Tips for Document Translation - sending and receiving

Welcome to our blog post.

For today’s blog entry I want to share some simple basic tips that will help new clients get a better understanding of what is required the first time they send files for translation.

First off let me start by confirming that this blog post does not call for a degree in quantum physics. What will be discussed is not rocket science. Some of you may think that this is far too much of a simplistic topic for a blog post and you can’t go too far wrong just by bunging the files that need to be translated on an email and sending them over to your translation agency – bish bash bosh.

Well although that approach can and does work (providing you are using a diligent and forward thinking agency who asks the right questions at the start – as we always do), when analysing why a project has gone awry and why sometimes the agency-client relationship has turned a little frosty, in my experience it is often because of something very simple at the start of the project that was not communicated to the agency – such as what files/text are needed or how the files are to be returned.

So, although simple, the aim of this blog post is to reaffirm the basics of providing the right information at the start and for anyone making their first tentative steps into purchasing translation, to provide them with an understanding of what you need to do and how. By implementing some of these suggestions it is hoped that you’ll not only maintain a long and fruitful relationship with your LSP but you’ll also not be paying for additional work you do not need but have inadvertently requested.

Tip #1: Client side – work out exactly what it is you need to have translated. Let’s hallucinate here for a moment. Let us say you have 20 documents in English that need to be translated into Turkish - word files mainly, a couple of PowerPoints and a few technical drawings (EPS files). Within the PowerPoint files there are notes pages, non-editable graphics and graphs. In the word file there are footnotes and graphics and the technical drawings are made up of measurements and cost information. The question is - does all this need to be translated and how do you want it back? Do the notes pages need to be translated? Do the non-editable graphics need to be translated (assuming they have text on them) and how do you want the translation of them returned? Does the cost data on the technical drawing need to be localised for Turkey (i.e. £200.00 to £200,00 or converted into Euros etc)? Although this might seem obvious (simple even) quite often, requests are received simply asking to translate the files – rather than specifying what is contained within the files.

Tip#2: Client side (and agency side when working with suppliers) – When sending text for translation to ascertain a cost via a word count it is far better to send just the text rather than a fully formatted text document with styles and formatting galore. If you’re familiar with Word you’ll notice that often when certain style commands are added to text you can get a skewed word count. For example applying a bulleted and indented style to some text can often increase the word count of the file by a considerable margin. More than once we have been given a fancily formatted word file and an incorrect (much higher) word count by clients and been asked to translate the content into multiple languages. If the word files had not been stripped of their formatting prior to costing it could have resulted in paying for additional words which were not actually there.

Tip#3 Client side – Invest in word count software so you cannot confirm/disagree with your LSP's word counts. There is a caveat to this tip and that is, different word count systems often given different word counts for the same file. In fact it has been known that the same word count programme will give different word counts for the same file on different occasions. Never-the-less it is useful to know a total word count if you have a number of files. Two of the systems we use at PS include practicount (link) and spider(link).

Tip#4 Client side, agency side and freelance – confirm up front whether prices are based on the source or target word count. This can make a massive difference to the final cost, especially if you are translating into a language that has a large word growth when translated (i.e. translating from German into English).

Tip#5 Client side – expect a slightly higher word count at the end of project when dealing with files that have been scanned and are non-editable. Although OCR systems are pretty good nowadays they are not 100% accurate and can miss chunks of text. A general rule of thumb is an average quality scan will miss around 20% of the file when scanned and OCRed so 20% could be added to the word count*

*This depends on the method for OCRing and also the quality of the scan.

Tip#6 Client side – Whenever possible supply source or reference material with the files you are looking to have translated. This can make a massive difference to the overall quality of the translation. By supplying source material (previously translated documents, glossaries, links, brochures etc) you are giving the translator not only a reference point to work from but also a bench mark to work to.

Tip#7 Client Side – If you have already had some of your work previously translated and you are working with a new agency, be sure to supply the previously translated material (especially names) with your new request so this can be incorporated into your new translation. This will greatly help consistency.

Tip#8 Client side – If it is likely that your text will have a number of repetitions throughout it, ask your LSP to process the source files and ask for a reduction (a reduced rate) for repetitions that appear in the text. Most LSPs will be equipped with a system such as Trados which will allow for the files to be analysed and a percentage of the repetition given.

Tip#9 – Client side – Decide how you would like the translated material to be published. Simple enough – but it’s worth remembering that translation is the process of translating the text – typesetting is the process of making sure the translated design looks the same as the original. Typically, typesetting will be an additional cost, especially if the original file has been created in a design application.

Tip#10 Client side and Agency Side – Ensure the final product is checked before it’s published (printed/published to the web etc). Having worked with a lot of marketing and design agencies in the past it is quite common for them to utilise the skills of their in-house studio (if they have one) and typeset the text themselves. Often this means the typesetting has been undertaken by someone who is not necessarily a speaker (let alone reader) of the text they are typesetting. It is always vital then from a client's perspective (and for agencies who offer the service) to check the files once the text has been typeset. Typesetting certain languages which are not in your mother tongue is not easy (Hindu and Arabic are good examples from a English speaker's perspective) and it would be a real shame if, having spent time and resources on designing, writing and translating the data, for the work to be flawed at the last stage in the process.

Tip#11 – bonus tip – Client side – If you are going to be managing the layout yourself and you do not having anyone in–house who can read or follow what has been translated – make sure when you send the files for translation that they are laid out in a way which will be clear for you to follow once you have received the completed work back. For example, layout headers in a specific colour or write a descriptive title in English (assuming your source language is English) that remains in English above the translation. Putting the source text into one column in Excel and then the target translation in the adjacent columns is another option. Often we are working with files with the English words like ‘Header’, ‘Header 2’ ‘3rd box text’ ‘kicker text’ etc next to the translated text.

One way to send files over for translation.