The Importance of Using Source Files

The importance of using source files to produce a high-resolution translation product.  Many translation clients send us files in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, plain text, FrameMaker and other commonly used formats.  When clients send us PDF versions of these files, it is only a picture of the source file.  When attempting to edit within the PDF, flaws can occur that do not match the original formatting and the resolution is lower quality.

PDF technology is excellent at reducing large files for review.  However, a PDF file is not a production ready file.  A PDF file can be exported to an MS Word file, and it can look very much like the original.  The problem is that the resulting MS Word file can have hard returns in the middle of sentences, errant tags occurring as often as every letter in a word, and other formatting issues.  Accordingly, it is best to work within the source file to obtain the highest quality final product.

When a translation company asks for a source file, they are trying to give the client the best quality final product possible.  When there is no source file available, it may be necessary to recreate a file.  This results in a higher initial cost.  However, once a new file is created, the formatting can be used repeatedly going forward.  Minor updates to the translated text are also very cost effective.

When seeking the right company for your translation projects, make sure to discuss the source file issue and final formatting objectives early in the process.  Translation estimates can vary substantially depending on the specific requirements of a project.