Free, open source, WCAG 2.2 AA and PDF/UA
Make PDFs everyone can read.
PDF Wire is an editor for creating PDFs that work with screen readers, magnifiers and reflow, and for checking the PDFs you already have. Structure is built in as you write, and every file is checked before you can download it.
Runs in your browser. Your files are never uploaded.
What PDF Wire does
Accessibility is built into the document from the first heading, not patched on at the end.
Create
Create accessible PDFs
Write with headings, paragraphs, lists, images and tables. Each one is tagged correctly the moment you add it, and a live checker shows what still needs attention.
Check
Check existing PDFs
Open any PDF to see its tags, reading order and content screen readers can’t reach. Each problem is explained against the WCAG and PDF/UA rule it relates to.
Export
Export only when it passes
Missing alternative text, skipped headings, tables without headers and low contrast block export. Each file is read back and checked again before you download it.
How it works
- Set up the documentGive it a title and a language, the two things PDF/UA asks for first.
- Write and insertAdd headings, paragraphs, lists, images and tables. Describe each image, or mark it as decorative.
- Fix what’s flaggedSelect a problem to jump straight to it. Most fixes take one click.
- ExportPDF Wire builds the file, checks it again, and hands you a tagged PDF ready to publish.
What every PDF includes
The parts of a PDF that assistive technology relies on, written for you on every export.
- A tagged structure in reading order, with headings that become bookmarks
- Alternative text for informative images; decorative ones hidden from screen readers
- Table header cells linked to their data cells
- Embedded fonts with Unicode mapping, so text can be read aloud, searched and copied
- Document title, language and the PDF/UA identifier
- Page numbers and decoration marked so they aren’t read out
Private by design
PDF Wire runs entirely in your web browser. The documents you open or create stay on your device; they aren’t uploaded to us or anyone else.
Free and open source
Released under the GNU AGPL v3.0, with 20 bundled fonts under the SIL Open Font License. Read the code, report issues and contribute on GitHub.