What is the BRF file format?
.brf stands for Braille Ready Format, the de-facto standard for distributing digital braille documents. It is a plain 7-bit ASCII text file where each character represents a single braille cell, using the Braille ASCII mapping: the 64 six-dot braille combinations are assigned to printable ASCII characters (for example, A = dot pattern 1, B = dots 1-2).
Lines in a .brf file are 40 characters wide, matching the standard 40-cell width of a refreshable braille display or a typical braille-embossed page. Pages are separated by a Form Feed character (0x0C). The plain-text nature means any text editor can open a .brf file, but the content is only human-readable to someone familiar with Braille ASCII notation.
Content may be encoded as Grade 1 (uncontracted braille, one cell per print character) or the more space-efficient Grade 2 (contracted/abbreviated braille), using either the Unified English Braille (UEB) or legacy EBAE notation system. A book-length .brf file is typically 50 KB to 5 MB.
The format is used by the National Library Service (NLS), Bookshare, the RNIB, and most braille embosser and notetaker ecosystems. A .brf file can be sent directly to a braille embosser for printing or loaded onto a refreshable braille display without any conversion step. The emerging .ebrf format, introduced by the American Printing House for the Blind in 2021, is a richer successor, though .brf remains dominant.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPlain ASCII text file; no executable code, macros, or scripts. Completely safe to open.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open BRF files
Windows4 apps
Duxbury DBT (Duxbury Braille Translator)
Paid File > Open > select .brf file. Displays in braille view; can translate, edit, and emboss.
Tiger Software Suite (ViewPlus)
Paid Open BRF file; use to print via ViewPlus Tiger braille embosser.
NVDA (with braille display)
Free Open BRF in Notepad with NVDA running and a braille display connected; NVDA routes braille output.
Notepad / any text editor
Built-in Open in any text editor to view raw Braille ASCII characters (not human-readable without braille knowledge). 
macOS1 app
Linux1 app
liblouis / lou_translate
Open-source Command-line braille translation library; can read/write BRF. Used by BRLTTY, Orca, NVDA. 
Android1 app
BrailleBack (Google)
Free Accessibility service; pairs with a braille display to render BRF content.
Bookshare
Free (qualifying members) Download BRF titles directly; Bookshare provides BRF for most titles for eligible users. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | 7-bit ASCII (Braille ASCII mapping - 64 printable characters represent all six-dot braille cells) |
| MIME type | application/braille |
| Line width | 40 characters per line (matches standard 40-cell braille display and embosser line width) |
| Page separator | Form Feed character (0x0C) |
| Line endings | CR+LF or LF |
| Braille grades | Grade 1 (uncontracted) and Grade 2 (contracted/abbreviated) |
| Notation systems | UEB (Unified English Braille) and EBAE (legacy North American standard) |
| Compression | None inline; files may be distributed as .brf.gz |
| Typical file size | 50 KB - 5 MB (full book-length document) |
| Output compatibility | Directly readable by braille embossers and refreshable braille displays without conversion |
| Versioning | None - stable open convention; no format version field |
| Emerging successor | eBRF (.ebrf) from the American Printing House for the Blind, announced 2021 |
| Released | circa 1969 (Braille ASCII standard); BRF term widely adopted 1990s |
| Latest version | N/A - stable plain-text convention; eBRF (.ebrf) is the emerging successor |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.loc.gov |
BRF conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about BRF files.
