Annexe 1: Considerations on the proper use of 3D printing in the field of culture and heritage

What do we need to consider when organising an exhibition on 3D printing?

Teamwork
It is important to consider and unite the efforts of the people who create your tactile models and those who work in the different museum departments. You can organise a kick-off meeting. This meeting should be attended by the director of the exhibition, the designer and the museum staff. It is also important to invite the person who will create the tactile copies.

Select the artworks
You need to select the most important artworks according to the message you want to convey to the audience. Do not be afraid to use complex objects. Because in this case you might leave out the most important and interesting artworks

Choose the size of the model
It is important that the size of the model is balanced. It should not be too small, but also not larger than the average tactile field of a human being (105 x 55 cm). The size of the tactile model depends on its comprehensibility. It is not related to the size of the original image. If the model is too small, it will be difficult to read it. If the model is too large, the viewer may forget what is in the left corner when he arrives at the right corner

Placement of the model
You need to place the model right next to the artwork it interprets. It is easier and more meaningful to guide a group of blind visitors through the exhibition in this way. Also, blind people are free to visit the museum whenever they want and to take as much time as they want to spend in the exhibition.

You have to make sure that the exhibition is comfortable for everyone. The artworks must be accessible for children and people in wheelchairs. The height of the artworks should therefore be 70-80 cm. In addition, tactile objects can be provided with special “Touch me” signs.

The placement of the tactile objects and the Braille signs for the different exhibits must follow the same pattern. This way, a blind person walking from one object to another can see where and what kind of information they can find.

Choose the appearance of the model
You should avoid shiny surfaces as they can irritate the eyes of visually impaired visitors. If you want to create a plain model, you should also avoid black and white colours. It might be difficult for visually impaired people to see details. If you want to create a coloured model, you will need to adjust the colours – increase the contrast, etc.

Labelling
You should design tactile information as a natural addition to the exhibition. One way to achieve this is to make Braille script labels in the same style as all other labels in the area. However, you should emphasise text and braille against the background using contrast.

Rules
The Ministry of Culture advises that a group of visually impaired people should not exceed 10 people. A group of blind people should not exceed 5 people.
When planning a guided tour, remember that the excursion will take longer for the blind than for the visually impaired. During such a guided tour you can visit up to 6 exhibits. It is easier to study tactile models with both hands. Therefore, in some cases, visually impaired guests need an assistant to help them. However, the assistant should first ask if the guest is allowed to take his or her hands

Hygiene
It is important to keep the artwork clean. One way to do this is to wear gloves. But this is not an option for the visually impaired. So you should disinfect your artwork. However, some substances can damage your work. So before you disinfect, you need to make sure that your artwork is clean and not damaged.

Feedback
You should ask visitors what they liked and disliked about the exhibition. You can use this knowledge in your future work.