ONLINE QUOTATIONS
1. What languages do you translate?
We provide Translation Services in over 50 languages, including Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern and African languages, and we can translate directly between most languages and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. We can also work with specific geographic variations such as British or American English, Canadian French or Brazilian or African Portuguese.
2. How long does a translation take?
This depends largely on the size of the document. We can complete smaller translations in 24 hours or even on the same day if required, whereas some larger projects can take weeks or even months. In any case, a strict deadline is always agreed with the client in advance, and when we quote a project we normally offer a choice of turnaround times at different prices. Generally the more time you can allow for your translation, the cheaper it will be, and you can often achieve significant savings if you can give us more time.
Finally, note that professional translation is not a quick process. Think how long it would take you to research, write, proofread and edit a ten page document. A thorough translation will take the same amount of time, if not longer, and unless you are willing to pay more for urgent delivery, you should try to leave at least one working day per 2-3000 words of text.
3. How much does a translation cost?
There are a number of factors that affect the cost of a translation, and we price each project individually according to its characteristics:
SIZE: larger translations will cost more, but will usually be cheaper per word.
LANGUAGE: a translation from English into Finnish will cost more than a translation from English into Spanish or a translation from English into Russian, where there are many more quality translators available and rates are generally lower.
DEADLINE: generally the more time you can allow for a translation, the more you can reduce your costs. If you need a document delivered urgently, you will normally be required to pay a supplement.
CONTENT AND USE: if your translation is technical, meaning that it contains vocabulary and terminology that requires specialist knowledge, you will generally need to pay something extra for use of an expert translator. Likewise, translations which will be used internally by your organisation for information purposes, will generally require less stringent revision than a translation, for example, of a press release for an important product launch, and can usually be provided at a lower price.
See here for more Information on Pricing.
4. Can you translate my website? how much will it cost?
The Internet is a truly international tool and a good translation of your website can open up tremendous new opportunities. Translating your company homepage may cost very little and provides a useful way of taking a first step into a new market. See here for more information on our Website Translation Services or Contact us for a Free Quotation. See here for more Information on Pricing.
5. Can you translate technical, legal or scientific documents? how much does it cost?
We can translate all types of documents containing specialist terminology, using skilled translators with specific expertise in the respective subject area, for example law, engineering, finance etc. Technical and legal translations require meticulous research to ensure that they are executed with precision and rigour, and they will generally cost more than general translations. However, with a large pool of talent to choose from, we can not only select the right translator for each document, we will also do what we can to keep your costs to a minimum. See here for more information on our Specialist Translations.
6. What's the difference between a normal translation and a specialist translation?
A specialist translation is required when the content of the document means that a translator with specialist knowledge and competence is required, for example because it contains legal terminology or technical terms. See here for more information about our Specialist Translations.
7. Can you provide certified translations?
Each country, and even each organisation, has different rules for what it considers a certified or official translation. It may be enough for the translation company to provide a certificate, it may be necessary for the translation to be performed by a government accredited translator, or the translation may require certification by a notary, solicitor or embassy. We can normally take care of the certification for you, depending on the country where the translation is to be submitted. Please Contact us for details.
8. Do you provide translations to private customers?
Our Translation Services are generally aimed at companies and organisations, and in particular smaller and medium sized companies requiring a personalised service.
9. What format can I send my translation in?
We can work with most electronic formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, Publisher, InDesign etc. We can also work directly from paper documents, scans or from your website.
10. What format will I receive my translation in?
We will generally return the translation in the same format as it was sent in or in MS Word where the translation is provided as a scan or a PDF. If you have any specific requirements, please let us know.
11. Will my translation have the same layout as the original?
We will always do our best to return the translation with the exact same layout and design as the original (in terms of fonts, spacing, images etc.). However, if your document contains diagrams and graphs which include text and which are rendered as an image, recreating the images in the translation may involve additional work and costs. Additionally, some languages may call for a different layout, for example Arabic (written right to left), and so additional design work. We will always discuss this with you before agreeing on a price for your project.
12. Are there any fees not included in the quotation?
No - the price we quote you is the price you pay, except where you have made changes or additions to the document.
13. How do I get a quotation for a specific translation?
If you have the document in electronic form or you can scan it, the easiest way to get a quotation is to use our Online Quotation Form. You could also just send us your document by email or fax - see Contact us. If you don't want to send us the whole document, you can just send us a few sample pages and give us an indication of the total size. If you would like us to sign a confidentiality agreement before sending us your document, that's no problem, just let us know. If you don't have the document to send to us, we can provide you with an estimate - please give us as many details as you can about the content and size - but please note that we can only give a definitive price when we have seen the whole document.
If you need to translate a website, we just need the URL. (e.g. www.isarey.com). However, please note that with some larger and more complex websites, especially where the content is dynamic, it can be difficult to provide an exact total price, and you would be better to send us the content in another format, for example extracted from a back office database.
14. How do I get a proposal for ongoing translation work?
If you will need translations on a regular basis, please complete our Translation Account Enquiry Form and we will get in touch with you to discuss your requirements and provide you with a proposal for ongoing translation work. Or if you prefer, just send us an email, explaining what your requirements are, and we will back to you as soon as we can. See Translation Account Enquiry Form for more information or Contact us.
15. What can I do to reduce the cost of my translation?
The most important thing you can do is allow reasonable time. If you don't need an urgent turnaround, we can reduce the price of your translation. Also, it helps to be clear about how you will use your translation: a document you will need only for internal and information purposes may not require such rigorous revision, and we will be able to reduce the price accordingly.
16. What can I do to help ensure maximum quality in my translation?
As a client, you can make a considerable contribution in determining the quality of the translation. The first thing is to ensure the quality of the original version of the document. Unfortunately we are often sent original documents which are produced in a rush, containing errors, or which are poorly written. While our translators can usually improve on the shortcomings of an original text, and we actually pride ourselves on producing translations which are sometimes better and more effective than the original texts, it helps to ensure that the original text is properly finished with a level of quality that you expect to receive in your translation.
In addition, any support you can provide the translator will certainly help. The translator will try to adopt your mindset as the document's author and use the terminology and communication style of your organisation. If you can provide us with similar material that is already in the target language, if you will allow us to tap your expertise when it comes to specialist terminology and provide constructive feedback, you can help us ensure consistency and quality for all your translations. Constructive, long term translator-client relationships are the best guarantee of quality professional translation.
17. Who are your translators?
We only use professional translators who are native speakers of the language they are translating into. We work with individual translators and also in partnership with a selection of local translation agencies with their own translators. In every case, we are set up to ensure that we always have the best translator available in accordance with the specifications of each project, in terms of linguistic competence and specialist knowledge required. For more information see Our Translators.
18. What if my documents are confidential?
We treat confidentiality very seriously and treat the content of all client documents as strictly confidential. If you have any particular concerns we are open to discussing any additional safeguards that our clients consider appropriate. We are also open to signing confidentiality agreements with our clients, even if just to cover a quotation. See here for more information on Confidentiality.
19. How can I check the quality of your work before engaging your translation services?
We are generally happy to provide free sample translations, so that our clients can check the quality of our work before making any commitment. Please Contact us for details.
20. Do you offer special rates to charities and/or non-profit organisations?
Yes. We understand that translation can represent a significant administrative expense, and we will do what we can to reduce our rates as far as possible for charities or non-profit organisations requiring translations as part of their activities where we have availability, and can sometimes even provide small translations free of charge. Please Contact us for details.
21. Why use a translation agency? Why not save money and contract a translator directly?
We have all of us sniggered and cringed at bad translations. Most of these were not done by professional translation agencies. As a translation company, we carefully select our translators and subject the entire translation process to rigorous oversight in order to ensure a quality outcome. See here for more information on our Our Translators, and on The Translation Process.
22. Why use a translation agency? Why not just use an online translation tool or software?
In many circumstances it is quite reasonable to use an automatic translation service, when the goal is to get a general understanding of a text and when it doesn't matter if certain details are translated incorrectly or if the translation contains serious errors. See here to translate texts instantly online for free.
However computer translation cannot be relied upon for anything more than this. Firstly computers make mistakes: most importantly, because in the most part they translate literally, they do not pick up on idiomatic language, they often get it wrong when a word has multiple meanings (because they can't see the context), and they cannot structure sentences as a human can. Computers are not yet able to improvise natural human speech and so cannot produce texts that are humanly written. As such, relying on computer translation can have disastrous results. Quality translation requires human translators and reviewers who are native speakers of the translation's target language, and this is why you should use quality translation company to translate your business documents.
23. Where can I see your terms and conditions?
See here for our Terms and Conditions (provision of translation services)