Card stock works

i would recommend taking a course such as Hadley Institute for the blind. it is important how you learn to read braille. just memorizing letters without practicing tactile reading can make you a slow reader. I have told many people I wish I had learned before I was blind. I could have used it to read my notes while giving presentations during work.

It's not that it's impossible to braille without braille paper; it's just that the resulting braille does not last very long and may be harder to read later. Also, in some cases with very thin paper, you might stab straight through it. This makes more of a tiny frayed hole than a true braille dot. I have brailed on other types of paper, especially printer type, and it works fine. In fact, in my opinion, it might even be easier to slate on printer type paper since you don't have to push down as hard. However, everyone I know has learned to slate on braille paper, so I don't know how true this is in practice.

By the way, notecards work great! If you get the little slate, a lot of them are sized to fit a standard 3\*5 card (I think that is how big they are).

If you want some weirdly detailed info on braille paper, you can read this publication by the United States Library of Congress: $1

Remember to get a good stylus (those things can suck if you hate the grip), and that Mx. Slate thinks it's always opposite day, a great time to be backwards. Have fun slating!

I use a slate and stylus sometimes with regular paper but only when a sighted person gives me a piece of paper I’m supposed to keep track of. Or when I’m in a pinch or just practicing. You’ll poke a hole through it if you’re not careful but if it’s just writing practice then I feel like it’s kind of whatever.

Index card work great! I keep a stash in my purse I. Case I need to take down a quick note. Consequently I also have a small brille slate and stylus I carry around like a dork.

I love when someone asks for a pen and I’m like “I have a slate and stylus!” Hehe.

Rolls of labels for label makers are also a good medium to practice on and they hold the dots really well.

Oh my God, I remember those pieces of instrument, but anyway, I suggest using thick paper