Using MathType with Duxbury Braille Translator new

Use this guide when you want to convert a Microsoft Word document (including math created with MathType) into braille using Duxbury Braille Translator (DBT). At the end, you'll have a braille-ready document with correctly translated text and mathematical expressions, suitable for printing or embossing.

Before you begin

• Requirements: 
  • Microsoft Word.
  • MathType 7 or later.
  • Duxbury Braille Translator (DBT) 12.3 or later.
  • SWIFT is installed (for Word integration).

Steps

1. Install and set up DBT — Download and install  Duxbury Braille Translator (DBT) and SWIFT 
    
2. Prepare your document — Create your content in Word using MathType for all mathematical expressions and save it as .docx (recommended) or .doc. Make sure to save the document locally.
   
   
    
3. Open the document in DBT — In Word, go to the Braille tab and select Open in DBT.
   
   
    
4. Review math translation — Use View → Codes in DBT to verify how mathematical content has been translated.
   
   
    
5. Translate to braille — In DBT, go to File → Translate to convert the document to braille.
   
   
    
6. Edit if needed — Make changes in the original Word document and retranslate in DBT for best results.

Options and variations

• If you need better translation quality: Follow Duxbury’s Word formatting best practices (Top 10 Guidelines) to improve output readability.
• If you’re using different file formats: Both .doc and .docx are supported, but .docx is recommended for newer versions of Word.

Common errors

• Math not translated correctly: Math written as styled text instead of MathType → Recreate expressions using MathType.
• Braille tab not visible in Word: DBT/SWIFT not installed or integrated → Reinstall or verify integration setup.
• Translation option not available: Using incompatible versions → Ensure MathType 7+ and DBT 12.3+.