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Top 10 Mistakes when Purchasing Translation
1. Use an overseas dealer or someone who speaks the language. If you want professional results, use a professional translator.
2. Hire a translator that does not understand your industry vernacular. It is one thing to know the language. It is another to translate your technical documents, especially those unique industry terms.
3. Wait until the last minute. Yes, writing takes time, but so does translation. Budget time accordingly.
4. Right document. Wrong program. Different software programs are designed for different types of documents. Word is great for correspondence or simple reports, but not for lengthy manuals with multiple graphics. Likewise, Corel Draw was never intended for brochure layouts. You get the idea.
5. Send incomplete or dated electronic files. If the source files don't match the final pdf file, this leads to confusion. If art files are needed for final formatting, be sure to send them as well.
6. You use U.S. units of measurement. The rest of the world is on the metric system. Enough said.
7. You play hard to reach. If your translator cannot reach you to answer a question, results may disappoint.
8. Use free translators. You get what you invest in.
9. You develop a do-it-yourself mentality with revisions. Foreign language punctuation, capitalization, hyphenation and syntax are different than English. Involve your translator in the revision process. One wrong word can be embarrassing, maybe even disastrous.
10. You bid out every translation to different translators. The more you work with one quality translator, the better it gets.
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