How do you translate a PDF file?

Whether it's a technical, financial, literary, or administrative document, translating a PDF file is a complex process with unique challenges, particularly when it comes to respecting the page layout. However, there are effective solutions to achieve optimum results. From online machine translation software to professional translation services, discover the different options available to translate your PDF files efficiently.

What are the special features of a PDF file?

PDF, an acronym for Portable Document Format, is a file type frequently used to store and exchange digital documents. Unlike other file formats, PDFs have the advantage of retaining the text layout, fonts, and other visual elements of the original content.

PDF files can therefore be used in a multitude of contexts: administrative documents, marketing content, scans of receipts, online user instructions, educational content, etc.

However, because of the graphic elements often integrated into this type of file, it is more difficult to extract the text from a PDF without modifying the layout. This makes the process of translating a PDF particularly complicated, especially for large files.

Translating a PDF file with machine translation

Machine translation tools are very popular for translating PDF files, as they offer an accessible, fast, and inexpensive alternative, often even free of charge.

Here are the main machine translation solutions available for translating text in PDF format into several languages.

Using DeepL for your PDF file translation

DeepL uses artificial neural networks to preserve the original meaning of the translated text. By using DeepL to translate PDF files, you benefit from a free, high-quality translation solution available in a wide range of languages. To translate a PDF with DeepL, simply download the desktop application for Mac or Windows, and drop the file into the text translation tab. A paid version is also available for unlimited translation of large files.

Using Adobe Translation for your PDF files

Adobe Translation software offers a complete solution for translating PDF files. This tool is particularly useful in the fields of editing, graphic design, and publishing, where translation of PDF files is often required. It offers an ergonomic interface and a smooth user experience. However, you need to pay for this software.

Using Google Translate for your PDF files

Free, and easy to use, Google Translate is a popular option for translating PDF files. This online platform has a large linguistic database and uses AI to improve the accuracy of its translations. The tool offers fast translation in many languages and can be used on all devices (computers, smartphones, tablets), via an online platform or an application. Google Translate translates PDF documents (as well as images, Word files and website pages) into 133 languages free of charge. To translate a PDF with Google Translate, simply go to the online platform, click on the "Documents" tab, and upload your file.

Using other translation programs

In addition to these popular automatic translation programs, there are also other lesser-known platforms, such as PDF Translator, a tool dedicated specifically to PDF translation, with free features for smaller documents. DocTranslator is another free tool for PDF documents, with translations to and from a wide range of languages.

Accessible from any device connected to the Internet, free online PDF translation solutions offer a practical, fast, and cost-effective solution for translating PDF documents. They do, however, have a number of limitations that it is important to be aware of.

Automatic translation of PDF files: what are the limitations?

Despite their many advantages, machine translation tools often don’t provide you with the best quality translation. They are rarely capable of respecting the cultural nuances of the target country. Translations are often literal, and may contain numerous syntactical and lexical errors, as well as significant linguistic clumsiness. This is particularly true for rare languages, and for translations dealing with very niche or highly technical subjects. This can be very risky for certain texts such as medical, financial, or legal translations, where the slightest error can have serious consequences.

What's more, for PDF files with complex layouts or non-text elements (such as tables, images, graphics, or captions), machine translation can affect the visual integrity of the PDF.

In addition, some online services store data from translated documents, which raises confidentiality issues, particularly in sensitive areas such as the legal, medical, or financial sectors.

Faced with these many limitations, and to guarantee a reliable, high-quality, and confidential translation of a PDF text you should use the services of a professional translator.

Using a professional translator to translate a PDF file

Hiring a specialist translator to translate your PDF file offers a number of advantages. Firstly, the professional translator can probably adapt the layout of the translated PDF to preserve its integrity during the translation phase.

What's more, entrusting your PDF file to a specialist translator means you will benefit from their sector-specific expertise, which is essential for obtaining a result that is faithful to the original content. Their in-depth knowledge of the technical terminology specific to each field of activity ensures that the translation is accurate and directly usable.

Finally, a native translator has in-depth understanding of the cultural and linguistic nuances of the target country, enabling them to grasp the subtleties of the original text and transpose them accurately into the target language.

Thanks to a network of over 3,500 experienced native-speaking professional translators, our translation agency, Alphatrad, offers multilingual translation services in over 100 languages, for both commonly used and less widely used languages. Our services include the translation of PDF files of all kinds such as the translation of a scientific article in PDF format into German, the translation of a CV in PDF format into English, the translation of a sales brochure, a technical manual, a financial report, or a legal document, etc. We also offer certified translations for your administrative and legal documents scanned in PDF formats.

FAQ about translating PDF files