Translation Projects Made Easy: DTP Tips for Success
To kickstart this article, let’s bring the first of the DTP tips to the table: Never assume that designing content for multilingual use is a simple task. It involves far more than translating text—which becomes quite clear once we consider what good design truly entails. Successful desktop publishing relies on thoughtful preparation, flexible layouts, and careful quality checks, especially when multiple scripts, writing directions, or formats are part of the picture.
If content is the king, then formatting is the queen; and like any mutually supportive partnership, both deserve the same care and attention.
Over the next sections, we’ll explore a set of practical insights that help strengthen the bond between these two players by preventing the common mistakes that often compromise the value of well-crafted source content. Ready?
What Is DTP and Why It Matters in Multilingual Projects
Before diving into practical steps, it helps to clarify what is DTP within the context of translation and localisation.
Desktop publishing refers to the process of laying out text and visual elements in a design tool (such as InDesign, Illustrator, Figma, or even PowerPoint) to create a final, visually cohesive piece of content.
While the concept sounds straightforward, things can get wild when content must be adapted into several languages; they can expand or shrink, require different line-break rules, or use entirely different writing systems.
This is where multilingual DTP steps in: Ensuring the translated versions remain visually aligned with the source while respecting linguistic rules.
#OptimationalTip: Working with the right partner can make all the difference. Here are some hints to identify the DTP translation services that can make your project take-off.
8 DTP Tips to Prepare a Clean and Flexible Source Design
Most layout problems—such as text overflow, broken formatting, or misaligned objects—originate in the source file. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the file or its content; however, if it wasn’t prepared with scalability in mind, it becomes difficult to achieve the flexibility multilingual projects require. Strong pre-DTP preparation keeps multilingual production smoother and significantly reduces rework later.
Without further ado, here are the DTP tips.
1. Build Flexible Layouts That Adapt to Text Expansion
Whenever possible, use text boxes, linked frames, and responsive elements so that translated text can expand or contract naturally without breaking the layout. Avoid manual line breaks and spacing: These often cause issues after the localisation step.
2. Leave Breathing Room in the Layout
Languages like Spanish or German can expand by up to 30% in comparison to English. Adding generous padding and avoiding overly tight layouts prevents overflow and clutter, minimises emergency resizing during multilingual DTP and protects the visual hierarchy.
3. Apply Styles Consistently and Clean Them Up
Paragraph and character styles, grids, and tabs should be applied consistently from the start. Before exporting files, remove unused styles, invisible characters and formatting overrides. This keeps the structure clean and reduces potential inconsistencies after translation.
4. Watch Hyphenation and Line Breaks
Default settings in design software don’t always match the rules of the target language and may result in awkward breaks or incorrect word division. Make sure to check it out!
#OptimationalTip: Understanding what is DTP, its role in localisation, and how it connects to QA allows you to build more resilient workflows that support global audiences.
5. Choose Fonts With Strong Multilingual Support
Not all typefaces support Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, or Amharic—among many other languages. Select fonts that include all the scripts you need, or choose stylistically compatible alternatives for each alphabet.
6. Avoid Embedding Text Inside Images
Text baked into images can’t be easily extracted for translation and often requires additional design work. If text inside visuals is unavoidable, keep editable files—and especially the text layers—available for later use. This is especially helpful when needed to translate Figma designs efficiently without breaking the layout’s structure.
7. Share Context With Translators
Providing reference PDFs, screenshots, or design notes from the start helps translators understand the layout’s intent, prevent issues early, and creates a smoother path towards localisation testing.
8. Package Everything Before Delivery
Before sending the final files to translators or designers, make sure to package all assets—fonts, images, links, and any external resources. This prevents missing elements, broken links, or substitution issues later on.
#OptimationalTip: One of the most crucial DTP tips is selecting fonts with full language support. This maintains readability and ensures the final piece looks intentionally designed (i.e., professional) rather than patched together.
5 Post-DTP Tips to Guide the QA Stage
Even with a perfectly prepared source file, multilingual layouts still require careful review. After the translation step is complete, and the content is placed back into the design, this stage of desktop publishing becomes crucial for spotting visual or structural issues.
Here are the key checks to prioritise during QA.
1. Compare Source and Target Layouts Carefully
Margins, alignment, spacing, indentation, and visual hierarchy should match the source version as much as possible. A side-by-side comparison is often the best way to catch subtle inconsistencies and understand how DTP works when moving between languages.
2. Preserve the Original Look & Feel
Avoid changing design elements unless necessary to resolve spacing or overflow issues. Fonts and styles should remain consistent for languages using the same alphabet. For scripts like Arabic, Chinese, etc., use options that still match the aesthetic of the source.
3. Pay Special Attention to RTL Languages
Another of the top DTP tips for multilingual content; for Right-To-Left languages, make sure the direction, alignment, punctuation, and numbers follow the right conventions. However, elements that must remain in English—URLs, email addresses, etc.—should stay left-to-right and be clearly readable.
4. Maintain Image and Logo Consistency
Images and logos should never appear stretched or distorted, they should preserve their original placement. Still, subtle resizing is acceptable when needed to accommodate text expansion, but the overall visual balance must remain intact.
5. Validate All Links and QR Codes
A frequently overlooked step: Ensure every link, button and QR code is active and leads to the correct destination (typically the same as in the source unless otherwise specified.) This is critical for digital materials (such as e-learning courses) and for handling the challenges of website translation and localisation that can affect navigation and UX.
#OptimationalTip: Whether working with brochures, e-learning modules, manuals, or digital interfaces, a consistent visual identity strengthens brand coherence across languages.
Final DTP Tips to Achieve Smoother Global Workflows
Beyond design principles, workflow habits can significantly improve multilingual production. Here are some extra hints:
- Use cloud-based design tools or shared libraries to keep assets consistent.
- Maintain version control to prevent outdated files from slipping back into circulation.
- Foster clear communication between translators, designers, and project managers.
- Document style decisions so they can be reused across future projects.
#OptimationalTip: Understanding how DTP works in a global workflow helps teams anticipate issues early, from the choice of fonts to the handling of right-to-left (RTL) scripts.
Wrapping Up: DTP Tips for Efficient Multilingual Workflows
Multilingual layout work doesn’t end once text is placed. Effective localisation projects integrate DTP with localisation testing, a stage where functionality and design must work together.
A line break can push a button off-screen, or expanded text might overlap icons. Understanding how DTP works alongside QA helps to reduce friction and create repeatable, reliable processes for global teams.
By following these DTP tips through both the preparation and QA stages, you can achieve smoother workflows, fewer inconsistencies, and content that looks good and works effortlessly across markets.
Need expert advice? Get in touch with us today and let’s make your content go global.
