What’s In a Word – Translation Pricing

By Rossion

By Rossion

When you begin a project that will require translation, it’s important that you allocate time for the job and budget for the associated costs, or as we like to say, investment! Translation is an investment into your company, your brand, your clients, your employees, and your suppliers. It shows that you care.  But how much does translation cost? What’s in a word, anyway?  How much do I need to invest? The simple answer is that there is no simple answer – but that’s no reason to be discouraged!

Your Project Is Unique:

At Rossion, we look at every translation project individually and base the price on its specific requirements. In order to give you the best price possible, we need to consider various elements.

What’s the Word Count?

The first thing we look at when assessing the price of translation is the word count. A translator can translate 1500-2500 words per day depending on the technicality of the project.

What Language?

We need to know the language combination that you require. Is your project being translated into one language or many? Different languages have different pricing points. Is it a commonly used language such as French or Spanish or do you need your project translated into a rare language?

What’s the Subject?

The next consideration we look at when assessing the price of a translation is what the content is.  If it’s general content, the cost will be lower than if it is more technical content, for which specific expertise and research will be required. For example, if the project is the translation of a medical document, financial document, or a legal document, it’s critical that specific technical language be used and that the content maintains the same clarity as the source material.  If, on the other hand, the project is more general in nature, for example, a personal website or business correspondence, than less research will be required.

What Type of Project Is It?

Beyond content, the next element we consider is the type of project being translated. Different project types are carried out with specific workflows. As outlined above, every project requires a different level of research and expertise.  Is the project a simple text translation? Is it an update to a previous translation? Are there graphics involved? Is it an e-learning project, are subtitles or voice-over recordings involved? Is it software content? Is it Interpretation? Does the project require complex project management where there are many parts to it or is it more straightforward? All of these factors affect the total cost of a translation.

What Type of File Format Are We Working With?

It’s easiest to translate files that are in editable formats, such as Word, Excel, PPt. It is possible to translate files that are in a non-editable format, such as pdf, however more file preparation and manipulation as well as graphics work may be required. The Rossion team will work with our document engineers on file preparation and with our DTP specialists to perfect the document layout after translation.

What’s the Timeframe?

For every project, we look at the amount of time it will take to complete the required job, considering things such as research, translation time, and the type of workflow involved.  On average, a translator can translate 1500-2500 words per day, so we build our workflow on that foundation.  If your project is a rush, one that has a very short delivery window, we allocate additional resources and/or re-work our translators’ schedules to get it done on time. More resources means additional budget required, so tight deadlines or rush projects may impact the price. Once we consider the amount of time that your project will take, we can build a sound plan, timeline and budget.

So, what’s in a word? There are many factors that go into translation pricing! Talk to us about your upcoming translation projects. We’d love to help you! Rossion provides fair and competitive pricing to best serve you!

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Email us: service@rossion.com

Call us: (514) 695-9144

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