You need a document translated but you are not sure what will happen with the formatting once it is translated. Your translated document may need DTP. DTP (desktop publishing) in translation means formatting documents after they are translated. The scope of DTP varies widely, with some projects requiring no DTP at all and others requiring many hours of formatting. The more complex the formatting is, the larger the scope. A simple document with few images needs little or no DTP. A large InDesign file with multiple images, tables, charts, and cross-references is more time consuming.
Is is Heavily Formatted?
First evaluate the formatting in your original files. Perhaps, there is no formatting at all, because this is simply an intermediate file and you will insert the translations from the translated file into your website manually. In this case, no DTP is necessary. Simply ask us to deliver a loosely formatted document with free flowing text.
If your original files have moderate formatting, you need to assess how comfortable you are doing DTP yourself. The main challenge in DTP is that the translated text usually expands or contracts compared to the source text and therefore does not fit in the original boundaries. Another challenge is the text within embedded images that is generally extracted for translation into a separate table or file. You will need to replace the original text in images with this translated text. If you feel you can do all formatting yourself, then ask us to deliver a loosely formatted translation. All original formatting will be kept in this file automatically, and you will only need to adjust the formatting as described above.
If the text is formatted heavily, in particular with more complex formats, such as PowerPoint or Adobe InDesign, it is best to leave DTP to professionals. Doing it yourself without the required skill does not usually make sense. Instead of saving money, you will end up frustrated, because you will waste too much time doing it on a trial-and-error basis and will ultimately realize that a professional could have done the work faster and cheaper.
Post-DTP Proofreading
Buyers who choose not to pay for DTP tend to forget completely about post-DTP proofreading, although this is an essential step. The final documents require proofreading after DTP for two reasons: checking the translation in context and checking for formatting issues. The best way to do this proofreading is to assign it to a linguist, preferably the one who translated it, because he/she will be able to find both the linguistic and formatting problems. This linguist will mark all the errors and return the file to the DTP specialist for corrections or will correct the errors herself where possible.
Forgoing post-DTP proofreading is a not a good idea. I have rarely seen files that were perfect after DTP. Another option is for clients to do this proofreading themselves, but it is important to follow the process described above. If a client sends each error by e-mail upon finding it, instead of going through all files and marking all errors, this will be ineffective and frustrating for both the client and the vendor.
As a translation buyer, you are certainly free to refuse to pay for DTP. In this case, you will be responsible for DTP and post-DTP proofreading. Remember that you cannot blame your vendor for any formatting problems in this case, because they are your responsibility.
For an overview of our translation expertise, visit our desktop publishing service page.
