(Not so) tricky PDF files for translation

Hi there dear readers!

Sometimes you might have one PDF file to be translated. Although the easiest thing for you to do would be to send the translator the file as it is, below are a few tricks to save you and your language professional some time and money.

– Translators usually charge more to deal with PDF files because it takes us more time to work with this file extension. If you have the original file format (*.docx, *.indd, etc.), send it along and this will help the translator to avoid juggling between formats, thus saving both of us time and money

– Make sure your pdf is not an image (*jpeg, *gif, etc.) copied on a document and then converted into a pdf. If so, someone will have to manually type any words or expressions to be looked up or any proper nouns, like your company name. You might want to do this yourself if you have the time to do so and thus save money, or you can outsource this task to the translator and thus save time

– If you pdf is a long and complex document, tell your translator what the purpose of the translation is so that your language professional will advise on the best solution.
Do you need to translate your e-book to showcase your product innovations to prospects, so the layout has to be as appealing as the original?
Do you need that long technical report for that important tender, so the layout should be similar, but even if it is not the same it would still be ok as long as the translation is impeccable?
Do you need to translate the labels for your  cosmetic products and then your graphic designer is going to finalise the work, so in this case the most important thing is to know what is what in the foreign language?

Depending on your request, you might need a careful rearrangement of your layout, a plain document with all the information needed or a table with both languages to identify correspondences between foreign idioms.

And do you have more tips about PDF translation? What is your experience with these files?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

What shall you prepare for a translator if you (don’t) have some material?

Hi there dear readers!

Let’s say that you have some English material to be translated into Italian and have already found a translator for it. Oh, by the way you might happen to have bits and pieces of old documents that had already been translated. How should you go on?
Here are a few tips!

– Are you (or your colleagues/customers/etc.) satisfied with the old translation?
+ If so, share it with the translator and let them know. If not, still share it with the translator and – guess what? – let them know. This way they will avoid that style or those words you didn’t like. If you are not sure, the translator is your go-to expert, let them have a look and give you some feedback

– Do you have any competitors that have already translated similar material?

+ If so, let the translator know and they will make sure to take that into account

– Are there any EU/international regulations/laws/agreements that directly impact your business?
+ If so, inform your translator. All EU materials have to be translated into all the official EU languages, so there will (soon) be an equivalent into the translation language that might be a helpful source

– Are you unsure about something?
+ Ask your translator, we’re here to help 🙂

And do you have more suggestions to be added dear readers?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

CRM tools for translators: Asana

Hi there dear readers!

After trying the free CRM system Podio at the end of the Q&A session of my presentation on Translation Day, here I am with my experience with Asana, a suggestion by Gabriela Kadlecová (thanks for the input Gabriela)!

Positive aspects

• Although you have to pay for Asana, there is a free basic version (free forever, but very basic)
• When you sign up, Asana starts asking questions about your workflow, documents and activities, so that it can customise your experience:
• I really liked Asana’s nice and clean layout. Dragging and dropping tasks from ‘Doing’ to ‘Done’ is as fulfilling as crossing off a task on a paper list 🙂
• You can download the Asana app to ‘complete projects on the go’ and this could be a good substitute your paper planner in your (at least mine!) bag

Negative aspects

• Creating a list of prospects is not really user-friendly in the free version. I had the impression that the best thing to do would be to import a spreadsheet (CSV file or from other applications as per image below)  and work on that one, although this workflow is not meant for CRM purposes:
• The Account Tracking feature, which seems really interesting, is only available for Premium accounts

In general, I am not too enthusiastic about the free CRM feature offered by Asana as it looks like a copy of a simple spreadsheet. However, I think Asana  is a great tool to have a clear overview of your goals and tasks and I really like the fact that you can also have it as an app.

And have you tried Asana or other tools dear readers? Did you like them?

Thanks in advance for your comments!