How Much for a Translation Project?
One of the most common questions about translation projects is, How much will it cost?
Establishing a budget is essential for the client and the translation company. Many factors affect the cost of a translation project. We want to explain some of those factors and guide you on saving money and being as efficient as possible when requesting translation services.
One of the first things you’ll want to ask your translation company is what units they use for pricing. For instance, your translation company might charge by word, character, hour, page, or use a minimum fee. The unit used will depend on the work needed for your project. What is the complexity of your project, and how many steps are required to complete it?
Read on to discover the most critical components of a translation company’s pricing structure.
How Translation Services Are Priced
Type of Translation Services Project
Diverse pricing structures exist for different types of translation projects, as each requires various steps and activities to complete the translation process.
For example, if the work is translating a PDF without the source document, that PDF needs to be converted into editable text, and some file preparation might be required. In the case of a lengthy document, that can amount to hours of work. That will not be the case with a simple Microsoft Word document, where file preparation is unnecessary since all the text is editable.
Another example is an InDesign file. After a document is translated in InDesign, the translated content will require adjustment or typesetting work due to contraction or expansion of the target language. That work will be done using the InDesign software to produce a translated version ready for printing or publishing, and it is usually charged per page or hour, depending on the work and time involved.
Other translation services projects, such as video translation and website translation, have more steps and a workflow that involves sequential activities with complexity in their execution.
In video translation, the first step is transcription of the audio, followed by a timecode to create the time restriction, translation processes restricted or delimited by the time code, and the generation of a voiceover or subtitle file. The size of the video will impact the time and effort required for those activities, and pricing is based on the steps needed and on the length of the video.
In the case of a website translation project, our engineers are often required to extract content for translation, publish or return the translated content to the website, and test and verify the display of the multilingual content. All that work is usually charged by the hour in addition to the translation work.
Translation Pricing by Industry
The industry on which the project’s content is based will also influence the cost.
Suppose you have a medical paper to be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In that case, that will require the work of an industry professional fluent in the source language, the target language, and medical terminology, plus years of experience in medical translation. That is going to cost more than a one-page marketing flyer. On the other hand, having a thick HR manual will cost something different than some legal witness statements. The complexity of the subject matter within the specialty is also a pricing factor; glossary development and research might be needed, which impacts the quality of the translation work and the time spent translating the documents.
Consider localization as well. A marketing presentation that needs to be localized by native professionals for Spain and Mexico will require time for the localization of the piece after the translation work is done.
Translation Pricing by Language Combination
Languages that are widely spoken will cost less to translate than less commonly spoken languages. There are fewer professional translators available for Haitian Creole than for Spanish for Latin America. Also, some language combinations are less commonly translated into each other. Consider a situation where you have content in a website written right to left in Arabic, and you need it translated into English written left to right. That is going to cost more than a document of equivalent length translated from Latin American Spanish into North American English. Common languages like Simplified Chinese will be priced differently than languages like Hebrew, spoken by a much smaller population. Also consider dialect. The variety of French spoken in Canada will need a different translator than the translator for French for Africa or French for France, and they might have different rates for translation.
Translation Pricing by Project Volume
A long document is naturally going to cost more than a few pages. Depending on the subject matter and language combination, the translation company may use machine translation software for a first draft and then a professional for post-editing.
Within the volume of a large project you might have repetition of content that will share repetitions in the translation, which will help reduce cost. This highlights the importance of using CAT Tools for consistency and reusing previously translated content.
Another element that impacts a translation services quote are the steps in the execution. If the content is translated by only one translator, the cots will be lower than a translation that follows a 2 step approach using 2 professional translators, one as a translator and the other as a reviewer.
The approach to translation in a project might change the pricing. So always make questions about the level of service you are receiving to compare apples to apples, and to understand the workflow followed by the translation company.
Translation Pricing by Turnaround Time
A rush job is going to cost more than one that has been planned and has a team reserved. Always try to plan in advance to ensure that the project is executed with the best workflow and quality control, and that the translation company has enough time to select the best resources. We have professionals available and ready when you need them, but we also want to fit into your budget. No matter the timeframe, we will evaluate the elements of your project and offer options for the execution of the translation services project to help you make an informed decision.
Translation Pricing by Formatting
Are you working with a simple Word document? Or do you have a lot of graphics like captioned images, tables and graphs? What about videos and audio files? Every layer of complexity is going to change the level of time and effort, and thus cost, involved. Again, translation often involves text expansion and contraction, which can affect the look of a piece. JR Language offers formatting and DTP services to make your material look polished in every language version.
How to Save Money on Professional Translation Services
We want every client to be confident that they’re getting the best translation services available at an affordable rate. When you’re planning for a translation project, take the following tips into consideration to save money.
- Create your own glossary and style guide. If you have industry terminology that is repeated, having a prepared glossary will save time and money. A style guide promotes consistency and brand uniformity while a glossary helps industry accuracy. This way, the translation company can save time by using the resources you provide. These elements are also useful internally for the client.
- Plan ahead. Never leave a translation project to the last minute if at all possible. Contact the translation Services Company early to understand what you need to provide. Gather everything you need translated so nothing gets left out. Keep in mind, there may be a discount for a certain level of volume.
- Have your source content ready so rework is avoided.
- If your organization has a country reviewer, identify him and get him involved from the beginning.
- Be responsive and provide your translation company with the files and information they solicit in the requested format. JR Language assigns a project manager to each translation job for efficiency and consistency. We always keep lines of communication open and are keen to get feedback from our clients.
Translation Services is the Cost of an Opportunity – Getting What You Pay For
A low cost may be attractive at first glance, but you want the best for those who will be using your translated work. If a translation company charges rock-bottom prices, that might mean that they aren’t using professionals or are skipping steps. If you are in a specialized industry, that could spell disaster.
When scouting for a professional translation company, look for one that has gotten good reviews consistently. Shop around and get quotes from multiple companies. Ask to see examples and learn about their technologies and workflow so you can compare it to other translation companies.
Contact JR Language today and tell us all about your project so we can work up a Translation Services quote that will fit into your budget and give you the professional, accurate, and perfectly localized translation you will be proud to use.
