Our Raised Image and Audio treatments of the artworks utilise a combination of online and offline technologies, so some preparation is required.

i-Map’s raised images, downloadable at the bottom of this page in PDF format, are designed to be created using swell paper and a heat fusing machine such as Zy-Fuse. The image to be raised needs to be printed or photocopied onto the swell paper and passed through the machine. The heat is absorbed by the black areas of the image, and the chemical reaction that it produces causes those areas to rise and swell. There are printers currently being developed that produce raised images, but they are not yet available in the UK.

A number of blind clubs and associations have this equipment and may be able to create the raised images for you. The RNIB also runs a Raised Images service through its Customer Liaison team in Peterborough. If you send print-outs of the images to them they will raise them on swell paper and return them, usually within five working days. For more information and for details of cost, please call the Raised Images service on 01733 37 51 13 or email Sue King. The address to send your images to is as follows:

RNIB Peterborough
Customer Liaison Department
Tactile Images
PO Box 173
Peterborough PE2 6WS
Telephone: 0845 702 3153 or 01733 37 51 13

Tate are also currently working on a solution to make it easier for you to get access to i-Map's raised images, so watch this space for further details.

Once you have your set of raised images you can start using them to explore i-Map's artworks. As you will be using them in conjunction with your computer, make sure you have comfortable access to both before you begin. Don't worry, you won't be required to operate your computer and touch the raised images simultaneously.

The Raised Image and Audio treatments of the artworks use audio files in the MP3 format. MP3 files may be played by a range of software.

Each Raised Image and Audio page has been laid out as simply as possible, with two audio clips corresponding to each raised image. The first clip provides Orientation, helping you to get you bearings on the raised image in front of you. The second clip is a Descriptive Narration, essentially a description of the artwork itself, rather than the raised image, which includes art historical context.

For sighted users, such as teachers and helpers, a thumbnail of each raised image can be seen to the left of the audio clips if you have your Accessibility Options set to Default or Large Text.

Download the set of Raised Images (PDF)