The Optacon can be used to examine graphics on a screen, but, there are often many issues that complicate this procedure. These issues include the scan rate of the monitor, whether the image is displayed in inverse video, and the flatness of the screen. Using an Optacon to read or examine a graphic on paper is much easier than trying to read the computer screen. It is also possible to take the process of making graphics access one step beyond the initial printing by copying the printed page onto swell paper and producing a raised graphic. The last approach has become quite practical in the last few years due to the development of low-cost machines that can cause images on the swell paper to raise up.
Computer images come in many formats, .GIF .BMP, .PCX etc.
MS Paint and Imaging will not handle all formats. A viewing utility such as Lview Pro allows one to import an image of one format and convert it to another. The .GIF format can not be handled by the Paint program. Lview can be used to convert a .GIF to something compatible with Paint. There are two main operations where Paint or Imaging can be very useful.