Introduction:
Effective communication is crucial for businesses to expand their reach and cater to diverse markets in today’s globalized world. For manufacturers and suppliers of tabletop and buffet solutions within the hospitality industry, translating product catalogs into multiple languages is a crucial step toward connecting with international customers.
This blog explores the challenges and solutions faced by a customer who entrusted us with translating their extensive 80+ page catalog into two languages, specifically ES(MX) and FR(CA).
By focusing on accuracy, language expansion, and spatial constraints, we successfully tackled this demanding project using InDesign.
Understanding the Customer’s Needs:
Our client, a prominent manufacturer, and supplier of tabletop and buffet solutions recognized the importance of reaching a wider audience and generating international interest in their products. To achieve this, they approached us with a comprehensive request: to translate their extensive catalog into Spanish (Mexico) and French (Canada), including all item dimensions. This presented a significant challenge due to the catalog’s length and the technicality of the content.
Leveraging InDesign for Seamless Translation:
Given the complexity of the task, we utilized Adobe InDesign – a versatile desktop publishing software widely employed for creating print and digital media. InDesign’s robust features and capabilities for translation software integration ensured that we could handle the translation process efficiently, paying close attention to language expansion and adapting the translated content to fit within the original layout.
Addressing Language Expansion:
One of the special considerations in translating the catalog was accommodating language expansion. Some languages, including Spanish (Mexico) and French (Canada), often require more space to express the same message as English. We worked closely with expert linguists with extensive target language knowledge to overcome this hurdle. They skillfully adapted the content while preserving its essence (a process known as transcreation), ensuring that each product description, feature, and benefit was accurately conveyed in the translated versions.
Maintaining Accuracy in Item Dimensions:
Another critical aspect of the project was accurately translating the item dimensions. Given the technical nature of tabletop and buffet solutions, precise measurements are vital for customers to make informed purchasing decisions. Our team diligently verified and meticulously converted all sizes into the metric , ensuring they aligned seamlessly with the translated content. This attention to detail enabled us to provide accurate and reliable information to potential customers in Spanish (Mexico) and French (Canada).
Navigating Spatial Constraints:
Translating an extensive catalog involves more than just linguistic considerations. We faced the additional challenge of fitting the translated content into the designated spaces within the catalog’s layout. To overcome this, we employed a combination of expertise in graphic design and efficient use of InDesign’s layout features. By skillfully manipulating text and graphical elements, we ensured that the translated versions retained the visual appeal and readability of the original catalog.
Conclusion:
This successful translation of the manufacturer’s extensive catalog into Spanish (Mexico) and French (Canada) showcases the importance of effective communication in reaching international customers while illustrating the different components of the localization process. By leveraging the power of InDesign and carefully addressing challenges related to language expansion, accuracy in item dimensions, and spatial constraints, we delivered a high-quality translated catalog for our clients in the hospitality industry. This project exemplifies our commitment to providing tailored solutions that enable businesses to expand their global footprint and connect with customers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
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