Happy International Translation Day! On this feast of St Jerome, translator of the Bible, we bring you a handy “preparing files for translation” infographic for translation customers. The inner workings of translation can be confusing, so this is why we have put together this list of things to take into account before sending a file for translation.
Preparing Files for Translation
Avoid uneditable text
First and foremost, always send files in editable formats! Text embedded in images is the translator’s worse enemy, and your budget will suffer from it too.
Leave breathing space
Secondly, remember to leave space for a longer text.
Do not use hard returns in the middle of a sentence
Sometimes, you need to start a new line in the middle of a sentence for a text to be visually appealing. In these occasions, always use “Shift+Enter”, instead of just “Enter”.
Use compatible fonts
Number four: always use Unicode fonts. This will prevent any compatibility issues.
Avoid manual formatting
Use your word processor’s tools for formatting and avoid doing it by hand (i.e. don’t use tabs, individual spaces, and returns).
Remove text that you don’t need
Finally, remember to send a clean file. Remove text you don’t need translated, such as comments and text in the pasteboard, and accept any tracked changes.
We hope that this has been useful! If you have any questions regarding how you can save time and money by optimising your files, do not hesitate to get in touch.
30 September 2020 10:29