Translating Documents: Types, Costs, and Best Practices

Entering new markets starts with a crucial foundation: effective communication. To effectively reach and resonate with audiences worldwide, translating your documents is essential. From legal contracts and marketing materials to product manuals, precise translations help prevent misunderstandings and convey a professional, polished image to your global clients.

In this guide, we’ll delve into the types of documents your business may need to translate, the factors influencing translation costs, and best practices for handling specific formats, including PDFs.

Why you should translate business documents

Expanding your business globally requires professional translations for business documents to effectively connect with international audiences. By offering documents in multiple languages, you can attract new customers, build partnerships, and make your brand more accessible. 

This approach broadens your reach while showing respect for different cultures and languages, building trust and credibility. This is especially crucial for legal or financial documents, where accuracy and transparency are essential.

Compliance is another critical factor, as translation can help you meet local legal standards, reducing the risk of misunderstandings or legal issues. Translated materials improve customer experience, helping clients understand your products and services and boosting your brand image. 

Consistent translations of marketing materials ensure that your brand’s values, tone, and voice resonate globally. With professional translations, you go beyond language—it conveys your professionalism and commitment, creating a strong, unified brand image across diverse markets.

Types of business documents you need to translate

You likely deal with a variety of documents in your day-to-day operations, and many of these are essential for your success abroad. Each document type requires a different approach to translation—let's break down the most common ones.

1. Legal documents

Legal documents like contracts, compliance papers, and patents need professional document translation to ensure every nuance is correct. Legal language is complex, and a minor mistake can have costly consequences. For example, an incorrectly translated clause in a supplier contract could lead to an unfavorable agreement, potentially costing your company thousands of dollars.

2. Marketing materials

Marketing materials, including brochures, advertisements, and website content, are more than just words—they're your brand's voice. Translating these requires localization, which means adjusting content to make it culturally relevant to your audience. 

For instance, a phrase that works well in your home market might fall flat or even offend in another. This is why you need translators who understand your target market and can make your content resonate.

3. Technical documents

Technical documents, such as user manuals and product specifications, demand precise translation. Imagine you’re translating a manual for an industrial machine. A wrong translation for a technical term could lead to improper use, causing safety hazards or damages. Translating technical documents requires expertise in both the language and the subject matter, making accuracy non-negotiable.

4. Financial documents

Financial documents like annual reports, balance sheets, and tax records are critical in establishing trust with stakeholders and regulatory bodies. Precision in translating financial terminology is crucial—misunderstanding financial data can lead to errors in reporting and compliance.

Understanding the cost of translating documents

The cost of translating documents can vary significantly based on a few factors. It’s important to understand these factors so you can budget effectively and make the best choice for your business.

1. Complexity of the document

The more specialized the content, the higher the cost. Legal and technical documents often come at a premium because they require a translator with specialized knowledge. For example, translating a contract or a medical manual is more expensive compared to translating a simple email due to the technical jargon involved.

2. Word count and language pair

It’s pretty straightforward: the more words, the higher the cost. But another factor that matters is the language pair—some language combinations are more expensive because of a shortage of qualified translators. For instance, translating from English to Spanish may cost less compared to translating from English to Finnish, simply because there are more Spanish translators available.

3. Document format

Formats like PDFs can be trickier to translate compared to plain text. Translating PDF documents often requires extra steps, like extracting text and ensuring the translated document maintains the same formatting as the original. This extra effort can add to the cost.

4. Urgency

If you need your translation urgently, expect to pay more. Rush services usually cost a premium, especially for technical or highly detailed documents that require a lot of attention to accuracy.

Cost-saving tip

If you frequently need to translate similar types of documents, consider using a translation memory tool. This software stores previously translated phrases, making the process faster and cheaper over time. It’s a great way to save on the cost of translating documents for ongoing projects.

How to translate PDF and other complex document formats

PDFs are great for sharing finalized documents because they preserve formatting, but they’re not always translator-friendly. Let’s look at how to translate these documents effectively.

Step 1: Convert to an editable format

The first step in translating PDF documents is to convert the file into an editable format. You can use tools like Adobe Acrobat or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software to convert scanned PDFs into text. This step is crucial because working with an editable format will make it easier to keep formatting consistent in the translated version.

Step 2: Choose the right tools

Consider using translation software that supports maintaining original formatting, such as SDL Trados or MemoQ. These tools allow translators to work directly with the content while preserving its structure, which is especially important for documents like reports and brochures. 

Step 3: Review the final document

Once the translation is complete, reviewing the PDF to ensure it looks just like the original is essential. This step includes checking the layout, fonts, and ensuring all images or graphics are correctly labeled in the translated version. A professional translation service will often include this step as part of their quality assurance. You can use free AI translation tools for your pre-translation and post-translation needs, which can be an efficient starting point in your translation process.

Choosing the right translation solution for your business

Depending on your needs, there are several types of document translation services you can choose from. Here’s a breakdown to help you make the right choice:

1. Machine translation for basic needs

Machine translation tools can be useful for internal purposes or when you need to get the general gist of a document quickly. However, they lack the nuance required for professional content and may not be suitable for anything customer-facing.

2. Professional translation agencies

For business-critical documents, it’s best to work with professional agencies. They employ human translators who specialize in various fields like law, medicine, and finance. Many also offer certified document translation solutions, which are necessary for legal compliance in certain cases.

3. Freelance translators

For smaller projects, you could consider hiring freelance translators. Freelancers can be more cost-effective, especially if you find someone with specific expertise relevant to your industry. Platforms like Upwork or ProZ.com can connect you with qualified professionals.

Tips for Choosing a Provider:

• Check Credentials: Ensure that the translator or agency is certified by a recognized body, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and American Translators Association (ATA).

• Ask for Samples: Review samples of previous work to make sure they meet your quality standards.

• Specialization: Make sure the translation provider has experience in your industry. A legal translation provider may not be the best choice for marketing content, and vice versa.

Conclusion

Understanding the cost of translating documents, choosing the right type of translation service, and using best practices for complex formats like PDFs will help you make informed decisions that protect your business and help it grow. Whether you opt for machine translation for simple tasks or a professional agency for high-stakes documents, having the right strategy in place will ensure smooth, successful communication across borders.

Remember, effective communication is key to building trust, avoiding misunderstandings, and ultimately achieving success in any global venture. High-quality translation services are a worthy investment in your company’s international growth—ensuring that no matter where you do business, your message is heard loud and clear. Work with Tomedes for all your business translation needs, and benefit from expert translators who understand your industry, your audience, and the nuances that make your message resonate globally.