Off topic: How do you translate technical manuals?? Trådens avsändare: Magdalena Ku (X)
|
|---|
Magdalena Ku (X) 
Polen
Local time: 17:07
Engelska till Polska
+ ...
I have a problem. I received a technical manual in 'pdf'. The translation must be the same as original manual. Is there a posobility to convert 'pdf' into 'word' or any unit in which I can easily write not loosing photos?? Please help
| | | | Mats Wiman
Sverige
Local time: 17:07
Medlem (2000)
Tyska till Svenska
+ ...
In memoriam | PDF converter | Feb 20, 2011 |
I have tried several but I find the superior one is ABBYY PDF transformer 3.0.
It makes a Word document and maintains the page layout and is easy to use.
Mats
| | | | | Please use the Search function | Feb 20, 2011 |
This topic has been discussed some 17369 times already.
Regards
A.
| | | | Jaroslaw Michalak
Polen
Local time: 17:07
Medlem (2004)
Engelska till Polska
SITE LOCALIZER | Not the best way | Feb 20, 2011 |
You must remember that it is virtually impossible to recreate a complex document starting just from a PDF file. Not to mention that it might take half as much time as the translation itself...
| | |
|
|
|
| Why not ask your client for a source text in Word format? | Feb 20, 2011 |
Magdalena Kucab wrote:
I have a problem. I received a technical manual in 'pdf'. The translation must be the same as original manual. Is there a posobility to convert 'pdf' into 'word' or any unit in which I can easily write not loosing photos?? Please help
You may have your reasons, but I don't understand why the translator has to go through all the hassle to convert a certain type of document which cannot be edited or overwritten into a format which one becomes able to do so.
If the source text is a business letter or something else where formatting is unncessary which happens to be a PDF of a scanned document from a fax or something, it doesn't matter, but in your case, the story is different. I always ask my client to hand me the converted version which I can edit or overwrite, especially where formatting is necessary.
| | | | Laureana Pavon
Uruguay
Local time: 12:07
Medlem (2007)
Engelska till Spanska
+ ...
MODERATOR | DTP software | Feb 20, 2011 |
I'm afraid that most likely the manual was not originally created in Word but in some specialized DTP software (e.g. Adobe InDesign).
You should ask for the original DTP package and translate it using a CAT tool that supports the corresponding file format.
Of course, if you want the translation to have the same layout as the original you'll need to have (own) the DTP software and know how to use it.
Don't expect to be able to recreate the layout if you're not a DTP expert. ... See more I'm afraid that most likely the manual was not originally created in Word but in some specialized DTP software (e.g. Adobe InDesign).
You should ask for the original DTP package and translate it using a CAT tool that supports the corresponding file format.
Of course, if you want the translation to have the same layout as the original you'll need to have (own) the DTP software and know how to use it.
Don't expect to be able to recreate the layout if you're not a DTP expert.
And, of course, the DTP work should be charged accordingly (separate from the translation work) ▲ Collapse
| | | | David Russi
USA
Local time: 09:07
Engelska till Spanska
+ ...
| Ask for the original | Feb 20, 2011 |
The PDF was generated from a source document, converting it into something usable is a needless waste of time and effort, not to mention the fact that it is likely to introduce errors.
Do yourself a favor and ask for the original, you will save yourself and your client a lot of needless work, time and potential errors.
| | | | | Depending on the text format | Feb 21, 2011 |
Magdalena's profile does not indicate any CAT, just standard MS Office software. Options are numerous, for instance:
1. My first advice is ask the device/machine manufacturerfor the source file in DOC format with all formatting and images (luckily, a large number of machine manufacturers still use Word to write instruction manuals). That would be the simplest solution.
2. If for the end user, options are numerous:
a. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader and Save as Text.. - if 'C... See more Magdalena's profile does not indicate any CAT, just standard MS Office software. Options are numerous, for instance:
1. My first advice is ask the device/machine manufacturerfor the source file in DOC format with all formatting and images (luckily, a large number of machine manufacturers still use Word to write instruction manuals). That would be the simplest solution.
2. If for the end user, options are numerous:
a. Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader and Save as Text.. - if 'Content Copying' is Allowed (check Properties>Security) and was converted from Word or a similar software. You will receive a text-only RTF or TXT file, which can be translated applying any method known to you. Afterwards you will add the formatting and images (click and drag from Adobe Reader to Word). Time, patience and much manual work are required.
b. Invest in FineReader. Remember to buy a version that supports PDF (some older versions do not). You will receive RTF. Translate as you wish. Still, you may have to make lots of format adjustments, corrections, etc. as Jabberwock wrote.
c. Again, ask the manufacturer - either directly, or through the end user.
Thereafter, convert DOC to PDF. Some Word versions have 'Print to file' option which can be used for that convertion - don't know exactly. I use Open Office 3 Writer, which makes this convertion at a single mouse click (Eksportuj jako PDF = Export as PDF).
If the source text contains exotic fonts I replace them with Arial, which protects me from any strange sign instead of Polish character. My clients never objected against Arial. ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| A correction | Feb 21, 2011 |
Andrzej Lejman wrote:
This topic has been discussed some 17369 times already.
May I correct this? It was actually 17,370 times.
| | | |
Check if this works for you:
http://www.iceni.com/infix-Translate.htm
This is how I've been using it:
http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/pdf-en.html
I fail to see any 'offtopic-ness' in this message.
I began my translation career in 1973 with te... See more Check if this works for you:
http://www.iceni.com/infix-Translate.htm
This is how I've been using it:
http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/pdf-en.html
I fail to see any 'offtopic-ness' in this message.
I began my translation career in 1973 with technical manuals for heavy machinery. However in those days things were quite different. I translated the text using a Parker 51. Then two expert typists would type that. They were experts twice: first, they understood my barely legible handwriting; second, they did an extremely neat job in layout. I often had to make technical drawings, graphs, and charts for these manuals, or at least make copies of American drawings, cut & paste them to move the projections from 3rd to 1st quadrant (Brazilian std.), and convert all measurements into metric. Then we'd assemble pages with scissors and glue sticks, to copy them and build manuals. Titles were made with dry-transfer letters.
A couple of decades later, when PageMaker came up, its paradigm was natural to me. It was like what I had done in the past, but in virtual reality.
Now you can reuse all - or at least most of - the DTP work in an existing PDF, simply translate! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Magdalena Ku (X)
Polen
Local time: 17:07
Engelska till Polska
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you very much
| | | | Rachel Fell
Storbritannien
Local time: 16:07
Franska till Engelska
+ ...
| Accurately, please | Feb 21, 2011 |
In a Spanish motorbike company's "warranty" recently I have seen that the bike contains a pine kernel [pinion] (et al.)
[Edited at 2011-02-22 07:27 GMT]
| | |
|
|
|
| To Magdalena... | Feb 22, 2011 |
I can do this conversion for you, if you wish, provided the pdf document is in English.
Please have a look at my profile, I offer this service for my colleagues.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » How do you translate technical manuals?? | LinguaCore |
|---|
AI Translation at Your Fingertips
The underlying LLM technology of LinguaCore offers AI translations of unprecedented quality. Quick and simple. Add a human linguistic review at the end for expert-level quality at a fraction of the cost and time.
More info » |
| | CafeTran Espresso |
|---|
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
