Every day, I am on the lookout for interesting news and stories about labels. And when I come across an article that transcends the printing and converting workflow and is more than a piece about “ink on paper,” it really gets my attention. Because, at the end of the day, even in the B2B world, it’s people that make it go round. 

Labels don’t just inform, they connect people to products – and sometimes in inspiring ways. That’s the driving force behind an inspiring collaboration I learned about between Blind Industries & Services of Maryland (BISM) and a team of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) mechanical engineering students.

When BISM, Maryland’s largest employer of blind and low-vision workers, challenged the JHU students to create a machine that could add braille writing to beer labels, the group didn’t just build a functional piece of equipment – they developed a solution rooted in accessibility and inclusion. Their printer, designed with tactile, open hardware and intuitive software, allows BISM employees to operate it directly, while meeting the demand for high-quality braille labeling on a variety
of substrates.

This project demonstrates how innovation in labeling can expand opportunities for people with disabilities while also opening new doors for brand owners to make their products more inclusive. With applications extending beyond beer labels to packaging, direct mail, and more, the impact could be significant.

What follows is the story, authored by Hannah Robbins, news and research communications manager at Johns Hopkins University, of how a team of students took on this challenge, partnered with BISM, and developed a technology that’s not only practical, but transformative for the people who will use it every day.

Students’ invention prints braille beer labels for nonprofit

By Hannah Robbins

When the local nonprofit Blind Industries & Services of Maryland reached out to Johns Hopkins University’s mechanical engineering program last year, they asked for one thing: a printer that adds braille writing to beer labels.

Students in the mechanical engineering program’s senior design class delivered.

Starting in September, the students designed and built a machine capable of punching braille text into plastic beer labels as well as card stock, glossy mailers, and other materials that commercial braille-friendly printers are currently unable to accommodate.

The students designed the printer so Blind Industries & Services of Maryland, or BISM, employees with no or low vision can operate it.

BISM is the state’s largest employer of blind and low-visioned workers. With that in mind, the students developed an open hardware product that is easy to operate, unlike other printers that enclose their working components behind hard casing.

“You can reach your hand in and feel everything going on inside our printer. Having open hardware that allows people to touch all the components was important,” said Catherine Pollard, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and project team member.

“We really took into consideration who would be operating the machine and how they were going to use it,” Pollard said. “With engineering, it can be easy to move forward with the first idea that works on paper or go with a design that uses the most cost-effective materials and call it a day. But that really wasn’t an option here. For this to be a functional product, the user experience is paramount.”

The students also developed easy-to-update software that allows their printer to communicate with the braille word processor and Photoshop design software that the nonprofit uses in its office.

“We were grateful to have BISM as a project sponsor. They gave us user feedback from the people who are most interested in the machine and worked closely with us every step of the way,” said team member Gabriella Hu, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering. “Seeing how much adaptive technology BISM has already incorporated into their lives was inspiring, and it helped us understand how our product could slot into their day-to-day work.”

The students have already printed 400 labels for Blind Spot, a honey Kölsch beer crafted by Baltimore’s own Checkerspot Brewing Company, in collaboration with BISM as part of an annual fundraiser for those with vision loss. The new printer will save BISM employees from having to use a manual press to punch braille dots into more than 1,000 labels for next year’s festivities. 

The students delivered the labels and the finished printer to BISM at the end of the spring semester.

Steve Katz is the former editor of Label & Narrow Web and is now a regular contributor. He is focused on helping companies in the label industry share their news and tell their stories. Follow him on X @LabelSteve.