Thread: PageMaker

Hi All! A client of mine requested a translation in PageMaker.. someone told me once that you can translate a PageMake with Trados. Is that possible? If so, which version?

Hi MariaLaura!

PageMaker

To translate PageMaker files (an increasingly rare occurrence as Adobe is trying to push InDesign over PageMaker), you could either use Star Transit with a separate plug-in with support for PageMaker 6-7 or a plug-in that comes with the Trados product called Story Collector for PageMaker and supports versions 6.5 and 7.

To install the Trados plug-in, open the help file under C:\Program Files\TRADOS\Txx_xx\FI\PM for further instruction. Once the plug-in is installed, open the PageMaker file in PageMaker and you'll find the command Trados Story Collector under Utilities> Plug-ins. Export all the stories into one large PageMaker-specific text file, save the original PageMaker file (important!), and translate the exported text file with TagEditor or any other application that supports the PageMaker format. The import process is virtually the same as the export and should go seamlessly.

Alternatively, you can write your own macro that allows the export and re-import of all stories in and out of PageMaker. Here are some instructions: tinyurl.com/762r8.

All of the above is true for Western languages and to some degree for Eastern European languages. Any of the more complex languages, however, including the bi-directional languages (Hebrew and Arabic) or the Asian double-byte languages, are flat-out not supported in the Western versions of PageMaker. Though you can purchase language-specific versions for these languages, it would make a LOT more sense to convert to InDesign and take it from there. Because InDesign and PageMaker are both Adobe products, the upgrade path is relatively easy (both in terms of purchasing a less expensive competitive upgrade version of InDesign when you already own PageMaker and in terms of converting the files).

From: http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/article41.htm


Hope it helps!