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| User | Thread poster: xxxLia Fail The CORRECT way to work with PDF files? |
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xxxLia Fail 
Spain
Local time: 17:02
Spanish to English
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Ralf Lemster
Germany
Local time: 17:02
  Member (2003)
English to German
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| | Get the source file... | Feb 22, 2004 |
Hi Ailish,
Sorry, I realise this doesn't answer your question, but the best way is not to work with PDF files at all, but to get the source file used to produce the PDF. Remember that PDF files are never created in Adobe Acrobat (except for scanned documents...), but always converted. The very purpose of PDF (=Portable Document Format) is to create files that (i) look the same on any platform and (ii) cannot be changed easily.
Regarding forum search: obviously, this depends on the search arguments used - "convert PDF" gets 23 matches.
HTH, Ralf
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 11:02
German to English
| | Are you using a translation tool? | Feb 22, 2004 |
If not, there's no real reason to try to convert the PDF file to text and back again. Usually graphics in a PDF file can be copied and inserted into appropriate locations in your target text.
If you use a TM program such as DVX or Trados, then you might try to obtain the source file which may then allow you to maintain the original formatting.
In many instances, the client is unaware of what is involved in the creation of a PDF file, and assumes that it is produced like a Word file (in many instances, of course it is; the PDF creation is the final step), even though there is complicated formatting, etc. which can only be easily produced using a desktop publishing program. This is a good opportunity for you to engage in a little customer education.
Kevin
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Rosa Maria Duenas Rios
United States
Local time: 11:02
| | Agree with Ralph | Feb 22, 2004 |
Hi Ailish,
I totally agree with Ralph, and I believe that most clients do not expect you to work with PDF files. In my personal experience, every time I ask for the word files the client undertands and, if available, immediately send them to me, and agree to receive a translation in Word version which they give to their graphic designer, or whoever is in charge of formatting, to be converted in a PDF file.
The service that I do offer, included in my quoted rate, is to proofread their final PDF version once it is ready (there are always small glitches to correct, especially splitted words at the end of a line). Note that it is not possible to make corrections on the PDF files, so I either mark the corrections on a paper copy and fax them to the client (which can be tricky when faxes do not deliver high quality printouts), or I explain the corrections on an e-mail and send it to the client.
Sometimes, I have had to convert a PDF file to Word format to be able to work on it. If there are not many graphs, charts and pictures, the procedure is rather straight forward and not that time-consuming. However, I have had some PDF files that were a complete nightmare. In these cases, I have charged for the time it has taken me to convert the PDF files to Word, to be able to work on them.
Another option is to work from printed PDF files into a blank Word format. In this way, you would apparently spare the client the cost of the time spent transfering from one format to the other. Nevertheless, I have found that, at the end, I have to spend considerable time making sure I did not leave anything out in the translated document (it is not difficult to inadvertently skip a paragraph). When the client wants me to work in this way, my rate per word increases slightly.
Again, as Ralph said, this does not answer your questions, but it probably gives you some insight to the way in which other translators work.
Regards and good luck!
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Aquila Aurata
Hungary
Local time: 17:02
Hungarian to English
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| | The simplest way to create PDF files | Feb 22, 2004 |
Hello Ailish,
Adobe Acrobat is the original software for converting to PDF. It works fine but is very expensive. Acrobat Reader is the software for reading PDF files. It works fine and is free.
When I get a PDF file to translate, I simply recreate the source (typically in Word), translate it, and submit the finished (editable) file. Rarely would a client request a PDF file for output (since it cannot be easily edited).
By and far the most valuable tool for creating PDF files is the free printer driver utility called PDF995, available here:
http://www.pdf995.com/
When installed, you can 'print' to this virtual device by selecting it in the print dialog box. It then saves your document in PDF format. Simply wonderful!
Cheers,
Peter
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Barnaby Capel-Dunn
France
Local time: 17:02
French to English
| | With regard to reconversion... | Feb 22, 2004 |
... MS Office lags behind its open source (and free) rival Openoffice (www.openoffice.org). Once you've finished your translation (in either Word or OpenOffice), open the document in OpenOffice, click on File + Save As and choose PDF from the list of possible formats - and that's it!
Another office suite which offers the same feature is EIOffice http://www.evermoresw.com/
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Heinrich Pesch
Finland
Local time: 18:02
 Member (2003)
Finnish to German
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| | Wordfast can translate pdf directly | Feb 23, 2004 |
More about it in teh Wf manual. It depends on the file how well the process works.
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JessicaC
Sweden
Local time: 17:02
English to Swedish
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| | OpenOffice and PDF | Feb 23, 2004 |
Barnaby Capel-Dunn wrote:
click on File + Save As and choose PDF from the list of possible formats
With the latest version of OpenOffice - 1.1.0 - there is a separate "Export as PDF" item on the File menu, which lets you optimize the PDF file for different purposes.
This feature is really great.
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32]
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32]
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xxxIanW
Germany
Local time: 17:02
German to English
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| | Treat it as hard copy | Feb 23, 2004 |
Hi Ailish,
As Ralf says, a PDF file is itself a snapshot of another kind of file in a highly accessible form. I work with PDFs all the time and have never been asked to deliver the file in a PDF file, since most people know that this is not possible.
I would treat it as hard copy - deliver it in a neat Word file, with pages numbered clearly in the same order as in the PDF file, so that the typesetter knows what's what. And that's it.
Hope this helps
Ian
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Anne Lee
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:02
Member (2003)
Dutch to English
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| | Cut and paste tables in Acrobat | Feb 24, 2004 |
Hi Ailish,
At this very moment, I am translating several pdf files and I've just learned that it is possible to cut graphs in Acrobat. Before, I would select and copy the entire pdf file in Acrobat to Word to count the words of the source text, but the contents of graphs had to be virtually recreated. Now I found a tool in Acrobat - the free programme I use to read the pdf files - to select the numbers in tables and paste them into my translation in Word. All I have to do is to recreate the left column and the top row with the headings, which means I don't risk making mistakes when I copy the numbers and I don't waste time with them, either. The T tool on the Acrobat task bar selects text and the one next to it selects graphs in the pdf-document.
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Adela Van Gils
Netherlands
Local time: 17:02
Member (2004)
German to Dutch
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| | Openoffice PDF file | Feb 24, 2004 |
JessicaC wrote:
Barnaby Capel-Dunn wrote:
click on File + Save As and choose PDF from the list of possible formats
With the latest version of OpenOffice - 1.1.0 - there is a separate "Export as PDF" item on the File menu, which lets you optimize the PDF file for different purposes.
This feature is really great.
Well, I did load the OpenOffice 1.1.0 Dutch but did not find the PDF on the file menu.
What a pitty.
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32]
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32] |
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xxxMarc P
Germany
Local time: 17:02
German to English
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| | PDF from OpenOffice | Feb 25, 2004 |
Adela Vangils wrote:
Well, I did load the OpenOffice 1.1.0 Dutch but did not find the PDF on the file menu.
What a pitty.
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The Dutch version does have this function. See nl.openoffice.org/Folder11.pdf.
Marc
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Barnaby Capel-Dunn
France
Local time: 17:02
French to English
| | Another solution | Feb 25, 2004 |
Adela Vangils wrote:
JessicaC wrote:
Barnaby Capel-Dunn wrote:
click on File + Save As and choose PDF from the list of possible formats
With the latest version of OpenOffice - 1.1.0 - there is a separate "Export as PDF" item on the File menu, which lets you optimize the PDF file for different purposes.
This feature is really great.
Well, I did load the OpenOffice 1.1.0 Dutch but did not find the PDF on the file menu.
What a pitty.
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32]
[Edited at 2004-02-23 12:32] |
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Adela
I'm sorry to learn that the "Export as PDF" feature is not available in the Dutch version of OpenOffice. But I have another solution!
There is a truly excellent freeware which as far as I know will work in any application (Word, etc.). Download the entirely free PrimoPDF application from this site: http://www.primopdf.com/
It's efficient and extremely easy to use
Best
Barnaby
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Adela Van Gils
Netherlands
Local time: 17:02
Member (2004)
German to Dutch
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| | OpenOffice PDF Dutch. | Feb 25, 2004 |
MarcPrior wrote:
Adela Vangils wrote:
Well, I did load the OpenOffice 1.1.0 Dutch but did not find the PDF on the file menu.
What a pitty.
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The Dutch version does have this function. See nl.openoffice.org/Folder11.pdf.
Marc |
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Marc, thanks very much for the quick reply. I tried to download the content, but my computer refuses. Any idea what could be the matter?
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xxxMarc P
Germany
Local time: 17:02
German to English
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| | Dutch version of OOo | Feb 25, 2004 |
Adela Vangils wrote:
I tried to download the content, but my computer refuses. Any idea what could be the matter? |
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Adela,
What content were you trying to download? Folder11.pdf is just a description of OOo 1.1, in Dutch. Or were you trying to download the latest version of OOo?
Versions before 1.1 didn't have the export to PDF function, by the way.
Marc
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