Why multilingual desktop publishing?
Ensure your multilingual design and layout supports your message …and doesn’t mangle it.
After the painstaking task of assuring your language translation is precise and accurate, the design and layout of material intended for limited-English proficient recipients can seem like a throwaway item.
However, if you take your design and layout for granted – what might end up being thrown away is the quality and readability of your message.
Our Capabilities
Multilingual desktop publishing (DTP) can apply to virtually any type of content that has intermediate, or advanced typesetting requirements. Some of the DTP content we work with on a daily basis includes:
More Vital Than You May Realize
Design and layout are equally critical to the accurate translation of documents for:
Our credentialed multilingual desktop publishing experts have extensive insight into foreign language localization rules that govern line breaks, compatible fonts, and other international design standards.
If your organization doesn’t possess this expertise, it can be a critical mistake to overlook this step.
Improper layout of your translated documents can result in your content being viewed as sloppy or unprofessional.
Worse yet, it can become mangled, misinterpreted, or even unreadable.
This is a risk you can never afford to take.
InDesign Translation + DTP
While we work with various DTP applications, such as Illustrator and Publisher, Adobe InDesign is our tool of choice for multilingual typesetting and layout projects.
InDesign is compatible with most foreign language fonts, including double-byte fonts used for Asian languages, and right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew.
It is also the most frequently used DTP tool by our clients to create media such as brochures, catalogs, technical manuals, user guides, and more.
We work with InDesign on a daily basis, helping our clients recreate the look and feel of their English materials in other languages.
Here is one example of such work.
Translation, Editing, and Proofreading + DTP
We can complete DTP work as a standalone service or together with translation, editing, and proofreading (TEP).
In our experience, multilingual DTP work typically pairs with the TEP process.
Sample Pricing
Typically, DTP is priced per hour. We consider various factors when quoting DTP projects. Some of the factors include turnaround time, language combination, layout complexity, and client-specific requirements.
Here are some ballpark pricing examples:
Tri-Fold Brochure
Created In: InDesign
Formatting: Intermediate
Languages: English > Spanish (U.S.), Chinese (Traditional)
Word Count: 350
DTP Hours: 2
Turnaround Time: 3-4 Business Days (Standard)
Ballpark Estimate: $250-300 USD
Presentation Slide Deck
Created In: PowerPoint
Formatting: Basic
Languages: English > Spanish (U.S.), French (France)
Word Count: 800
DTP Hours: 2
Turnaround Time: Within 24 Hours (Rapid)
Ballpark Estimate: $675-875 USD
Annual Report
Created In: Adobe InDesign
Formatting: Advanced
Languages: English > German
Word Count: 3,000
DTP Hours: 8
Turnaround Time: 5-6 Business Days (Standard)
Ballpark Estimate: $1,300-1,500 USD
User Manual
Created In: InDesign
Formatting: Advanced
Languages: English > Arabic, Farsi
Word Count: 8,500
DTP Hours: 24
Turnaround Time: 10-12 Business Days (Standard)
Ballpark Estimate: $6,000-7,200 USD
How much cost will multilingual DTP add to my project?
Every project requiring multilingual DTP is unique, including yours.
Let’s discuss your project specifics, so we can provide you with a ballpark estimate.
For most projects, we can typically provide a ballpark estimate the same day.