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Translation may not have been something that you originally accounted for in your budget, but all of a sudden it’s become a necessity, for various reasons, and not something that you want to spend too much money on. Sound familiar? From our expert knowledge and many years’ of experience in the localisation industry, we’ve come across 6 money-saving tips to help you make the most of your translation spend and help to keep your project within your translation budget.

1. Plan in advance

Ok, perhaps an obvious one. “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”, but a well-organised translation project will not only save money, but will also reduce stress and help to ensure good quality and swift turnaround times.

First of all, know what you are going to translate, and into which languages.

The more information you provide, the more accurate a quote we’ll be able to provide you.

Make sure that the document you send for translation is final – changes to the source material during/after the translation process can be messy and expensive.

If you need more than one file translating, send the complete set of files in one go. This one sounds obvious too, but it is surprising how often this happens. If files are excluded or sent at a later date, the translation can be delayed and it can add a cost to the project that wasn’t initially in the budget.

2. Prepare your documents for translation

In the same vein as the previous tip, setting aside just a couple of hours to fully prepare your files will save days off the total project.

Ensure the text is clear and concise. Where possible, try to use the same term/phrase for the same concept. Repetition in documents will make it more appropriate for Translation Memory (see tip 4).

Remove anything that is redundant, unnecessary, or irrelevant to your target markets, especially metaphors,idioms or references to local culture (e.g. UK based telephone number).

Make sure there is enough white space – when text is translated from English into other languages, it usually expands in length.

3. Provide the original documents

When original source files are not provided, there can be additional charges for extracting text, typesetting (DTP) and re-creating layouts.

Here are some examples of file types that are difficult for translation companies to work with, and can add extra time and costs to your project:

PDFs – It can take hours to extract text from a PDF document and re-create its correct layout in a word, especially when Optical Character Recognition (OCR) fails. If you have the original document, it’s best to submit this, as Language Service Providers (LSPs) are able to access a huge variety of files, including design files, such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Read more on the translation of PDF documents.

Faxed and scanned documents – Transcribing text from a faxed or scanned document into a word processor is a lengthy process. This is made especially difficult when the fax or scan is grainy or hard to read. Watch this space though, as we’re in the process of developing a solution for this!

JPEGs and PNGs – Desktop publishing specialists can usually work with any graphic in any format, but without the original file it will take more time and cost more money to re-create in another language. When possible, submit the original Photoshop (.psd) or CorelDraw (.cdr) file. It’s cheaper, faster, and the quality will be much better.

4. Consider the full end-to-end process when setting deadlines

When you submit a project to your translation service provider, it’s not just the actual translation that needs to be done – of course, that’s the main section, but other steps, such as quality checking, proofreading and desktop publishing are all part of the overall process and are key steps in providing you with a good quality document.

We pride ourselves on quick turnaround times and working to deadlines, thanks to our efficient processes, knowledgeable people, and strong technology. However, you have to consider that despite how good all these things are, you still need to allow time for the translation to a) be done and b) be done to a good standard.

When setting deadlines, consider that a translator can usually translate about 2,000 words per day and a proofreader can proofread about 4,000 to 8,000 words per day.

You should also budget extra time for any large, complicated or design-based files. These types of project may require add-on services help to make your translated file look right for your market.

After all, there’s no point spending money on translating the content if line breaks aren’t in the right place, or if words are cut off the page.

5. Make the most of Translation Memory

Translation Memory (TM) can be a valuable asset for your company, but many translation buyers do not understand what it is or what benefits it can provide. Translation Memory is a database that stores segments of text and their translations for reuse in future projects. Some of the key benefits of TM include:

Consistency – TM will ensure that your company’s unique phrases and terminology will be consistent across documents in your organisation.

Speed – TMs store previously translated text, so repetitive segments are pulled from the database.

Cost reduction – Translation providers charge a significantly reduced rate for text that has been previously translated. The material will still be verified for accuracy by the linguist.

Because a TM increases with every project, the more you translate, the more you will save through TM.

One of our customers saw a 30% cost saving and 50% improvement on time to market when using Translation Memory.

Over a greater period of time, consistent use of your TM can cut translation costs further – perhaps up to 70%.

6. Don’t choose a dirt-cheap provider

To be fair, this rule doesn’t just apply to translation. As with anything, you get out what you put in, and if you’re faced with 2 translation quotes, one of them so ridiculously cheap, you need to ask yourself – why is it so cheap?

In the translation industry, there is a price point below which it is nearly impossible to get a good quality translation. When a translation company provides very low prices, it is possible they are using non-native speaking translators (or worse!) and the quality will suffer. When you buy solely on price, you’re lulled into a false economy, because you risk spending much more time and money than anticipated on fixing the translation or having the document re-translated all together.

Qualifying as a translator is not cheap or easy. Our translators are interpreters are incredibly skilled and spend years studying and gaining industry qualifications.

What’s more, we vet and quality-check our linguists regularly, to ensure they maintain a high skill set. With such a niche and expert profession, we need to ensure they are paid appropriately.

Also consider the impact of a poor quality translation on your brand and company image. What will happen if your content is mistranslated and turns out to be offensive in the target language?

What impact will this have on your potential customers? Is a cheap translation worth the damage to your company reputation and brand?

Cost is always an important factor to consider before undertaking a translation project, especially when budgets are tight and senior management question your spend, however these 6 tips will help you shave money off your total budget and still result in a high quality translation. Meaning you can get the most out of your translation as well as getting the most value for your business.