So, you wish to share a text-based document but you want to ensure that the content won’t be re-appropriated, altered or changed. What document format type should you use? You will most probably opt for PDF.
PDF or Portable Document Format was made for the exact purpose of securing the distribution of data. Data compression is the reason why PDF files are lightweight, making them an ideal format that can be uploaded online or sent via email. The kind of content being shared in PDF files can vary. Most of the time, it contains text, tables, links, buttons, imagines, and some other resources.
Considering its practical use, PDF has now become among the most commonly used file formats used all over the world. This is why it is only natural for translation companies to receive daily requests for translation of PDF files. However, PDF translation isn’t as easy as Word document translation mainly because PDF was made especially for distribution of content and not for the purpose of editing.
How to Prepare PDF Files for Translation
So, you’ve got a text you want to translate. What should you do next? Before translation starts, someone needs to fix the common formatting issues associated with PDFs. This is a type of work that professionals should handle or else, the same problems will remain in the translated piece.
After the file is cleaned, it will be imported to the translation tool to allow the language experts to commence with the process of translation. There are translation tools that feature filters for PDF to Word as well as native integrations with the OCR software. It is still recommended that a professional will prepare the file for the translation.
Adjustments after Translation
Once the translation is finished, another round of polishing will follow. Why is that? One of the most common problems after translation that professionals deal with is the contraction and expansion of documents that pertains to the decrease or increase in the overall number of characters during the translation from language to language and its effects on the formatting, paragraphs, lines, and others.
For instance, a document in the Spanish language is 20% to 30% longer compared to its English counterpart, primarily because expressing thoughts in Spanish needs more words. In cases like this, the translation needs to come up with a new layout suitable for the translated document.
How to Deal with Embedded Images
If there are images in the PDF file, maintaining the formatting and layout of the document needs extra effort from the translation team, particularly if images are embedded with text. Unless the client provides the original images with high resolution, the one alternative is to work with images available in provided PDF. However, these images are often compressed to reduce the size of the file and help their exchange.
If the translated PDF will be translated online, recreating these images won’t be a big issue. But, it is not a recommended approach for PDFs that will be printed since the image resolution will get too low to come up with the required quality in the final printed document.
With Protranslate's online PDF translator, all you need to do is send your files and wait to receive your translated PDF without even noticing any difference between the original and the translated document.
