How Much Does the Translation of Documents Typically Cost?


How Much Does the Translation of Documents Typically Cost?
Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

1/18/2022

Do you have a multi-market strategy for your company?

If you do, then you may need to translate a price document, a product handbook, a marketing brochure, or any business-related document in addition to translating your website and localizing your software.

Less professional translators like Google Translate work well in limited circumstances, like translating short and simple sentences.

However, you should start working with a professional translation service if you intend to use paperwork for business purposes.

At GMR Transcription Services, Inc., we work with several clients who have similar questions every week. The cost of document translation can be anywhere from $5 to $100 per page, and estimating the cost of document translation can be difficult.

Therefore, this article will explain the various aspects that can affect document translation costs.

How Much Does a Single Page of a Document Cost to Translate?

Professional translation services usually charge per word and by the hour. You can also pay based on the number of pages in a document.

1. Rates of Document Translation Per Page

Document translation cost depends on several factors. For example, you will discover a translation rate charged per page in sworn translation. This comprises diplomas, certificates, and a variety of other stamped official documents.

When there are several pages with a similar word count and layout for each page with no visuals, you can also pay per page.

2. Rates of Document Translation Per Word

Rate per word is the most popular method of calculating the cost of translation. Depending on the font size, formatting, and the number of graphics, the page may have a larger or lower count of words.

Naturally, a page of marketing content with lots of pictures has fewer words than a package brochure written in 8-point Times New Roman, which explains the difference in translation expenses.

In translation services, a word is defined as a string of letters or special characters for translation purposes. Numbers with spaces at the end are also recognized as words. Proper names, connections, dates, and measures are all subject to the same rules.

See Also: 6 Reasons That Make It Imperative To Go for Legal Document Translation

Why Should I Pay For the Translation of Numbers, Dates, and Proper Names?

This is a very common question asked by several translation clients. Number formats tend to vary across regions and languages. This needs to be kept in mind while translating content from one language to another.

For example, the comma is the character used as a thousand separator in the United States (,). Thousands in Germany are separated by a period (.). The thousand separator in Sweden is a space. As a result, the number 1,052 is written as 1,052 in the United States, 1.052 in Germany, and 1 052 in Sweden.

These distinctions can significantly affect your pricing documentation or technical requirements for your product.

Regarding proper names, strongly inflected languages, such as Polish and Finnish, are particularly significant. How so, you might wonder.

It means that to be grammatically correct, a proper noun may require additional letters. In this situation, the translator must work on each proper noun and adapt it to the context of the target language to comply with local grammatical standards.

Take a look at the various translations of how the following proper nouns are translated into French and Spanish:

English French Spanish
Mary Marie María
Margret Margret Margarita
Jasmine Jasmin Jazmín

Date formats must also be translated. June 2nd, 2019, for example, can be written as 6-2-2019 or 2-6-2019. The translation must adhere to the local formatting to avoid confusion between February 6th and June 2nd.

You May Like: Top 7 Best Practices to Follow in Financial Translation

How Can You Save Money on Document Translation Cost

Did you know that the cost of document translation can be lowered by up to 50%? You can save a lot of money on your localization projects if you work with a translation business that has a transparent pricing strategy.

Here at GMRT, we provide the best document translation services. You can register now or call us to speak with a member of our skilled translation team about your needs. 

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Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy

Beth Worthy is the Cofounder & President of GMR Transcription Services, Inc., a California-based company that has been providing accurate and fast transcription services since 2004. She has enjoyed nearly ten years of success at GMR, playing a pivotal role in the company's growth. Under Beth's leadership, GMR Transcription doubled its sales within two years, earning recognition as one of the OC Business Journal's fastest-growing private companies. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.