Author: Yuri Tsverkun
Founder at OCR Craft
Over 15 Years of Experience in the Translation Industry

Explaining to your clients why high-quality preparation of their PDF files requires additional costs can sometimes be challenging, especially if they’ve never encountered this issue before.

Based on our experience, the most effective approach is to visually show how badly a file will appear after translation if it is simply auto-converted from PDF. This can be demonstrated during the “Quote” stage using the Pseudotranslation function.

What is Pseudotranslation?

Pseudotranslation mimics the process of translating a file into another language. It’s essentially a “dummy” translation used to test how the file or system will behave in a different language. Think of it as a trial run to spot potential issues before the actual translation begins.

Most CAT tools (such as Trados, Phrase, MemoQ, XTM, and others) include this feature.

Why Use Pseudotranslation?

1. Highlight Layout Issues:

Pseudotranslation accounts for text expansion or contraction in the target language. It makes layout problems immediately visible, ensuring you identify design flaws before translation begins.

2. Check Translation Readiness:

You’ll quickly see if all text is accessible for translation. For example, if some content remains as images after auto-conversion, it won’t be extracted into the CAT tool and will remain untranslated.

3. Ensure Compatibility:

Pseudotranslation helps verify that the file exports correctly from the CAT tool and opens without errors in the intended software after translation.

How This Helps?

Armed with insights from pseudotranslation, you can present the client with concrete examples using their own files. This visual evidence makes it much easier to justify the costs of proper file preparation.

For instance, the examples below clearly show how formatting suffers when translating from an auto-converted PDF:

Example 1
Example 2:

By showing these differences, you can confidently explain why investing in proper preparation leads to better quality and fewer headaches both for your team and your client.