How to order a professional translation

31 October 2026

1. Prepare the files in an editable format

The best file to send for translation is the editable original: a Word document, a spreadsheet, an InDesign or XLIFF export, or the resource files of a website or application. Translation software reads these formats directly, so the translator works on the text alone and the layout, tags and numbering are preserved.

Scans and photographs can also be translated, but the text has to be extracted or retyped first, and the layout of the original cannot be reproduced automatically. Where only a PDF exists, sending the source file it was created from usually saves time.

Send the final version of the source text. Changes after translation has started have to be tracked and translated again, and they affect the date and the cost. If the documents will be laid out after translation, say so: preparing DTP layouts or HTML files is a separate service, agreed in advance.

2. Name the target language and its variant

Several languages exist in regional variants that differ in spelling, vocabulary and terminology. Babylon Translations offers English for the UK or the USA, French for France or Canada, Spanish for Spain or Latin America, Italian for Italy or Switzerland, and Portuguese for Portugal, Brazil or Africa. The full list of 32 languages shows every option.

The variant follows the readers, not the client's location. A Bulgarian manufacturer selling in Mexico needs Latin American Spanish; a website for readers in Quebec needs Canadian French. One sentence about the readers and the purpose in the request is enough for the project manager to choose correctly.

3. State the specialist field

Specialist texts need translators who know the field. A maintenance manual, a share purchase agreement and an instruction leaflet for a medical device use different terminology, and each is assigned to a translator with experience in that subject: engineers for technical translation, legal specialists for legal translation, doctors and life-science specialists for medical translation.

Mentioning the field, the type of document and the intended use (for example: product labelling for the EU market, or a contract for signature) lets the agency select the right translator and reviser before work starts.

4. Expect translation plus revision under ISO 17100

ISO 17100 is the international standard for translation services. It requires that every translation is revised by a second linguist, a reviser who compares the translation with the source text and checks accuracy, terminology and style. A translation that has not been revised by a second person does not meet the standard.

Babylon Translations is certified to DIN EN ISO 17100, so revision is part of every order rather than an optional extra. After revision, quality-assurance software checks numbers, tags and consistency. The order process shows each stage and its result.

5. Decide whether machine translation post-editing fits

Machine translation post-editing means that a text is first translated by a machine translation engine and then edited by a qualified linguist. ISO 18587 sets the requirements for full post-editing, where the result is checked and corrected to a quality comparable to human translation.

Post-editing fits large volumes of repetitive, factual content, such as product catalogues, internal documentation or knowledge-base articles, where the source text is clear and consistent. It fits poorly for marketing copy, creative texts, contracts and other documents where every word carries legal or brand weight. Babylon Translations is certified to ISO 18587:2017; whether post-editing is used is agreed with the client before the project starts.

6. Check the requirements for official translations

Authorities, courts, universities and registries often set their own requirements for translated documents. Some accept a standard professional translation; others ask for a certified, sworn or legalised translation, or for an apostille on the original document.

These requirements depend on the receiving institution and the country where the document will be used, so they should be confirmed with that institution before ordering and stated in the request. This avoids having to repeat the work in a different form.

7. Supply glossaries and earlier translations

Companies with an established terminology get consistent results when they send it with the order: glossaries, style guides, earlier translations of similar documents and the names of products and departments as they should appear. Under the agency's general terms, following the client's terminology is agreed in writing and requires that sufficient reference material is provided when the order is placed.

The translation software stores approved terms and translated sentences. Each later order reuses them, which keeps documents consistent over years and lowers the cost of updates and repeated content.

8. Plan the timeline by volume

The time a translation takes depends on the volume, the subject, the language combination, the file format and whether layout work is needed. A realistic date is set once the project manager has seen the files, and it becomes binding when the agency confirms it in writing.

Large projects can be delivered in parts, or translated into several languages in parallel as a multilingual project. Sending files early and answering translators' questions quickly is the most effective way to shorten the schedule.

9. Know how confidentiality is handled

Documents sent for translation often contain business secrets or personal data. Babylon Translations treats all source texts and related information in full confidentiality, and subcontractors are bound by the same obligation. Under its privacy notice, documents and their translations are returned, deleted or destroyed as appropriate when the job is complete.

For especially sensitive documents, the method of file transfer can be agreed in advance; the privacy notice refers to secure communication channels and additional measures such as encryption.