DTP for dummies
A very short guide on typesetting for project managers and translators that highlights the basics of DTP and what there is to know on this subject in order to be both efficient and professional.
DTP stands for Desktop Publishing and is also commonly known as typesetting. It consists of working with programmes such as Adobe InDesign or Adobe Illustrator (or Quark, but that’s less common) to produce all sorts of marketing materials, such as, brochures, flyers, booklets and so on. It is relevant for the translation industry because an awful lot of marketing materials need marketing translation (or transcreation, but that’s another subject…😊). Therefore, mostly for languages that are obscure to design agencies, like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese etc., it is advisable that a language expert takes care of the typesetting.
When I did the Master’s at the University of Leeds, this subject was not mentioned or discussed and, considering that as a project manager, at least 30% of the projects I manage on a weekly basis include some form of typesetting (both in InDesign and other programmes), I believe its importance was a bit underestimated. However, the year after I graduated, a professionalisation talk about typesetting was offered during the course: “DTP for Linguists” by Chris Thompson, I highly suggest anyone who’s doing the Masters attends it. This is to say that in the translation industry it is essential to know at least the basics of DTP not only to be able to inform the client on all the possible services that you can offer, but also to make your business more profitable, both as an agency and a freelancer.
So, at this point you may wonder, what is there to know about DTP that you don’t already know of?
Let’s start with what you can expect. The most common format in which files are sent to translation agencies/freelancers is as packaged artworks. This means that you will have a zipped folder which includes:
an InDesign file .indd
possibly an .idml, which you will use in Trados because it’s the only format coming from InDesign that Trados accepts (if you tick the option "process unsupported file versions" in File Types)
a folder containing links
a folder containing the fonts
a PDF for reference
Therefore, as you may have understood, this InDesign file works only if all the links (e.g. pictures) and fonts are linked to it.
Having said this, why should you care if you are a translator, for example, about this process?
Well, first of all, if you receive an .idml file you will recognise it and be able to work with it in Trados or in your preferred CAT tool.
Secondly, you will know that it will be very important for you to translate using the PDF file as a reference, just so your translation will not only be fluent, but also correct in the context of the brochure or whatever document type you are working on. This is a crucial step in the workflow, and I believe a good piece of advice, because sometimes InDesign and Trados decide not to speak to each other and the segmentation of the beautifully displayed files in InDesign decides to break the sentences in strange places, which makes the translation much more difficult. Also, I consider this step even more important because of the context, which for a professional translator is everything and, in these cases, and can make a translation very appropriate and effective or a total disaster.
Thirdly, you will expect the translation agency to request you to check the typeset proofs of the artwork. This means that you will receive low resolution PDFs containing your translation in order to check them and make sure that everything is displaying correctly. You will be able to do this by leaving comments directly on the PDF files. This will be a chance for you to see your translation in action and see if you’ve made any typos. It is completely up to you, as translator, to charge for checking typesetting proofs, however please note that translation agencies always appreciate if you avoid it as it usually appears to be a gesture of good will from the translator.
On top of that, some translators also offer DTP themselves as courses are available in most universities, like the one offered by Leeds Beckett, or also online through LinkedIn E-learning for example.
This will possibly be a way to diversify translators’ income and a new challenge for someone who’s very practical, but meticulous and is looking to try something new. Moreover, typesetting exercises can add practical and transferable skills to anyone’s resume. For example, knowing the basics of text editing and formatting can be helpful when working in programs such as Adobe Premiere Pro, which is used for video editing and creating subtitles and burn in; or also when simply formatting Word or PowerPoint files because you will know what to look for in the formatting of a file to make it look professional and neat.
Talking about money and understanding how much to charge for this service is a bit tricky and it will depend on the costs that translators/agencies have to sustain to offer this sort of service. Normally, it is essential to take into account the cost of the software, that can be available on different plans, monthly or if you have enough funds through a perpetual licence. In addition, it’s important to understand how long you think it will take you to format a file and take it from there. Then you will multiply the hours (or half hours for example) by your hourly rate, which could potentially be the same as your hourly rate for translation.
I hope you’ll find this “guide” interesting and that it has given you a bit more understanding of this side of the translation industry.
