Photocopying & Making Enlarged Copies

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
revised September 4, 2018

It is common for teachers out of good intention to automatically enlarge all printed materials presented to the student with a visual impairment  and in the process, they may over-enlarged materials. Keep in mind that the goal is to provide the least amount of magnification for the student to access information. For accessing reading materials, it is ideal for the student to use low vision devices to view printed materials. This empowers the student to make their own adaptations and allows the student to access ALL printed materials, and not just those that have been enlarged. Math worksheets and maps that need labeling can present more challenges for students and these worksheets frequently need to be enlarged to provide the student with enough space to write and allow the student to see the details. 
It can be a challenge to make quality copies and enlargements on the copier. Copying print, maps and charts on a copy machine can frequently create fuzzy and hard to read/discriminate copies. Additionally, the information can't always fit on one page. The following tips can help you produce quality copies that are legible and also make enlarged copies that fit on one page.
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Tips for Making Quality Copies

When you need to copy 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. 

Tips for Making Enlarged Copies

​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. I have found the following steps to be helpful when creating enlarged copies. Your copier may be different, so modify accordingly.
  1. Obtain 11x17 paper. (This will allow the enlarged copy to fit on one page.)
  2. Open the side of the copier to manually load the paper.
  3. Place paper on the tray.
  4. Place the original paper horizontally and face down on the copy bed.
  5. Select "Reduce/Enlarge"
  6. Select "bypass" for paper size
  7. Enter 135% (you can select "number keys" to manually enter or use up/down arrows
  8. Press "OK"
  9. Check to ensure the page copied correctly.
  10. Be kind and reset the copier for the next user! 

How to Make Enlarged Copies Picture Tutorial

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.
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. 
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-Low Vision: A Resource Guide with Adaptations for Students with Visual Impairments. TSBVI.p.91

​Resources to Support You in Teaching Students with Visual Impairments

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Accommodations for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired Recorded Presentation

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Ensuring the student has access to the curriculum and entire educational environment is a key role of the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments. This presentation provides an overview of accommodations for students who are blind or visually impaired. I discuss considerations for providing accommodations, go over common accommodations, strategies for preparing the student for job accommodations and strategies for communicating needs to teams and employers.


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  • Considerations for providing accommodations
  • Common accommodations
  • Preparing student for job accommodations
  • Communicating needs to teams and employers


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