Professional document translation

Professional document translation may seem like an easy service to offer, but in reality, not everyone can do it. There are plenty of cowboys in our industry, but when you trust a professional agency to translate your documents, experience really shines through. There are things that only a translation expert knows when translating documents. At Ontranslation, we are transparent, so let us explain.

Which area of expertise should I look for to translate my documents?

To translate documents, a translator or an agency will offer you a professional document translation service only if they believe they can provide the quality you expect. Although that may sound strange, it’s a question of ethics.

To translate a document well, we must be able to understand the source material. Only then will we be able to translate the content into another language, maintaining the original intent. This is why, as translators, we specialise in specific areas. Therefore, we aren’t always able to take on jobs we’d like.

Clearly, there are larger companies with specialists in all fields, while others may focus on a specific subject matter. However, we must always be transparent when deciding whether we can take on a professional translation of your subject.

What type of document translations are there?

When looking for a professional translation service for documents, we must know exactly what type of text you need. That’s because there are as many types of documents as there are customers.

To make things simple, we believe there are two key points to always consider to translate documents effectively. These are:

• Making sure that the document does not need a sworn translation. Many people are unsure about this type of translation. They often come to us asking for a simple document translation. And if we don’t ask, there may come a time when, delivering a translation, the customer tells us it’s not what they needed, as they needed a legally sworn translation. To avoid wasting time, we always ask beforehand.
• Knowing if the presentation of the document is important. Many people believe that professional document translation also includes formatting the layout, but this isn’t the case. That’s why we prefer to ask who the document is for if we see that the customer may want it formatted. Because nothing causes anxiety like not hitting a deadline…

Why do repetitions count in the professional translation of documents?

Whether it’s a translation for companies or for an individual, at Ontranslation, we always analyse the texts we work with. We do this to understand what type of vocabulary we are going to find and if there are any repetitions.

For the latter, we use computer-assisted translation tools to easily detect and include them in the translation every time they appear in the text. We can therefore discount the repetitions from the word count, reducing the cost for the customer.

Customers who need to translate a web page or a technical document will really notice a difference in the final cost thanks to internal repetition.

How to look for professional document translation?

The majority of professional document translation agencies and companies follow a code of ethics as well as having quality certifications. An untrained person could offer you a service, but this could bring with it plenty of problems.

Always look for certified professional document translators, check the reviews on their Google My Business profile to get a trusted translation service. This way you won’t need to go looking for proofreading services…