Converting highly graphic documents to Word for translating
Thread poster: Astrid Elke Witte
Astrid Elke Witte
Astrid Elke Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:05
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
Feb 10, 2005

Last summer I bought Abbyy Fine Reader 7.0 in order to convert .pdf documents to Word for translating. However, I find that the conversion does not work very well with documents containing a lot of graphics.

As an example, in the document I tried to convert in the present case, which contains a lot of graphics, with columns of texts alongside, the conversion made one of the graphics into something completely different, i.e. a table, and added into the table the column of text at th
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Last summer I bought Abbyy Fine Reader 7.0 in order to convert .pdf documents to Word for translating. However, I find that the conversion does not work very well with documents containing a lot of graphics.

As an example, in the document I tried to convert in the present case, which contains a lot of graphics, with columns of texts alongside, the conversion made one of the graphics into something completely different, i.e. a table, and added into the table the column of text at the side.

Therefore, it seems to me that Abbyy Fine Reader is not suitable for converting highly graphic documents into Word documents for use with CAT tools. What sort of programme do people usually use in this type of case, and where could I obtain it?

Many thanks.

Astrid
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Piotr Bienkowski
Piotr Bienkowski  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 13:05
English to Polish
+ ...
Use Finereader, but with you in control Feb 10, 2005

Astrid Elke Johnson wrote:

Last summer I bought Abbyy Fine Reader 7.0 in order to convert .pdf documents to Word for translating. However, I find that the conversion does not work very well with documents containing a lot of graphics.

Astrid


I also use FR, but what I do is that I mark the blocks of text and graphics for recognition _manually_. Even if the PDF is several dozen pages long.

I can even do organizational charts and flowcharts this way. First I mark the whole chart as a graphic and then I mark text boxes on top of it. It is also arranged in the same way in Word after exporting.

HTH

Piotr


 
InText Translation Company
InText Translation Company
Estonia
Local time: 14:05
Member (2004)
English to Russian
+ ...
Manual preparation work required Feb 10, 2005

Hi Astrid

Most of the users prefer "automatic" recognition feature of this application when Fine Reader defines layout of the boxes automatically. As you correctly mentioned, it works well with the text-rich documents. However, highly graphic documents require manual lay-out of text, image and table boxes prior to recognition. Since I've used F.R. with localised menu, the names of menu entries can be slightly different from my "translation"

The simplest way to match ori
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Hi Astrid

Most of the users prefer "automatic" recognition feature of this application when Fine Reader defines layout of the boxes automatically. As you correctly mentioned, it works well with the text-rich documents. However, highly graphic documents require manual lay-out of text, image and table boxes prior to recognition. Since I've used F.R. with localised menu, the names of menu entries can be slightly different from my "translation"

The simplest way to match original layout is to define the whole page as the picture:

a) Check Fine Reader settings: Service-Options-Formatting: you should have "Preserve formatting" radio button on.
b) Then press "Formats" button on "Options-Formatting" tab. Choose RTF/DOC tab, check page size A4 and clear "increase page size automatically"

1) Clear all the boxes automatically defined off the page
2) Take the "Picture" tool and drag it from one corner to the opposite corner of content area.
3) Then take the "Text" tool and define text boxes over the picture. Try to define text areas as columns where possible. Keep the number of text boxes to reasomable minimum. You may want to define some text areas as tables - use "Tabe" tool then.
4) Now start recognition and export the result to Word. You will receive a large pictire with text boxes and tables over it. Layout shall match original one as close as possible.

However, some layout work in Word may be still needed. The solution I have desribed is not the best one. You need to gain some experience in manual formatting and try different F.R. export/recognition settings before you will be able "to see" an "imaginary" layout structure behind the visible area of the page.

I hope this helps.

Valery
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Astrid Elke Witte
Astrid Elke Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:05
Member (2002)
German to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Capabilities of Abbyy Fine Reader Feb 12, 2005

Hello Piotr,
Hello Valery,

Thank you very much for your advice on the use of Fine Reader. I had not realised that it could do so much more, beyond the basic functions that I have been using. I will experiment with it now. I think it is basically a good programme.

Many thanks.

Astrid


 
mikhailo
mikhailo
Local time: 15:05
English to Russian
+ ...
There is a special solution for pdf files from Abbyy - Abbyy PDF Converter Feb 12, 2005

Now there is a special solution for pdf files from Abbyy - Abbyy PDF Converter. But as automatic tool it also gives not very acceptable results on such pdfs.
Here You got enough answers to You question but I also want to add a pair of words to this problem.
I worked a lot with pdfs and for pdfs with a lot of illustrations the best way to process them - first extract and translate text and then REDTP and paste all images.


 


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Converting highly graphic documents to Word for translating






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