Braille Files

What Is a BRF File and How to Open One

Short answer: A .BRF (Braille Ready Format) file contains braille that is already translated and formatted, stored as plain text in North American ASCII Braille. Each printable ASCII character stands for one six-dot braille cell. You can read it on a refreshable braille display, send it to a braille embosser, or open and edit it in braille software. In an ordinary text editor it looks like gibberish.

What's inside a BRF?

  • Braille ASCII characters (for example, “A” is dot 1 and “&” is the “and” contraction, dots 1-2-3-4-6)
  • Line breaks at the braille line length, commonly 40 cells per line
  • Form-feed characters marking page breaks, commonly 25 lines per page
  • Braille page numbers already placed by the translator

Because translation and formatting are already done, a BRF reads the same on any device. That's why libraries such as the NLS BARD service and Bookshare distribute braille this way.

How to open a BRF file

  1. Refreshable braille display or notetaker: Copy the file to the device and open it in its book or file reader.
  2. Braille editor: Quality Brailler works on Windows, Mac and iPad. It opens BRF and BRL files, and Braille2000 .B2K and .BML files, and shows them as formatted braille pages for sighted editors. Other options include Duxbury DBT and APH's free BrailleBlaster.
  3. Embosser: Send the BRF to the embosser as-is, with no translation, to print the pages.
  4. Text editor: Notepad or TextEdit will open the file. Set a braille font (such as a SimBraille-style font) to see dots instead of letters. Don't save edits with reflowed lines, or the formatting will break.

BRF vs BRL vs other formats

.BRL is a similar ASCII braille format that is often used interchangeably with BRF. Editor formats such as Duxbury .DXB or Braille2000 .B2K/.BML contain extra formatting information and need the matching software. Quality Brailler opens Braille2000 .B2K/.BML files.

Can a BRF be converted back to print?

Back-translation software can turn contracted braille back into print, but the result usually needs proofreading, especially for math and formatting.

Frequently asked questions

What does BRF stand for?

BRF stands for Braille Ready Format, a file of translated and formatted braille stored as ASCII text.

Why does a BRF file look like random letters?

Each ASCII character stands for a braille cell, not a print letter. Open it in braille software, or apply a braille font, to see the dots.

Can I open a BRF on an iPad or Mac?

Yes. Quality Brailler works on Windows, Mac and iPad, and opens BRF files. iOS and macOS can also send braille files to a paired braille display through compatible apps.

Where can I download BRF books?

NLS BARD offers free braille books to eligible US patrons, and Bookshare and APH Louis also provide braille files.

Sources

  1. NLS – BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download)
  2. NLS – Braille resources
  3. APH – BrailleBlaster
  4. Bookshare

Last updated October 26, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.