Multilingual desktop publishing
Translation changes the length, direction and shape of your text. Our DTP team rebuilds the layout in every language so the file you get back is ready to print or publish.
Translation is not finished until the file is
A translated Word file is not a deliverable if what you actually publish is a 60-page InDesign manual, a FrameMaker service guide or a labeled CAD drawing. Someone still has to put the translated text back into the layout — in every language — without breaking it.
That step is desktop publishing (DTP), and it is where a lot of translation projects quietly fail. Text that grew 25% in German overflows its boxes. An Arabic version reads right-to-left, so the entire page has to mirror. A Japanese font substitution turns headings into squares. Our multilingual DTP team handles this as part of the project, so what you receive is the finished document, not homework.
What the DTP team handles
- Text expansion and contraction — resizing frames, reflowing pages and adjusting tables when the translation runs longer or shorter than the source
- Right-to-left layout — full mirroring for Arabic and Hebrew: page geometry, reading order, images and captions
- CJK typesetting — correct fonts, line breaks and spacing for Chinese, Japanese and Korean
- Graphics and screenshots — translated callouts, labels and diagrams rebuilt in the original style
- Fonts and output — licensed font handling per language, with delivery as press-ready PDF, packaged source files or both
- CAD and technical drawings — text extracted, translated and reinserted without touching geometry
One team, from source file to print file
Because translation and DTP happen under one roof, the workflow is a loop, not a handoff. Our translators work directly in your source formats through translation tools that protect the layout code, the DTP team formats the result, and a native-speaking proofreader then checks the formatted document — catching the errors that only exist after layout, like a warning that got trimmed to fit or a hyphenation that changes a word’s meaning.
That last check matters more than it sounds. In a language you cannot read, a truncated sentence looks exactly like a complete one. Established practice since 2005: no formatted file leaves without a native review.
Practical details
We work in all major publishing software for Mac and PC and deliver in whatever your print shop or publishing pipeline expects. Send us the packaged source files (with fonts and images) and you get back packaged source files in every target language, plus final PDFs. If you only have a PDF of the original, tell us — we can often rebuild the layout, though starting from live source files is faster and cheaper. Fixed quote within 24 hours — including the DTP hours, so there are no surprise formatting invoices at the end. Layout updates after a source revision are quoted the same way: you pay for the pages that changed, not for rebuilding the whole document in every language.
Frequently asked questions
Which file formats do you work in?
Adobe InDesign, FrameMaker, Illustrator and the rest of the Adobe suite, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Office, and structured formats like XML/DITA and HTML. For engineering content we also handle CAD drawings, extracting and reinserting text so dimensions and callouts stay intact.
Why does translated text break my layout?
Languages take different amounts of space — German or Portuguese can run 20–30% longer than English, while Chinese is often shorter. Text boxes overflow, tables misalign and page counts shift. DTP is the step that resizes, reflows and rebuilds so the translated document looks like the original was designed for it.
Can you handle Arabic, Hebrew or Asian languages?
Yes. Right-to-left languages like Arabic and Hebrew mean mirroring the whole layout, not just the text. Chinese, Japanese and Korean need correct fonts, line-breaking rules and character spacing. Our DTP specialists do this daily, and a native-language proofreader checks every formatted file before delivery.
Do you check the document after formatting?
Always. A post-DTP check by a native speaker verifies that no text was cut off, hyphenated wrongly or hidden during layout — the errors that only appear after formatting. That check is part of the service, not an extra.