Solo
$15/ month
500 print pages per month
or $150/year — 2 months free
Braille Transcription Software
Turn a textbook PDF into braille-ready BRF
Upload a PDF, choose the braille code, export production BRF. The same tool we run on our own books — built by a certified braille transcriber, for people who know what correct braille looks like.
How it works
Three steps, and you can check the extraction before anything is converted.
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Upload the PDF
Drop in a textbook or document. Set a page range if you only need a chapter, add a print-page offset so braille page numbers line up with the print edition, and choose the braille code for this book. Scanned PDFs are OCR’d automatically.
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Extract the structure
The converter reads the layout — headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, page breaks, emphasis, maths — and turns it into QBT markup: a plain, readable text format that describes the book rather than just its words. You can look it over before anything is converted.
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Convert to BRF
Enter the book metadata for the title page, set your volume bounds and formatting options, and export. You get embosser-ready BRF — split into volumes, with running heads, print page numbers and a generated title page.
What it is — and what it isn’t
A fully correct braille translation cannot be automated. It requires understanding the content: whether a line is a heading or a caption, what a diagram is actually communicating, how a table should read in a linear medium, when a transcriber’s note is needed. No converter decides those things well.
What this software does is remove the mechanical hours — extraction, code translation, pagination, volume splitting, title pages — and hand you a strong first draft to review. The braille judgement stays with the transcriber. That is how we use it in our own shop, and we don’t claim otherwise on the tin.
What it handles
| Braille codes | Nemeth with UEB, UEB Math/Science, and UEB Literary — chosen per book at upload. |
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| Source files | PDF, including scanned and image-based files. Automatic OCR before extraction; optional AI-generated descriptions for figures. |
| Structure | Headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, emphasis, print page breaks and transcriber’s notes, all carried through into the braille output. |
| Volumes | Automatic splitting between your minimum and maximum page bounds, or a single continuous file. Each volume gets its own title page and running head. |
| Page layout | Interpoint (double-sided), running heads, print page numbers, retained emphasis, indented or block paragraph format, preliminary page handling. |
| Title pages | Generated from the metadata you enter — title, subtitle, edition, author, publisher, city, copyright year, ISBN. Blank fields are simply omitted. |
| Output | Embosser-ready BRF per volume, the extracted markup file, and a summary PDF you can use as a quote sheet. |
Who it’s for
- Transcription companies — subscribe to the same pipeline we use in-house instead of building one. Upload, convert, export, without rebuilding extraction and formatting from scratch.
- Freelance transcribers — take on longer books without the mechanical hours eating the margin.
- School districts and accessibility offices with a transcriber on staff — keep production in-house and turn work around faster.
- Publishers producing accessible editions at volume, who need a repeatable, reviewable process rather than an ad hoc one per title.
Don’t have a transcriber to review the output? We do that too — see braille transcription services.
Pricing built for your volume
Self-serve plans with a 25-page free trial — no card required to start. Every tier includes all braille codes, OCR and volume splitting.
Pro
$49/ month
2,500 print pages per month
or $490/year — 2 months free
Studio
$149/ month
10,000 print pages per month
or $1,490/year — 2 months free
Need more than 10,000 pages a month? Enterprise plans add custom volume commitments, dedicated support and annual contracts — get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Does the converter produce production-ready braille?
It produces a strong first draft, not a finished transcription. A fully correct braille translation requires understanding the content — deciding what a graphic means, whether a heading is really a heading, how a table should be laid out. The converter does the mechanical work; a qualified transcriber reviews the output and finishes it. That is exactly how we use it on our own books.
Which braille codes does it support?
Nemeth with UEB, UEB Math/Science, and UEB Literary. You choose the code per book at upload, so a mathematics textbook and a novel can both be handled correctly in the same account.
Can it handle scanned PDFs?
Yes. Scanned and image-based PDFs are OCR’d automatically before extraction, so non-searchable files come through as usable text. There is also an option to generate AI image descriptions for figures.
How does volume splitting work?
You set minimum and maximum page counts per volume and the converter finds acceptable break points automatically, generating each volume as its own BRF. You can also turn splitting off entirely for a single continuous file. Title pages, running heads and print page numbers are handled per volume.
How is this different from your free braille translator?
The free translator converts a string of text into braille characters — useful for a name, a label, or learning the code. The converter handles whole documents: it extracts structure from a PDF, applies braille formatting rules, splits volumes, builds title pages and exports embosser-ready BRF. One is a character tool; the other is production software.
Do I need to be a certified transcriber to use it?
No, but the output is meant to be reviewed by someone who reads braille. The output assumes a reader who knows what correct braille formatting looks like. If you need finished braille and don’t have a transcriber, we also provide full transcription as a service.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — 25 print pages, with no card required to start. That is enough to run a real chapter through the full workflow and judge the output for yourself.
Run a chapter through it yourself
Twenty-five pages free, no card required. Upload something real and see what comes out the other end.
Launch the converter →