PHOTOCOPYING

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com

It is common for teachers out of good intention to automatically enlarge all printed materials presented to the student and sometimes they over-enlarged materials. It is ideal for the student to use low vision devices, when possible, to view printed materials as it empowers the student to make their own adaptations. Unfortunately, copying print, maps and charts on a copy machine can frequently create fuzzy and hard to read/discriminate copies and frequently, the information can't fit on one page.

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It is ideal to obtain a copy of the worksheets and handouts in a word document as you can easily adjust the font size, but in many cases, these sheets are not available on the computer. When you must enlarge using a copier, be sure the copier provides sharp, clean copies. There is no magical formula as the size is dependent on the original font size. However, this formula may be helpful.

When you need to enlarge maps, charts and diagrams, it is critical to have good contrast. If colored materials turn to shades of gray, it can be difficult if not impossible to distinguish the different areas and sections.  

Tips for Making Good Quality Photocopies or Scans

• Make sure the copier’s glass surface is clean
• If possible, use a copier with fresh toner (This may be a challenge in some schools!)
• Apply pressure to the book’s spine to reduce center margin problem.
• If possible, select the copier’s photo setting for best detail.
• If the item to be copied is small, place a white sheet of paper behind the item to avoid using excess ink or getting gray or black shadows on copies.
• When copying pages from a book, insert a piece of blank white paper between the pages. Make sure it is placed straight up and down, parallel to the edge of the book’s cover.
• Adjust the paper so it lines up with the 8 ½ x 11” mark to ensure the paper is at the edge of where the copier will copy. The goal is for the copier to see the blank paper instead of the open space below the book cover’s edge. This will prevent the black border from showing up ont the edges. 

Photocopy enlarging should depend on the abilities, ages, and preferences of students. Large print should be the last choice when enlargement is effective, since it restricts the reader to only enlarged texts and takes time and money to produce. 
-Low Vision: A Resource Guide with Adaptations for Students with Visual Impairments. TSBVI.p.91

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How to Make Enlarged Copies

Visit the Printables page to download and print this free step by step pictorial directions for creating enlarged copies on a copier. Post a copy by copiers for quick reference to making quality enlargements.

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