What Is Multilingual DTP (Desktop Publishing)?

If you landed here, it might be because you know what multilingual DTP is, and you’re looking for this type of service. Or maybe you just came here out of curiosity and will end up realising that maybe your business is, indeed, needing it.

This is like when you find a technological gadget that changes your life. It takes you by surprise, thinking that you had a certain situation sorted out. And suddenly this little tool solves it better or faster. Or in a more holistic and efficient way. Thereafter, the gadget will become a kind of must-have for you, right?

The DTP is not a gadget, but it can be equally necessary and a game-changer. For yourself, your company’s staff, and most importantly, your customers.

Confused? Then consider this example: You have a piece of content that includes relevant graphics. Your linguistic partner takes care of making the texts multilingual. So far, so good. But what about the graphics? Just copy and paste? Here is where multilingual desktop publishing services (or DTP, in short) come into play.

Let’s have a look at the ins and outs of the matter to understand if this is what your business needs—and why.

Multilingual Typesetting: Basic Notions and Definitions

Multilingual DTP or typesetting—synonyms—is a technical solution that certain language service providers (LSP) offer. The aim is to ensure that the translated document format keeps the integrity of the original material.

This may not seem relevant to you for the translation of a plain text. But it’s vital when there’re graphics to complement the text. Or images that depict situations. 

Consider the following scenario: A travel agency wants to distribute its promotional brochures in several languages. As you know, brochures usually contain photos or illustrations to arouse interest. 

So, when the translations are ready, should the travel agency publish the content without images? Should it insert the images exactly as they are in the original? What about dimensions, layout, and style adequacy?

Of course, you can call in a designer by yourself, but that would take more time and perhaps incur higher costs. On the other hand, a multilingual desktop publishing company offers you a complete service, with experts at every stage. Translators specialised in localisation for the written content and designers, with experience in tools—such as Adobe InDesign—for the visuals.

The best? They all work together and consider each language’s suitability. And, as we all know, food that comes in combo has a more competitive price.

Types of Content That Require DTP

Below are some of the most typical types of content that require typesetting solutions:

• Company newsletters and in-house communication
• Catalogues and technical manuals
• Newspapers and magazines
• Books, e-books, and infographics
• Brochures, flyers, leaflets, and pamphlets
• Reports
• Banners and entire webpages
• Training material

#OptimationalTip: Sometimes, images and graphics also contain short texts. Consider localisation as a beneficial approach to make your written materials more appealing.

Why Do You Need Multilingual DTP Services?

The quick answer would be “to offer content that is accurate, intelligible, and conveys a good idea of what your business offers.” Showing sloppy content can lead people to believe that this is what your services or products might be like (even if it is not true). They say that one buys, at first, with the eyes.

If you neglect the visuals, it can result in confusing content and poor readability. Moreover, in frustrating experiences and loss of brand identity—not to mention reputation. 

Multilingual typesetting will maintain your company’s style across cultures and to foreign audiences, it will look like it was originally created in their native language, for their specific market. 

Finally, another comment on doing it yourself or relying on, perhaps, an external designer. Keep in mind that the allocation of text and images has to respect a sense of unity (in terms of meaning.) This is something that only the experts at multilingual DTP can ensure to perfection.

Why is that? Because in addition to the design knowledge, they count on native professional linguists who are familiar with linguistic processes such as text expansion, among others.

Further Benefits of Multilingual DTP

Here’re more details about the benefits of entrusting the work to LSP experts.

• Proficiency with multiple tools. I.e., the Adobe tools  (PageMaker, Robohelp, Captivate, Illustrator, Freehand, etc.) Also, Corel Draw and QuarkXpress, among others.
• Knowledge of the compatibility of tools with translation and localisation software, such as SDL Passolo, DejaVu, etc.
• Experience with a wide range of document types and formats, from advertising brochures or business cards to complex technical manuals.
• Customisation of workflows to meet the specific needs of each client.

#OptimationalTip: A designer without a mastery of the target language may commit simple, but hard-hitting, mistakes. Such as inserting inappropriate line breaks, and separating sentences/paragraphs in non-beneficial ways. Or accidentally omitting text. Therefore, a multilingual desktop publishing company is the best option to get top-notch results.

The Process: How to Prepare the Content?

So, are you ready to get started? Great. Now, we’ll show you the way.

First of all, you need to set the rules of the game. That is, analyse your project requirements and check the files that require translations. This will allow you to find the best approach and better define the following steps. 

If this sounds too complex, fear not. You can discuss this matter with your partner for multilingual desktop publishing services and work it out together.

Among the things to consider will be the following:

1. How to check that the source files are correctly internationalised. This will later ensure that the localised versions look like the originals.
2. Verify the charts and graphics in the source file. Do they contain information that linguists should localise? If so, bear in mind that images that need editing may increase the formatting time.
3. Which are the fonts being used? If you can choose, opt for those that support special characters without causing trouble. That is, fun and creative fonts are more likely to pose a challenge in the multilingual DTP process. It’s not an impossible task, but it slows down the workflow.
4. Are the original files in their native format, or are they converted/scanned files? Which final format do you need?

Preparing for Linguistic Challenges

Once these questions are sorted out and the basics are in order, the active part begins: Translation and localisation design included.

But wait, there’re other questions that your multilingual DTP service provider will probably want to make clear. These have to do with branding guidelines, mostly. If you already have a style guide, you just need to share it with them. But, if this is not ready, or you don’t have a translation glossary in place, then you should have a talk about the following:

1. Measurement and formatting. The text mentions, for example, miles. Would you rather keep using that standard or localising to kilometres? Do you want to add clarification in parentheses, footnotes, etc.? 
2. Limitations on text expansion. Do you have any preference in case the translation takes up more space than is available?
3. Specific, technical, or software terminology. Do you prefer to translate or stick to the original terms?
4. Untranslatable phrases. There’re terms that don’t have an exact equivalent. However, we have alternatives to get around this obstacle. If you have any preferences, communicate them timely to your multilingual DTP partner.

#OptimationalTip: When facing linguistic expansion, sometimes it’s possible to add extra pages to the layout without causing any harm. However, there’re also cases in which you may need to consider further adjustments to preserve the quality.

Last Thoughts: Professional Handling for a Flawless Result

Having multilingual DTP allows your brand to have content ready for new destinations in a comprehensive way. And, best of all, it will look and feel like it was meant for them from the start. However, it’s not a light task and, as such, it requires dedicated and specialised work to achieve the desired results. 

The upside is that, with professional handling, you can rest assured that the translated outcome will be as accurate and as closely matched to the original as possible. In other words: Correct, consistent, and visually appealing in all versions.

You just need to do your part: State clear the purpose of the content and send the guidelines and native files to your LSP. And the rest will be a story.

At Optimational, we provide multiple language services, including multilingual DTP. If you’re looking for expert help, feel free to contact us today.