1. Best Apps for Facilitating Document Localization
This article was originally published on the Acclaro blog.
Category: Documents, Localization Tips
Last week Acclaro held a webinar on the basics of technical document localization. We touched
on a lot of areas in document translation, including how to write inGlobal English, best
practices for images, and an overview of the document localization process.
One burning question many people have concerns file formats and desktop applications —
specifically, what they can do to make the localization process easier.
First, let's just note that if you aren't using XML, you should! XML is by far the best file format
for localizers to work with on large documentation projects:
XML and to a lesser extent HTML (it's not as customizable) are great tools to use for document
localization. Formatting is embedded in code that typically gets externalized during the
translation process. Because of this the engineering end is lighter as it's less likely to have the
same problems as MS Word, FrameMaker, InDesign or Quark. With most XML projects, we've
seen that the client remains in control of their docs. Acclaro will execute a quick QA, but once
prepped and translated, the bulk of our work is done. What does that mean for you? Fewer
costs!
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2. The biggest selling point to XML, however, is that you can create a variety of outputs from a
single source — with print docs/PDFs and user assistance, etc., only being localized once and
then output to whatever end product you want. That's the kind of freedom you're going to want
in the long run.
Sounds pretty good, right? But what about desktop publishing platforms? We asked our resident
expert on desktop publishing and localization to tell you about the various applications out
there. Here is his opinion...
First, InDesign towers over Quark, Pagemaker (is that still around?) and various other
programs of this type. It is mostly used for very colorful pieces with a heavier concentration on
the design element, rather than text. A few years back when InDesign was in its infancy it blew
Quark out of the water with its ability to handle a variety of languages in one doc. Quark did
catch up with that technology. InDesign managed to keep the lead, however, as it is owned by
Adobe, which also makes the industry standard tools Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash. These
tools simply work better together and though this may not be from a strictly localization
perspective, it is from an operations perspective.
I might sound like a dinosaur when I say this, but I would like to give praise to FrameMaker —
particularly over MS Word. The pre-translation process might be a bit heavier, but FrameMaker
is a great program that gives the user much more control over its main competitor MS Word as
well as others. Its automation features enhance the DTP process, making for quicker fixes and
quicker QAs. Also, FrameMaker can be output not only to doc quite fluidly, but with the aid of
ePublisher (WebWorks) you can also create help systems — HTML and XML, etc. MS Word can
also be converted but the end product is not as good and sometimes there is more clean up
once you get there.
Any specifics of why InDesign is better than Quark today, other than its integration
with other Adobe products?
Mostly now it is just perception that Adobe has greater language support. They both do the
same thing. They have similar issues: for example, publishing in Arabic both require Middle
Eastern versions. Both have exports that work with various versions of the translation memory
tool Trados. Adobe has been a bit more aggressive with its innovation — though most of this is
the result of the more fluid interaction between their other flagship products.
InDesign was quicker to ride the Mac OS change and incorporate these benefits in their
products. Prior to OSX and InDesign, you needed a separate version of Quark for each Asian
language (as well as language-specific operating systems for each). This is no longer the case,
but it took Quark up until their current version (Quark 8) to really offer full language support
(Arabic/Hebrew excluded).
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3. Lastly, some people argue that Adobe has become more user friendly, but this is really just
personal preference.
So there you have it! Everything you would ever want to know about desktop publishing
applications and how they relate to localization. Ready for more tips? Check out our Top 10
Tips for Technical Document Translation.
About Acclaro: Acclaro is an international translation and localization company that
helps the world’s leading brands succeed across cultures. We translate websites,
marketing campaigns, documents and software to give clients an authentic voice in
key language markets.
North America: 1-866-468-5106 Worldwide: +1-914-468-0222
www.acclaro.comsales@acclaro.com
Page 3: Best Apps for Facilitating Document Localization Copyright © Acclaro 2012