Translation Blog

A typesetting service is essential for any global business. UK typesetters work alongside translators to prepare the translated text for printing on paper. This includes reference markups, formatting, and composition — also known as page layout – and ensures this language typesetting service adheres to the country-specific typographical conventions of your target language.

At Renaissance Translations, we have a team of professional UK typesetters and offer multilingual typesetting services to clients worldwide. However, this doesn’t come without its challenges! Here are some of the difficulties we constantly face during our language typesetting process.

1. Typesetting Service: Non-English Languages

Many non-English languages are difficult to typeset. Some are used in small geographic areas by a limited number of people. For example, the Khmer language is written only in Cambodia. People outside this tiny geographic area would not generally use Khmer resources or typesetting.

Others have specific characters or writing systems that are particularly difficult to work with from a technical standpoint. Russian has a large number of speakers worldwide. However, it can be particularly challenging for our UK typesetters to work on because it uses both Cyrillic (a writing system derived from Greek) and Latin alphabets.

Sometimes, a language rarely appears in printed text, and some are used almost exclusively in digital media. These factors introduce more challenges for language typesetting. Only a company offering a professional typesetting service can overcome these non-English language challenges.

2. Technical Limitations 

Other issues UK typesetters consistently face are technical limitations. Many languages have characters that cannot be laid out in the same way as English. For example, single-letter words cannot be placed at the end of a line in Polish.

Some typographical elements, such as italics and underlining, are also unavailable in some languages. As such, letter spacing, kerning, and typographical elements must be adjusted according to the font size and language used. A native speaker will know the proper spacing rules and technical limitations when providing a language typesetting service.

3. Left-to-Right Scripts

Your language typesetting will be pretty straightforward if you’re working with a left-to-right script. We use Latin letters (Roman script) in English, Spanish and German, to name a few examples of left-to-right scripts. When you are typesetting a book or a brochure, you won’t have trouble sourcing a typesetting service for any of these languages.

However, some languages don’t fall neatly into this category. For example, the Arabic language is a Semitic language that uses the Arabic alphabet. The Arabic writing system is from right to left! To properly set the layout in these documents, UK typesetters must completely alter the layout, including mirroring the direction of images and tables.

4. Complexity of Hyphenation

The next challenge in a professional typesetting service is the complexity of hyphenation. While English text only has one set of hyphens, some languages, like German and Spanish, have two sets. Depending on the circumstance, they have both a soft hyphen (¬) and a hard hyphen (-).

A soft hyphen means that it breaks a word at that point without altering its meaning, whereas a hard hyphen breaks the word so it cannot stand alone without changing its meaning. In other words, with German as an example, die-selben (the same) becomes diesel¬ben (the same). When typesetting, the use of a soft vs hard hyphen makes all the difference in the meaning of the language!

There are then some languages that do not hyphenate at all, such as Arabic. If a typesetter left hyphens in the content from a UK business looking to enter the Arab market, the text wouldn’t make sense to Arabic speakers.

5. Foreign Languages and Web Pages

In most cases, the language that requires a typesetting service uses a different alphabet from English. These include Japanese, Arabic, Korean, Chinese and many others. In these cases, it is crucial to ensure that the typesetting renders the text in a way that preserves its natural integrity. This often requires hiring a native speaker with experience working with foreign typesetting.

These languages employ character sets significantly more extensive than European and Middle Eastern languages. Typesetters unfamiliar with these character sets might mistakenly omit certain characters or insert unnecessary spaces.

Even when all characters are present, improper rendering can significantly impact the quality of the typesetting service you receive. The text might not be legible, and accents and character marks might not be clear. Only typesetter experts qualified in typesetting can quickly identify improper rendering, ensuring your content is read as well in the UK as it is in Japan.

Professional Typesetting Services from Renaissance Translations

Language typesetting and formatting can be a challenge for some agencies to get right. But at Renaissance Translations, we have expert designers working closely with our professional translators to deliver an error-free document in a timely manner.

Your partnership with Renaissance Translations comes with professional memberships such as ATC and SDL LSP Partner Programme. Our professional typesetting service has helped hundreds of companies working abroad with accurate typesetting for their brochures, leaflets, books and other documents. Join our happy customers and contact our project managers today to discuss your project, or request a quote online.

Many authors who have published a book using a professional book translation service have achieved a lifelong dream. It makes sense that you’re now considering a literature translation. Translated books can be read and understood by people worldwide, and book translation experts can work hard to guarantee the highest quality possible. Indeed, specialised translators can help ensure your book translation is as accurate as possible.

If your book translation is inaccurate, there could be many communication errors throughout the story, and there may even be a complete change in the narrative. Inaccuracy can also bring a big headache and financial burden if you print your book with mistakes. This article will help you avoid these issues with tips on what to look for when choosing professional book translation services.

Accurate Book Translations

When it comes to translation, books are one of the most challenging content types to work with. They can be hundreds of pages long; if not rendered accurately, translated books can tell an entirely different story and narrative. Therefore, it’s understandable that the accuracy of your literature translation is important to you.

Thankfully, there are three things you can consider to ensure you receive high-quality translations from a language service provider. These are professional translators, translation technology, and the accurate translation process.

1. Professional Translators

Translators offering literature translation services should have at least five years of professional experience, pass an online translation test, and hold a degree in translation and languages. Your translator should also be a translation books specialist and have previously translated books to cover all types of text, including literary books, historical books, fictional novels, and more.

2. Translation Technology

Translation technology is another essential factor for successful literature translation services. Many agencies use software like SDL Trados and other CAT tools to aid their book translation service. These tools create glossaries of specific terminologies from previously translated books, ensuring consistency and accuracy. CAT tools can also save you money when there are repetitions throughout your content by reducing translation time.

3. Accurate Book Translation Process

The third factor in the success equation is the three-step book translation process called TEP. The first step in this process is translation, which involves changing your content from one language to another. Next comes editing, where your literature translation provider takes the translated books and ensures they make sense to your new audience and have considered all cultural differences.

Finally, your translator will move on to proofreading. During this step, your text is checked for any spelling or grammatical errors, correcting them along the way. These three steps help language service providers deliver the best professional book translation possible.

Cost-Effective Translation Services

We understand you may get anxious about the cost of a professional translation. Books are long pieces of content and can wind up being expensive to translate, especially on an author’s salary! However, you can find a literature translation agency that offers very reasonable rates compared to competitors without sacrificing quality.

If you have a large project (such as translating a long novel or having your books translated into multiple languages), you might also be eligible for discounts on fees. The same applies if you become a long-term client and return to the same agency to translate future books.

Professional Book Translation Services 

We are a leading book translation provider providing our services to local and global clients. Over the years, we have worked with many publishers and translated books of all lengths and niches. Whether you have written fiction or nonfiction, romance, or self-help texts, we will be honoured to help you. With a little help from us, people everywhere will be reading your words!

We know how much your book means to you, and we will strive to deliver a high-quality literature translation for your book. Our team at Renaissance Translations will help you reach audiences all over the world. And with our comprehensive services which also include typesetting and DTP as well as editing and proofreading, you can guarantee the best results. Contact us today today to discuss your translation project.

Legal translations are required by many businesses, from law firms dealing with international clients to companies negotiating contracts with overseas investors. Professional legal translators can take any legal paperwork and adapt it to the language spoken by the recipient. In this way, legal translations help improve communications and business prospects.

If you need to translate legal documents, this guide covers all the basics. We examine why legal translations are important, what a professional translation consists of, and how to choose a reliable language partner for your project.

Why Do You Need Professional Legal Translations?

Professional legal translation is of the utmost importance for many companies. Legal translations can help sow a seed of trust between your legal firm and your client. Of course, a business relationship that is built on trust is one that will last a long time!

Although you can rely on machines or a friend or colleague that speaks your target language, working with human legal translators is essential. When you need to translate a document with legal content, it is imperative that you use the correct legal terminology. A slight mistake can lead to a disaster or, in some cases, a substantial financial loss for individuals and companies. Errors may even result in lawsuits and jail time!

Only qualified translators working for professional translation agencies can promise these high-quality results. Moreover, professional translators work hard to ensure that your translation will be done in a timely manner. This is imperative for legal paperwork, which often has tight deadlines that cannot be missed. When going with a professional agency, project managers work hard to put your project first.

How Does it Work?

Reputable legal translators use a tried and tested method called TEP. This translation process has three steps: translation, editing, and proofreading:

1. Translation: The first step consists of translating your documents from one language to another, such as a legal translation from Arabic to English.
2. Editing: During this step, your linguist ensures that the document has the proper terminology. This may include taking into account any cultural differences that may change the meaning of a direct translation.
3. Proofreading: During the proofreading stage, your translator will ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors throughout the document. With these three steps, you will receive professional legal translations.

4 Things to Consider when choosing a Reliable Translation Agency

Below are four things to consider when you want to work with a translation agency:

1. Qualifications & Experience

Professional legal translators must have relevant experience and qualifications to guarantee a high level of accuracy. We suggest hiring an agency that requires translators to have at least five years of experience performing legal translations. They must also be able to pass a stringent translation test and have a degree in translation.

2. Access to Translation Technology

The second ingredient to sourcing reliable legal translations is the technology used. Software like SDL Trados and other CAT tools can help guarantee excellent translations. These tools use translation memories to store previously translated sections of text, helping to ensure consistency. Technology also improves efficiency, ensuring that even tight legal deadlines are met.

3. Cost-Effective Legal Translations

Legal translators are notoriously expensive. However, don’t be worried about the cost of professional legal translations! Many translation agencies charge affordable rates, and long-term clients or clients with large projects can receive discounts. Always ask for a quote upfront, and remember that your legal translation is an investment, helping you avoid fees or legal troubles further down the line.

4. Types of Legal Documents

Legal translations cover many document types, including contracts, court decisions, patents, tax forms, licenses, and international trade documents. Source a language partner with direct experience in translating the types of documents you need to adapt into another language. Legal translators that are used to handling these documents will work more accurately and efficiently.

Professional Legal Translations from Renaissance Translations

Renaissance Translations can help with your needs, no matter what kind of legal documents you need to adapt. We realise just how important these are, and we know that the ability to communicate legal matters clearly is of the utmost importance. We will help you build trust with your clients without breaking the bank.

Indeed, our professional translation services will bring benefits to your company. We have previously provided legal translation services for several legal clients. Some of these long-term and loyal customers are Allen & Overy, HSBC, Dubai Courts, and many others. Contact our team today to discuss your next professional legal translation project. Our qualified and experienced legal translators are always ready to help!

If your company succeeds locally, you may consider expanding into international markets. For companies with expansion of the horizon, professional translations are essential. A marketing translation agency can adapt your social media posts, print advertisements, business website, and other marketing collateral to suit your chosen overseas audience. In fact, marketing translations significantly sway your company’s performance in new markets.

Any business looking for a marketing translation agency must choose its partner wisely. Business expansion can bring prolific results, considering the significant number of potential customers in the global marketplace. However, it is vital to use experienced marketing specialists that offer reliable translations. Otherwise, your marketing strategy and overseas success will suffer.

This article helps you get the best translations possible by helping to find a reliable and proficient marketing translation agency to work with. Here are six considerations before investing in a translator to tackle your project.

Qualifications & Experience of Translators

You must be able to communicate with your clients, no matter the languages spoken. Therefore, you need to find a translation agency that can provide accurate and high-quality translations. This is best guaranteed by working with qualified and experienced translators. Your translator should have at least five years of experience and pass a test in their ability to conduct marketing translations. Professional linguists should also have a translation degree.

You’re aware that the most essential part of marketing is customer interaction. But does your chosen marketing translation agency understand this? You should always invest in professional translations from industry experts that localise or transcreate your content. Unlike word-for-word translation, this ensures you can communicate clearly and fluently with your customers, build a stronger bond with your clients, and connect with them on an emotional level.

Translation Process and Tools Used

Top-notch technology used in professional translations can also ensure accurate results. SDL Trados and other CAT tools are frequently used by leading agencies and guarantee excellent results for your project. The tools store glossaries of words the marketing translation agency has previously adapted to help your branding and messaging stay consistent throughout all your marketing collateral.

The TEP translation process is also another critical factor in achieving accuracy in your translations. With this three-step process, your chances of receiving professional translation services increase! TEP stands for translation, editing, and proofreading—precisely what your marketing content will go through when hiring a reliable marketing translation agency.

The first step involves translating your marketing materials into your target language. After the initial translation, your translator edits the material and checks that the translation makes sense. Cultural differences will also be considered to prevent communication errors. The last step of the process is proofreading, where your translator checks for spelling or grammatical errors.

Marketing Translation Fees and Types of Documents 

Professional translations don’t need to break the bank. You can find a marketing translation agency with reasonable rates compared to competitors. Many language service providers offer discounts for large projects, so keeping all your marketing collateral in-house is worthwhile. Remember that how much you spend on translations is also an investment in your business—your sales from your new market will easily cover the translation cost.

As a business owner, you’re already aware of the different types of marketing content. When launching a product or service in a new market, you need translation for all the various forms of multimedia your business uses. Some of the most popular examples include website translation, SEO translation, advertising translation, and social media translation services. You may also need help with business cards, brochures, leaflets and more! Check that your marketing translation agency is capable and experienced in all the types of multimedia used by your company, not just one or two.

Professional Marketing Translation Agency 

Anyone needing marketing translations is in the right place. Renaissance Translations is the translation agency you’ve been searching for. Our network of 5000+ qualified translators can translate your marketing collateral promptly and as accurately as possible. We know your marketing material is important to you, and we promise to put you and your business first.

Our quality work, combined with our reasonable rates, has resulted in us working with many local and global clients. Well-known companies are using our translation services including LG, Red Bull, Memac Ogilvy, HSBC, Cisco and Audi, to name a few.

No matter what marketing material you need or what language pair you require, Renaissance Translations will be happy to translate it for you. Get in touch with us today to speak with one of our project managers to discuss your translation project.