasted below the associated picture. Dog Cut and Paste pdf (spatial concepts/prepositions) shared by Dr. Blevins

I spy worksheet #5 with reindeer and snowmenHoliday I Spy

Screenshot of Math Worksheet: Missing Factor. First equation is 10 = 5x (solve for x). Math Worksheet: Missing Factor (solve for X) accessible web page

Screenshot of Math worksheet: Multiple by 10. First equation is 12 x 10 = Math Worksheet: Multiply by 10 (accessible web page)

Screenshot of math Worksheet: Multiple and Divide by 10, 100, and 1,000. First equation is 54,000 x 10 =  Math Worksheet: Multiple and Divide by 10, 100, and 1,000 (accessible web page)

screenshot of math worksheet: Multiplying Fractions. First equation is 1/4 x 1/2 = Math Worksheet: Multiplying Fractions (accessible web page)

Screenshot of Math Worksheet: Add fractions with unlike units. First equation is 1/2 + 1/3 =. Math Worksheet: Add fractions with unlike units (accessible web page)

Screenshot of Math Worksheet: Subtracting Decimals. 2nd equation is 5.9 - 1 = Math Worksheet: Subtracting Decimals (accessible web page)

Guidelines for Creating Resources shared on Paths to Technology

Disclaimer

These resources are created and shared by individuals. Some of the resources in this section of Paths to Technology may feature images and sounds that are protected by copyright. Where possible, permission to use the images and sounds has been sought; however, if you are the copyright owner of any sound or image and would rather they were not used in these teaching activities for students with visual impairments and blindness, please contact [email protected] and the resource containing the copyrighted material will be removed.

Back to Paths to Technology’s Home page

SHARE THIS ARTICLE