From 2000, Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) has been practicing universal package design and has made progress in developing designs for visually impaired people, especially in the realm of paper packaging. "Barcode-Talker" is an application designed for visually impaired people: it allows users to listen to a product's information read out by an audio-assistant when a barcode is read through the user's smartphone. DNP has developed the "barcode sign," an embossed L-shaped barcode, which enables visually impaired users to locate the barcode by touch, and strives to promote universal design-oriented packaging.

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IWATA UD font released in 2006 was the custom-made font of Panasonic Corporation. A product family of UD font that spread into the printing industry and electronic manufacturers includes several font styles, such as Gothic, round Gothic, and Mincho fonts. The UD font was said to be specially in demand. The UD font got accepted because of not only the efforts of the font dealer but also the matching of the UD font concept to the period background. This report explains the UD font and its distinctivity from other fonts by showing the improvement in the conventional product. Finally, some problems based on a variety of uses and difficulties in producing UD fonts are explained.

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In recent years, the concept of universal design has been spreading in Japan. To provide easy-to-read printed material to a person, we focused on the visual feature of the person. We have verified the readability of the text for several combinations of text and background colors through a performance-based reading test. Thus, we were able to derive a function for determining the readability of the text by considering the age of the person and the color combination. By using the function, we have developed a color support tool for analyzing the combinations of the character and background colors contained in the printed matter.

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We described the effectiveness of functional filters for simulating dichromatic color-discrimination through Variantor (Universal (U), Protan (P), and Deutan (D) types) in processes of color universal design (CUD). Owing to the lack of real-time characteristics, possible misses in determining problems, and limited accuracy in printing objects, using the conventional technique is not sophisticated. In the conventional technique, software converts colors of digital photos under the model of dichromatic color-vision. Thus, we developed optical functional filters to simulate color difference of dichromats. In CUD evaluation, the use of color differences instead of modeled color appearances or color confusion lines provides the color design better accuracy and more freedom because the color difference includes the difference of luminance between target colors. We first developed Variantor U-type simulations of the smaller color differences between protanopes and deuteranopes for convenient use, and successively developed Variantor P- and D-types simulations of color differences on color confusion lines in each dichromatic. Moreover, these filters can function accurately in simulating the color difference of a non-white standard color. Although the low color discrimination area created by the filters may rotate from the direction of color confusion lines under some special illuminations, a suitable choice in the filters still enables accurate check of color discrimination. For practical use of the filters, we show the table of CIELAB color difference values between some of Munsell color chips.

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In this article, we describe a new approach to increase the accessibility of printing by using an auditory two-dimensional symbol system called an auditory code. Printing is not accessible to blind, visually impaired, or dyslexic people. Therefore, we developed an auditory code for solving and reducing the print disability problem. We describe the theory and usage of the auditory code and its relation to the new law implemented in April 2016 to eliminate disability discrimination. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of international standardization. Therefore, the auditory code is standardized by the International Electrotechnical Committee, as IEC62665 (2015-12) : Texture map for auditory presentation of printed texts and IEC62875 (2015-02) : Printing specification of texture map for auditory presentation of printed texts. Our aim is to expand the use of the auditory code in all types of printing matter.

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