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Ten ways to reduce your translation costs

Ten ways to reduce your translation costs

Everybody wants high-quality translations. And naturally, everyone also wants them at the lowest possible price. However, it’s also a “law of nature” that cutting costs often results in reduced quality, and in the final analysis, everything must be paid for in one way or another. If you are worrying about costs, here are a few points to consider before sending out a document for translation:



1. Write clearly. Use a simple, easy-to-read style. Avoid excessively long and complicated sentences. Use words that everyone understands. For specialized texts, you will save time and costs for corrections if you use specialized translators.
2. Correct typos and mistakes. Use spelling and grammar correction software. If you don't, the translator will have to take the time to correct "easy" mistakes.
3. Use appropriate formatting functions. There are at least two ways to format a paragraph or a document… the right way and the brutal way! For example, the right way to adjust the margins of a paragraph is to use the ruler buttons; the “brutal” way would be to insert manual tabs or spaces at the beginning of each line and carriage returns at the end! Even if the two methods produce apparently similar results on the page, the second is incompatible with computer-assisted translation software and creates costs due to necessary modifications.
4. Avoid tables and figures. Any text to be translated in tables or in images (photos, graphs, etc.) requires extra formatting work. Most of the text should be in paragraph form, and tables and figures should be kept to a minimum.
5. Use MS Word documents. Most of translation software is based on MS Word source documents. If you only have a PDF on hand, try to obtain the original in Word. Avoid faxes and scanned documents. They require conversion from image format to character format, always a time-consuming process.
6. Avoid tagged texts. Certain documents contain codes which must not be modified during translation. Sometimes, these codes split sentences in two and complicate the translation. These documents call for specialized translation software that is not within reach of all translators.
7. Re-use the same sentences. Translators equipped with translation software can offer lower rates when the same sentences or words are repeated in your texts.
8. Pool your documents. If you only have a page or two to translate, try to see if you are able to send several documents at the same time. You should be able to get a better price when the translator's overhead cost goes down.
9. Avoid sending out rush work. Quality and price both improve when the same translator does the whole translation. Administration fees are incurred whenever the work of several translators has to be coordinated, and worse still, when rush delivery is requested.
10. Figure out the Total Cost. Perhaps you have already had this experience: the rate was fantastic, but you had to spend hours making corrections! And if you add the cost of your own time to what you paid for the project, was it really such a good deal after all?



At the end of the day, “somebody, somewhere, must do the work” and the price per word should not be you only criteria when trying to reduce translation costs. Instead,consider all costs, including your own time, your employees' time, and the risks associated with possible translation mistakes. With the above tips, you should be able to get the most out of your translation budget. And as with many other businesses, you will probably find that in the long run, it is actually less expensive to deal with professionals.

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