Project Preparation

Even in the earliest stages of a project, you as the customer can contribute to ensuring that the project is carried out to your complete satisfaction. The following information provides useful tips on how to obtain the best possible translation:

Plan ahead

Please bear in mind that a professional translator is able to translate an average of between 10 and 15 pages per day. More complex texts and unusual language combinations may require more time. Please also allow extra time (and possibly further costs) for additional services such as proofreading, editing, graphic design, printing, and so on.

The required language combination
How long a translation takes depends on many factors, including the length and difficulty of the text, the languages involved, and the quality of the source text.

Please provide the following details when placing an order:

• The target country for the translation
  
• Whether you require a certified translation
  
• Whether the translation is for publication or external use
  
• Any required format and what type of end product you require

Translation Aids

Any glossaries, related texts, and other reference materials you are able to provide help our translators work more efficiently and enhance the accuracy and consistency of your translations.

Translation-Oriented Authoring

If you write a text with translation in mind, potential translation problems can be identified and avoided while a document is still in the early stages of development in its source language. Texts written without the possibility of translation in mind can cause the following problems:

• More work for the translator, who must do extra research in order to understand very
  colloquial usage and obscure references specific to a certain group.
  
• Higher translation and layout costs due to extensive corrections and formatting.

Translation-oriented source documents also support the efficient use of our computer-aided translation tools, such as translation memory systems, which can save you time and money and improve your output.

The translation process does not start with placing an order with us, but as early as writing the documents in the source language. Where possible, documents should be culturally neutral, addresses should be written as is standard in the target country, and all other non-verbal items, such as signs and icons, should also be internationally recognizable. It is also important to watch out for the formatting of the documents to accommodate foreign texts, and especially to take care with the use of idioms.

Suggested Guidelines

The following list provides intended guidelines to help you produce a translation-oriented document:

• Language-neutral formatting
  
• A fixed meaning for every word
  
• No use of synonyms
  
• Explain new terms and abbreviations
  
• No "filler" words
  
• Keep sentence structures simple
  
• If you are giving direct instructions, support them with sentence structure
  
• Maintain logical sequence (first cause, then effect)
  
• Present tense
  
• Give only one specific instruction per sentence
  
• Culturally neutral illustrations