A technical translation is the specialized translation of documents that relate to technology disciplines and deal with scientific and technological information. Technical documents are highly technical and specific in nature to educate a certain audience base for academics, business communication, and product & services. It could be an operational manual, training material, user manual, set of instructions, technical drawing & instruction, computer product catalog, patents, or any technical document that requires subject matter expertise for accurate, effective, and flawless translation.
Technical translations are always rates higher than any other specialized translation services. Translating a technical document may take longer and cost more than general translation works due to the level of technical knowledge and subject matter expertise needed to complete the project. A technical translator employs subject-specific terminology and technical glossary before translating the documents.
When technical translations are important for customer satisfaction and accurate information sharing to technical users, your business cannot take any chances with poorly translated documents. It not only takes down your reputation in the market but can land your business in legal trouble. So, if you are looking for a translation agency for technical translation projects, make sure that the translation agency has an effective project and quality management process in place for accurate and effective translation. Here’re some best practices that a translation agency must follow to deliver a flawless technical translation of all your technical documents with the same level of accuracy and efficiency.
Simplify you’re your language and source material: Honestly Speaking, the language of a technical document should be simple and effective to deliver its message to someone who doesn’t have any technical knowledge. The technical translation should be clear, simple, consistent, and understandable for end-users while maintaining the information and technical value of the document. So, make sure your source material is easier to translate into specific languages.
Use translators with subject matter expertise: Make sure that translators have subject matter expertise in the required technical domain. They must have technical knowledge about your topic with control over both source and target language.
Localization is important: Technical translation must speak the language of your target audience without compromising the context of your technical texts. You must follow country-specific standards and values for the localization of your technical documents in different languages.
Make your diagrams and graphs editable: Most technical documents usually contain diagrams, graphs, and visuals. Make sure that they are editable and must be translated into the target language wherever needed to let customers understand.
Make the most of translation technology: Technical translation can be very challenging because of its nature and specifics. Make sure that technical translators are equipped with all the resources, materials, technology to accurately translate technical texts without creating any confusion in the target language. It also speeds up the translation process and you can consistently produce technical translations quickly for your projects.
These are some of the best practices that a translation agency must follow to create and translate technical documents. Hire a certified translation agency that has years of experience in translating technical documents for your business as they can guarantee accurate and effective translations.