3 Services Your Certified Translation Company Should Offer

One of the greatest needs in today’s business landscape is finding a high-quality certified translation company capable of performing services quickly, on budget, and with total accuracy. In most cases, organizations vet a number of multilingual translation agencies searching for one that seems like a great fit, but they almost always go off a hunch and fail to really get in the weeds when it comes to gauging the quality behind the translation firm. In order to locate the best certified translation company, there are many boxes to tick off the must-have list. Afterall, just because a translation company is certified doesn’t mean they are true masters of their craft. From the number of years the translation company has been in business, to the technology behind the curtain, organizations have a lot to look at before pulling the trigger.

Here’s a great place to start: any top certified translation company will execute multiple services for numerous industries. When a broad range of translation services are offered, it testifies to the depth and skill of the agency. The more services they offer, the better, but make sure the certified translation company performs these three core and speciality ones as a starting point in your search.

1. Multilingual Desktop Publishing

When it comes to the bread and butter of any certified translation company, multilingual desktop publishing tends to be at the top. Even if this service isn’t a primary one for agencies, it should certainly be in their service locker if they are to be taken seriously as a high-quality translation service provider.

The demand for print-ready materials that resembles originals is steady and growing. It is also crucial to have graphic designers on staff capable of ensuring that content is designed with localization in mind while maintaining consistently sharp material.

The best multilingual desktop publishing services comply with the typography and linguistic standards held by clients within the target language. The absolute best certified translation companies offering multilingual desktop publishing will be capable of performing this service in at least 100 languages, and should include double-byte Asian languages, as well as ‘bi-dis’ like Hebrew, and excel in Spanish.

As for the services offered within the arena of multilingual desktop publishing, look for an agency that offers these:

• PDF file generation for print publication

• Layout and formatting localized materials to reflect originals while complying with the target language standards.

• Extracting content for translation from any file format or DTP application

• Desktop publishing QC checks

2. English to Braille Services

Although English to Braille services are considered niche, if a certified translation company offers this, it is a testimony to their deep well of skills. If organizations work with the blind, have blind clients, or visually impaired employees, English to Braille is a necessity. Look for a translation company that complies with the ‘Americans with Disabilities Acts (ADA), and that proofreading, printing, binding and delivery of product are all offered.

3. Transcription Services for all Major Industries

Whether it’s medical transcription services or video transcriptions within the legal space, the best certified translation companies will offer transcription in all types to all professional spaces. They should perform dictations, transcriptions of interviews, business meetings, press briefings, conference calls, lectures, videos and DVDs, and a long list of others.