Our DTP Services
Preflight and File Prep
In this article I will show the importance of preflight on the examples of a client-provided InDesign source and Word doc source.
When a source artwork package or a source Word document is available from your End-Client PREFLIGHT. is an initial and necessary step in the DTP cycle. It allows to check the source content for text availability and segmentation and identifies potential formatting pitfalls and sources for future inconsistencies.
Why is that?
1. Different departments speak different languages
Normally, a contact person is not a person who created a layout. They are (normally) client relations or sales. Thus, what your contact person calls “source” is most likely a PDF file or a Word document created by OCR-ing (ripping) a PDF. In the advanced case your contact might have an InDesign (.indd or .idml) file in their possession, but they have no idea about the actual content.
2. Layouts are rarely created with globalization in mind
The more complex a layout is, the more custom design elements are used in a layout, the more chance to have the segmentation messed up and/or some words laid out as artwork, not text. Incorrect segmentation results in incorrect translation.
3. Text might be outlined
This is the most common thing to watch for. Some portions of text might not be in a form of regular (live) text, but outlined text (vector shapes, normally used to mimic missing fonts appearance), text coming from linkage or embedded images. This text will not be recognized by translation software.
4. Complex layouts might have mufti-layered structure
Some design agencies create heavily multi-layered single files instead of creating multiple files. I personally see no advantages in doing other than keeping everything in one file. Quite the opposite: this type of layouts utilizes a lot of locked and hidden elements and layers. This, too, might result in incorrect segmentation or in entire blocks of text unavailable to translation software.
5. Layouts might have extra text sitting on pasteboards that is not intended for translation
This is a VERY common issue, and normally does not reflect of the main content. It does, however, mean waste of money to your End Client to translate good chunks of text they are not even aware of.
6. Layouts might contain editorial markup
If an InDesign document was shared and edited between departments and was not finalized properly, it might still contain editorial elements (notes, track changes, assignments) OR linked InCopy files. All of these restrict translation software access to content which will result in translation cut-offs.
Preflight also shows if any fonts, links or other elements are missing. It is always recommended to request a PDF copy with any package for a visual reference.
(*) In rare cases, but not unheard of, InDesign file (indd) and IDML file included in the same package do not match.
Checking for all these potential issues and adjusting a source accordingly is called FILE PREP.
Source Recreation
DTP is often referred to as file (or source) recreation. Commonly, a translation company receives a request in a form of a PDF file. It might be anything in between live selectable and copiable text and lowest resolution scans of hand-written documents/reports. Any of these PDFs first need to be “converted” to workable file format.
Two most frequently used formats are Word and InDesign. Both approaches have their advantages, but the major differences are:
• the need for a special software and skills, and
• overall control an application gives you over your file.
In most cases, the files recreated in MS Word can be translated, future-edited and reused without any additional help or expenses associated with DTP.
However, If your company uses a “no responsibility” approach (processing all the stages of editing, proofreading and QA via PDF-mediator files only) I would strongly suggest using InDesign layout format instead
InDesign as a layout application
There are hundreds of applications on the markets (text-processing, programming, report-generating, financial, etc.). Many text-processing applications support their own page layout functions, but page layout applications designed specifically for this purpose allow you:
• fine control over each of layout elements;
• document batch-processing;
• book processing
InDesign is the most popular layout application because:
• It is easily affordable
• it is the most intuitive software on the market
• it is one of the oldest on the market
• it allows you access to multiple earlier versions that you can install and use if your current OS in not most up to date
• it allows you access to several different versions of InDesign under the same license
• It uses interchangeable formal (IDML) to share artwork between the versions (newest features might not be supported in the earlier InDesign versions)
• In this globalization era, files created in InDesign (IDML) are compatible with translation software
Thus, INDESIGN lets you create extremely sophisticated artwork for both Print- and Web-display purposes with globalization in mind.
Typesetting and Formatting
Typesetting and Formatting are vastly used as interchangeable terms, they both refer to getting the final content looking nice and clean after translation. The term "Typesetting" is used in layout applications. "Formatting" is reserved for all the rest.
In translations DTP-process both mean post-translation text accommodation, brush-up, cultural layout adaptation and overall making it neat and functional. Positioning and fitting translated content correctly; making sure that all links, buttons and other interactive elements and form fields (if any) are working; making sure that correct fonts are used or matching font replacements are chosen are the key points of TYPESETTING.
Make sure that:
1. the layout uses correct Paragraph Composer and Ligatures settings
2. correct language is set, especially if your layout uses hyphenation
3. correct fonts are used, and unsupported glyphs are not automatically substituted with corresponding glyphs from other fonts (especially in PowerPoint files)
4. correct Region-specific fonts are used
especially in Chinese files, where a font can support both Traditional and Simplified character, and if you have a limited amount of text [like in posters] for a non-Chinese speaker it is almost impossible to tell the difference. This might result in delivering wrong files to your end-client.
5. if your linked content has a localized version – a corresponding localized version is used in your target artwork.
6. your layout is not utilizing any content that might be inappropriate to your target market.
This should normally be checked by linguists, but it is a good practice to remind a Project Manager or a Quality Control team that markets might have additional requirements.
Templates and Process Creation
TEMPLATE is a best solution to approach a large, branching, messy scope or recurring assignments. Templates can serve as layout-shells only, OR can be "pre-approved" volumes of already translated (pre-set) text with identified points of update. The latter is a great way to optimize the entire translation process.
Pre-set text can be linked into your template (external linkage) or can remain in the template as Conditional text if any part of it contains valuables that need translation.
The advantage of using external linkage is that once an edit is needed to pre-set text (for example, a term changed in the industry, and translation needs to be revised accordingly) it is only made once in a linked file and will automatically update in all files utilizing that link.
Conditional text lets you customize content within the line of files. It also lets you hide chunks of text from translation. It does not only apply to pre-set translated text but to content that needs to stay in the original language (for example, drug names).
Template is a great way to unsure linguistic and graphic consistency of your deliverables. Depending on how (and whether) the templates are identified, the entire translation process might be adjusted to skip steps. It allows both a Language Service Provider and their end-client to save a lot of time and resources.
Troubleshooting
Some files come directly from end-clients with various complaints related to online file distribution or printing issues. Most of the time those are caused by something outside the reach of a DTP (most commonly, outdated printing software and hardware used by a Printing company OR incorrect web-links redirect handling), however we can evaluate the files, detect the cause, and offer best available solution.
Again, always remember, that different departments speak different languages, and a PDF file format is a pidgin the departments use to communicate.
Sometimes, recommending using the lowest available Acrobat version in the PDF-export settings can solve a problem.
Sometimes, a good, detailed explanation with visual references is an insight that will give your client a right idea.
Actual DTP solutions might include:
• complete file re-DTP,
• PDF re-export with correct settings,
• PDF re-export via Post Script format,
• color correction,
• font replacement,
• linkage remediation,
• adding time-stamps, and many more.
DTP-Training for Teams
Any DTP-component translation job is a teamwork, and is only truly efficient if the team members understand the specifics of DTP-projects. Optimized layouts allow editors and other reviewing teams to save time by suggesting global edits and adjustments.
We also offer LIVE video training sessions with detailed visual handouts and live feedback in these categories:
• Various specific file-type process-optimization (for example, SBC [Summary of Benefit Coverage] files) for translation teams;
• Understanding DTP for translation teams;
• Advanced Acrobat for translation teams