This is an early concept piece about creating multi-lingual document templates with variable data fields

1. F T
PROPOSALS TO IMPLEMENT TEMPLATE
WORKFLOW FOR TRANSLATED DOCUMENTS
For graphic designs currently produced by General Services Graphics Unit for numerous internal
clients, most notably the NYCHA Department of Communication (DOC).
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The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has an ongoing requirement to provide foreign
language translations of agency publications to meet Department of Equal Opportunity (DEO)
guidelines. Typically, NYCHA provides Spanish, Russian and Chinese translations of many English
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documents for a diverse population of residents. Due to an increasing demand for such translations,
this relatively complex process requires an efficient workflow to best assure accurately translated
documents and designs quickly.
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Once a formal job request has been submitted via Movaris, the
translations proceeds manually accomplished through a back and
forth email based workflow that goes something like this:
1. the initial English version of design is completed by graphic artist
2. artwork returned to client for approval of content (in English) via email
3. English version is revised as needed
4. content and layout of a “final’ English version is approved
5. a PDF of approved document is email forwarded to DEO for translation as:
• approved PDF with all content along with
• blank template (text removed) in PDF and JPG form (to import to Word)
6. the DEO translators produce translation of Spanish/Russian/Chinese
7. translated text returned via email to graphic artist as Microsoft Word document
8. graphic artist imports translated text into “native” In Design layout program as
• PDF export of Word to preserve character outlines
• copy and paste (can produce unpredictable results)
9. translated layouts are returned via email to DEO for approval
10. comments revisions corrections submitted to graphic artist via:
• body of email
• PDF with comments
11. corrections made to translated documents as needed
12. translated documents returned to DEO for final approval
13. final approved translations sent for production
Above is a general look at the current “linear” workflow that consists of sharing the progress of a
document-in-progress via email. A project is sent back and forth between client, graphics unit and
translators. To start the process, the client emails the content to the graphics unit, the layout is
created and emailed back to client, the client reviews content/text and emails back to graphics with
revisions. Once finalized in English, it is emailed to the translators, translator makes adjustments
and emails back to graphics unit. The graphic unit makes changes and emails back to translator for
approval, often producing another back and forth revision/correction loop, and eventually returned
back to client, etc. Overall the process can be convoluted, and inefficient, and fraught with errors,
especially when revisions are requested midway through the process. In addition, font differences
from system to system can result in unpredictable errors when importing foreign language type.

2. Graphic: Logo
New York City Housing Authority Heading: Agency Name
Notice to Residents Heading: Call Out
Customer Improvements Coming
Commencing April 6, 2009
residents can call the
Centralized Call Center (CCC)
Body: Variable Data
at (718) 707-7771
between 6 AM and midnight
Monday through Friday
to schedule apartment repair appointments.
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• Additional call takers
will be available during
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these peak hours to answer
calls more expeditiously
and reduce wait time.
• Residents can
continue to call the CCC
Body: Variable Data
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twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week for
emergencies and all other
matters such as, vandalism,
elevator outages, broken
entrance doors and any
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other public space repairs.
A translation of this flyer is available in Spanish, Chinese and Russian at your management office and on NYCHA’s website at www.nyc.gov/nycha.
Field colors: Hex Values
Photo: Template Background
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A sample creative analysis of a graphic designs that can be templated for translations. To assure
graphic consistency across the translations, a template system with variable data inputs can be
implemented. This can be accomplished through a number of approaches: shared document
collaboration software, customized scripting, online applications, etc.
Business Card Styles
Currently there is not infrastructure support for such an approach to translated and/or NYCHA
(See Request for Business Cards form #022.002)
versioned documents, but could provide an effective solution to commonly requested documents,
such as business cards and memo pads.
Style 1
LOGO GeneraL services
Name/Title: Viarable Data Jane smith
assistant Director
Department/Address: Variable Data
Graphics Unit teL: (212) 306-0000
90 chUrch street FaX: (212) 306-0000
new York, nY 10007 jane.smith@nycha.nyc.gov
Telephone: Variable Data
Style 2

3. MICROSOFT WORD WORKFLOW IN TO EFFICIENTLY
& ACCURATELY PRODUCE FOREIGN LANGUAGE
TRANSLATIONS WITH CONSISTENT GRAPHICS
Due to an increased demand to translate documents into
New York City Housing Authority
Spanish, Chinese and Russian from Autoridad de la Vivienda de la CiudadinNueva York
English originals de
Notice to Residents Aviso a los residentes
response to Department of Equal Customer Improvements Coming
Opportunity en el servicio al cliente we
Mejoras mandates,
are faced with a pressing need to create a partir del 6 de abril de 2009
A workflow specific
Commencing April 6, 2009 los residentes podrán llamar a
to the unique issues that document residents can call the translations require.(CCC)
la Central del llamadas
Centralized Call Center (CCC) al (718) 707-7771
Different languages require uique at (718) 707-7771 fonts and6AM y las doce de la sets
entre las character medianoche
de lunes a viernes
and translated documents are not between 6 AM and midnight
Monday through Friday
alwaysconcertar una cita between su
para portable de reparación en
apartamento.
different systems and applications. to schedule apartment repair appointments. What may appear fine
on one machine may contain • Additional call takers
errors when opened • La asignación de operadoras
adicionales en CCC durante las
on another machine, especially in will be available during
these peak hours to answer going between different horas de mayor demanda
permitirá que se contesten las
llamadas con prontitud y reducirá
applications, i.e. between the native translation software,
calls more expeditiously
el tiempo de espera.
and reduce wait time.
Microsoft Word and Adobe In • Residents can
continue to call the CCC
Design. Therefore, we • Los residentes podrán seguir
llamando a CCC durante las 24
horas del día los siete días de la
need to consider procedures to twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week for
make this process more semana en casos de emergencia y
por otras razones tales como el
vandalismo, la interrupción del
accurate and efficient. emergencies and all other
matters such as, vandalism,
servicio de ascensores, las puertas
de entrada estropeadas y
cualquier otro tipo de reparación
elevator outages, broken de las áreas públicas.
entrance doors and any
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other public space repairs.
Using Microsoft Word, it is possible to use produce translated
A translation of this flyer is available in Spanish, Chinese and Russian at your management office and on NYCHA’s website at www.nyc.gov/nycha.
LSU 80 (Spanish)
documents using a pre-approved (english original) (spanish translation
design template based on the from template)
English version of a document. This
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process is based on using a “template” design which is a document with all the graphical element of
the design in place, and the English text removed. This template process starts with a “background”
image (based on the original), supplied as a JPG file or already embedded into a Microsoft Word file.
The foreign language translation can be created using this template layer to produce a translated
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document that approximates the style and design of the English original.
Steps in the Process:
1) Job request submitted.
2) English version approved.* Final approval must be obtained before starting translated versions.
3) Graphics provides a copy of the approved English version along with a blank TEMPLATE in
the form of a JPG file to be inserted as background image, or as a Microsoft Word document with
background already in place, depending on the complexity of the document.
4) Translator reviews the original English version for content and design layout.
5) Translator creates translated text and places into the template file matching the style and design
as closely as possible using the text formatting tools in Microsoft Word.
6) Once translation is complete and approved, the Word file is saved as a PDF file to the
specifications for the intended use, i.e. print or web.

4. F T
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The creation of a template in Microsoft word can be achieved using the following steps.
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1) Open a new document to match the format of the document being
produced, setting values such as document size, margins, columns (if
needed), etc.
2) Insert > Picture> From File> browse to select JPG to create a template
background. Picture will appear in Word document. (illustration 1)
3) Double click on picture
to bring up Format Picture
window or use top menu.
(illustration 2) and set size
height and width to match
original, 100%, lock aspect
ratio. (illustration 3)
4) Within Format Picture window, click on Layout
tab and select “Behind text” (illustration 4). Click
on Advanced to set alignment to left and top of
page and check “Lock anchor” and “Allow overlap” (illustration 5).
5) Within Format Picture window, click
on Picture to make sure crop is set to 0”
(illustration 5) and click on “Compress” button
to make sure compression is NOT checked. No
compression at this phase (illustration 6).
Once the template is set up with the background image in place, the translator may use the various
text formatting tools in Microsoft Word to do their translation and result in a final document that is very
close to the English original.
Save Word file in case changes are needed.
Convert to PDF and save.