Designing for a Non-English Audience

Having worked as a digital publishing specialist at a large corporation at my previous job, I did not think being in charge of foreign language typesetting would be too difficult. After all, the layout and the images are already prepared and I only need to flow in the text - how hard could that be? I was sure that a simple Copy and Paste, or text importation, would do everything. This was my point of view when I initially began managing DTP projects in different languages.

Was I ever wrong! Through experience, I've discovered that foreign language typesetting can be very challenging - even when using the right software and platform, or having the help of a very experienced foreign typesetter. Through solving the problems encountered in the process, I also developed a new appreciation for simple, "internationalized" designs that are much easier to "localize" than others. Many problems can be avoided if the graphic designer keeps in mind that the document may be later translated into other languages. Sometimes, an attractive and very professional design in English can be a nightmare for other languages.

Therefore, it is important for designers, or the DTP persons who create the original layout, to be aware and considerate of a few simple guidelines and rules when designing documents intended for translation.

· Keep the design as light as possible. High quality photos and images add a great deal of visual interest to a design. But a heavy load of images in one document can present challenges in the foreign language typesetting process. Images that are hundreds of MB in size take time to transfer. Keep in mind that Internet bandwidth could be significantly lower in some countries, and you don't want your foreign language typesetter to spend hours to download only one picture.

· Leave plenty of white space. Non-English languages can, on average, take up 30% more space than English. If enough space has not been allotted, the foreign typesetter will be forced to reduce the font size, or change character and line spacing. Also, new pages may even need to be added. As the text will be longer and flow differently, it's possible that some images will also have to be repositioned and the entire document will look a little bit different.

· Use style sheets. Not only will this make your work easier and more consistent, it will also help the foreign typesetter.

· Try to use fonts that support foreign characters. Some of the fancy font families do not have even the most common French or Spanish accents, let alone East European languages, or others.

· Finalize your design before sending the files for translation and typesetting. For languages like Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and many others, the foreign typesetter will most likely use a localized version of your software. You'll not be able to open the returned files to insert changes.

· Provide all the source files and fonts used for creating the document. If you used layers with text and images to create art effects, make sure that the foreign typesetter receives all necessary source files, and not only the ones exported after merging the layers. Provide all the graphs and charts in an Illustrator format.

· Don't forget about cross-platform conversion issues. Use OpenType fonts as much as possible. Most PC fonts do not match Mac fonts. For some languages, it will be easier to find a typesetter who is using a PC to do their work. Also, nearly all of the translators will be using PC fonts, and the fonts they use may not be available in certain combinations of applications and platforms.

· If you decide to do the typesetting on your own, try to arrange a proofreader to check on punctuation, line breaking, and to verify that the text is placed in its proper places, etc.

· Use a minimum number of columns. In some languages such as German, words may be twice as long as English. If the columns are too narrow, you may end up with lines that only have one word or many hyphens. Documents formatted that way just aren't as professional looking as they may otherwise be.

· Pictures with callouts may look great in English, but they often need to be readjusted after translation text expansion. Leave enough space for expansion, or use key letters with a legend.

· If your computer is set up to use special colour profiles-collect them along with your pictures and fonts. Save your source files to a lower version; it's possible that the foreign typesetter does not have the same version software.

· If you use special techniques, make sure that the foreign typesetter has the necessary tools and knowledge to manage the project without losing the quality or the message.

· Pay attention to cultural issues. If your document is to be translated into a language spoken in an equatorial or tropical country, try not to use pictures with Eskimos. This will work only in the case that your document is actually about Eskimos. Be careful when choosing colours. In some traditional cultures, the meaning associated with colours is very important. Red is the colour of love and Christmas in Western culture, but it's also the colour of Communism in East European countries, and the colour of mourning in South Africa. Green is the traditional colour of Islam, but in Western culture, it is the colour for money and ecology.

Felicia Bratu is a foreign language typesetting specialist with WTB Language Group Inc. WTB is a professional translation service (http://www.wintranslation.com) that provides technical translations in over 140 languages.

---

Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:49:35 GMT Nobel Prize awarded for AIDS, cervical cancer research - Los Angeles Times CTV.ca Nobel Prize awarded for AIDS, cervical cancer research Los Angeles Times - 7 hours ago Luc Montagnier dedicated his award to AIDS sufferers and predicted results on a "therapeutic vaccine" for the pandemic within four years. 2 AIDS researchers receive Nobel Prize Chicago Tribune Three Europeans win the 2008 Nobel for medicine International Herald Tribune Detroit Free Press - People's Daily Online - The Associated Press - WTOP all 1,190 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:01:27 GMT The Ike Whitaker Saga - Washington Post Washington Post The Ike Whitaker Saga Washington Post - 40 minutes ago In case anyone missed Zach Berman's story in today's paper, Ike Whitaker appears to be done at Virginia Tech. I raise the story in this forum because Whitaker chose Virginia Tech over Maryland amid the usual fanfare that accompanies a top-level recruit ... Va. Tech WR Whitaker faces misdemeanor charges SportingNews.com More alcohol woes for Tech wide receiver Whitaker Richmond Times Dispatch Virginia Tech Collegiate Times Online Edition - The Virginian-Pilot - Daily Press - Washington Post all 32 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:08:42 GMT McCain aims to slow Obama momentum in debate - Reuters BBC News McCain aims to slow Obama momentum in debate Reuters - 51 minutes ago By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Republican John McCain hopes to halt Democrat Barack Obama's momentum and gain new life in the White House race on Tuesday when the presidential rivals meet in their second debate. A little word makes big waves on campaign trail CNN Political Ticker Tonight's debate is in McCain's favorite style The Associated Press CQPolitics.com - Washington Post - New York Times - AFP all 1,928 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:57:52 GMT Where Angels go...heartbreak follows - Baltimore Sun Los Angeles Times Where Angels go...heartbreak follows Baltimore Sun - 3 hours ago If you didn't stay up to watch, the Angels came back from a 2-0 deficit last night and had the go-ahead run on third base with one out in the top of the ninth, only to have the situation blow up in their faces when manager Mike Scioscia (right) called ... Oh, what a ninth! Sox-Halos a classic MLB.com Angels seething after being squeezed out ESPN Boston Globe - FOXSports.com - USA Today - Los Angeles Times all 569 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:42:08 GMT Pentagon denies US jet forced to land in Iran - guardian.co.uk Daily Mail Pentagon denies US jet forced to land in Iran guardian.co.uk - 36 minutes ago The Pentagon today denied a report that a US plane had been forced to land in Iranian territory. Iran's Fars news agency claimed that five US officials were questioned and released by the Iranian authorities after the plane they were flying in ... Iran says it forced down Western plane The Associated Press Iran says US plane violated Iran's airspace Reuters Bloomberg - BBC News - AFP - United Press International all 270 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:12:58 GMT US, Britain, and UN weigh options amid rising violence in ... - Christian Science Monitor AFP US, Britain, and UN weigh options amid rising violence in ... Christian Science Monitor - 40 minutes ago By David Montero Against the backdrop of a string of suicide bombings in Pakistan, British, American, and United Nations officials are grappling with the idea of a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. UPDATE 1-Afghan govt denies Saudi meeting was peace talks Reuters India Afghan official: no talks held with Taliban Xinhua AFP - Minneapolis Star Tribune - The Associated Press - Hindu all 453 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:09:17 GMT Fed creates commercial paper-buying facility - Reuters Reuters Fed creates commercial paper-buying facility Reuters - 32 minutes ago By Mark Felsenthal and Glenn Somerville WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Tuesday announced it would create a special-purpose facility, with the Treasury Department's blessing, to begin buying commercial paper in yet another emergency move ... Euro, Dollar Gain on Fed Move Wall Street Journal Fed to Purchase US Commercial Paper to Ease Crunch (Update1) Bloomberg Washington Post - MarketWatch - New York Times - International Herald Tribune all 1,209 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:17:04 GMT Affiliate Data Feeds Amazon RSS Feeds

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

7 Easy Tips on How to Improve Your Sales Letter Instantly

Would you like to get more sales from your online... Read More

How You Can Become A Freelance Business Plan Writer

As with any business, becoming a freelance business plan writer... Read More

19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective

The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is... Read More

Super Verbs Really Move Your Copy

Run or hustle? Eat or devour? Move or scurry? You... Read More

Can Honest Copywriting Succeed?

I confess--I'm a marketing heretic! I've built my career on... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Web Copy

One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More

Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft

Sometimes it's a struggle to figure out what's the best... Read More

How to Write a Sizzling Sales Letter, Part 1

When you sit down to write a sales letter to... Read More

Hook Your Direct Mail Sales Letter Readers With Good Transition Sentences

Anglers in Maine catch trout using dry flies with barbless... Read More

Health and Fitness: A Huge Industry in Need of Writers

Think about how much you read about and spend on... Read More

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More

Cause and Effect

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause... Read More

How To Write Powerful Headlines

I want to tell you how I go about writing... Read More

Fill Your Readers with Confidence

Site visitors generally stay with you for as long as... Read More

How You Can Proofread Your Own Work

Putting out a high quality product is a given these... Read More

How to Write Adverts that Forces People to Respond

Think for a moment some day and consider the kind... Read More

Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy

On the Internet programmers and designers rule, not the writer.... Read More

Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 of 2

In part one of this article series we began looking... Read More

3 Tips For Writing Content That Will Make You Sales

Content is king. Without content your website is an empty... Read More

Knowing Copywriting Basics - How To Get Ahead In Your Copy Writing Business

In order to get ahead in your copy writing business,... Read More

How To Write Headlines That Grab Your Prospects Attention

It doesn't matter if you're writing an article, a newspaper... Read More

How to Write a Direct Mail Fundraising Letter (Four Tips for Fund Raising Success)

1. Address your reader as a friend, not as "Friend."When... Read More

13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter

Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people... Read More

Power Keys To Writing Power-Packed Marketing Copy

In order to maximize your sales efforts and fully seize... Read More