Arabic print translation and localisation services

Arabic print translation and what is involved

Do produce a translation for print, it must be organised in such a way as to enable easy implementation into the document. This speeds up the process, cuts costs and reduces the chances of errors in the typesetting process. There are two main ways of organising this.

1. Copy and paste: This is not the quickest method but it is still used in many print translation projects, especially smaller one-off jobs. To streamline the process, it is best to create a Word document with a two-column table showing source text on the left-hand side and translation on the right-hand side. The example below is from a French fashion brochure that was translated into English and Chinese for typesetting.
   
2. IDML files: While this is a quicker process, it is not the silver bullet of print translation because it does have its problems. This is what happens when using the IDML process:

• When using InDesign export the document as an IDML file, but before doing so the document must be flipped right-to-left and the text set to right align.
• If styles have been used in the InDesign, then we reset all of the styles to a font that works with Arabic.
• After the IDML file has been exported it will need to be tidied up by an experienced project manager to make sure there are no breaks or errors in the background coding.
• The IDML file is then sent to the translator, who uses special software to open the IDML file which hides all the coding of fonts, paragraph styles and formatting so they cannot be broken in the translation process.
• The translated IDML file is returned to the typesetter who opens it in InDesign.

In theory, all the Arabic text should then be in the correct place, correctly formatted using all the paragraph styles, showing bolding of text and any font colours used. In practice, it still needs quite a bit of work, the font sizes might need adjusting throughout the document, any English left in the document might need realigning and if the company name or product names remain in English then these might need to be reverted to their original fonts.

Below is a screenshot of what an IDML file looks like in the checking process, with all the coloured areas showing the hidden coding that the translator does not see.