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Popular Business Translation File Formats

February 12, 2019

Our company performs translation services for businesses on a regular basis. The file formats of translation source material for businesses (including non-business professional organizations) can be virtually any common file format but tends to most frequently be: 1. MS Word files. Word files are often received for legal documents, manuals, and sometimes basic brochures that […]

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

February 8, 2019

There are numerous translation companies that can professionally translate eLearning materials for your organization (including our company Affinity Translation). Given the choices and number of vendors, why choose one company over another? Assuming other things are more or less equal, one answer is to first seek out and then decide which company you click with best. […]

Popular Business Translation File Formats

February 12, 2019

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

February 8, 2019

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Popular Business Translation File Formats

February 12, 2019

1. MS Word files. Word files are often received for legal documents, manuals, and sometimes basic brochures that don’t contain elaborate formatting. Letters and correspondence for translation comes to us a Word files. Training and instruction materials are sometimes created in Word (at least initially).

Word files have the advantage for translators of being directly editable. File analysis to determine word counts works smoothly with Word files. It’s also relatively easy to control any document formatting post-translation since document styles tend to be basic in Word files. Among all the various file types we receive, text in MS Word is probably the most basic.

2. PDF files. Business clients often send us PDF files for translation. Some PDF files we receive are generated from original Word files. Other PDFs are exported from desktop publishing application such as InDesign. Translation of InDesign files is a common request we receive. The Adobe desktop publishing application InDesign is widely used among business and professional organizations.

Virtually any file type with text (including image files) can be translated.

PDF files work well for translation. Depending on the clients’ preference, translated text can be delivered unformatted (for subsequent client-side formatting) or completely formatted in documents to match the original source text. When translating InDesign documents with formatting included, we request the original source language InDesign file set (including links and fonts).

3. PowerPoint files. Powerpoint is a well-known, popular application for creating presentations. Business and professional organization utilize PowerPoint frequently. Just as with MS Word files, PowerPoint files are directly editable and are well-suited for professional translation. Existing formatting within the PowerPoint environment can usually be preserved in the translation deliverable. At most some minor manual adjustments to the formatting can be needed post-translation due to more or less space required in the target language.

Virtually any file type with text (including image files) can be translated. The above three file types mentioned are the most common for businesses.

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

February 8, 2019

Assuming other things are more or less equal, one answer is to first seek out and then decide which company you click with best. Companies have “personalities” (in a manner of speaking) in addition to having the required skills. eLearning course creators tend to be excited by the course materials they’ve developed. Matching that level of interest, if not excitement, in a partner for translation services seems like a reasonable thing to want to have.

The skill part is relatively straightforward. Established translation vendors generally have disciplined translation and quality control procedures in place. Many can provide voiceover services, video localization, and some even integration within popular eLearning authoring tools such as Storyline. Pricing then is another vendor selection criteria that carries some weight. A word of caution however, if pricing becomes the only factor in deciding which vendor to work with, then the assumption is that eLearning translation services are a commodity (i.e., differentiated only by price). Virtually no category of professional services is really that. There are many differences in service providers, some only becoming apparent after the relationship has begun and there’s some cooperative work experience in place over time.

Not every translation company is right for every translation client. Your goal? Find the one that’s right for you and then get to work.

In the more intangible categories, we look at things such as:

1) Responsiveness. When you need information or have questions about translation services a fast and efficient response can be a big advantage. Project pricing and scheduling questions can be especially time sensitive.

2) Professional Operations. Leading translation vendors will exhibit professionalism in all aspects of their business, from client communications to project quoting, and in each touch point with their clients. Companies that exhibit care in their operational details are also likely to be detail oriented and implement quality control procedures in the translation process.

3) Positive Overall Working Interactions. Do interactions with the company bring you up or down? Intangibles in the quality of interactions with a translation vendor are important. Most ongoing translation clients eventually need a special consideration (e.g., rush schedule, order modification, et.al.). Leading vendors will try to accommodate special requests.

Not every translation company is right for every translation client. Your goal? Find the one that’s right for you and then get to work.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Popular Business Translation File Formats

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

Popular Business Translation File Formats

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Popular Business Translation File Formats

eLearning Translation Love | Affinity

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