10 Factors That Influence The Price of Translation
When you need to have something translated, your first concern would be the price you need to pay to have it done. The final amount you need to pay depends on factors influencing the cost of translation. Here are 10 of them and some ideas on how to get the best price for accurate translations.
Factors that influence the price of translation
While those may not be all the factors that influence the price of translation, they are the most important ones that should always be considered when looking for accurate translation services.
Word count
Are you intending to translate a user manual with more than 50,000 words or just a document page with less than 500 words? The word count greatly influences how much you will be charged. Generally, the cost of translating a document will depend on the number of words, as most companies will charge per word. If you need to know the number of words your composition has, feel free to use our free word counter tool.
The size of the document can change the word count of the translated document, directly resulting in increasing the total cost.
Complexity
How difficult is it to translate the type of document you have? If your paper has a lot of scientific terms that require someone very knowledgeable in science to solve, then you should expect that you will be paying more at some companies. Universal Translation Services, however, will not charge more for this type of document as we have translators specialized in just about any field.
If you are after a quality job, you should look around for translation companies who charge the same for every job, whether a social science, mathematics or advanced chemistry document translation.
Nature of the document
The document that is to be translated could also influence the price of the task at hand. For example, document translation can be a more significant task because of the certification and notarization techniques applied to ensure the document’s legality. They require urgent requests from the immigration offices, which calls for relatively higher prices.
Some translations include things that require the company’s additional tools and services, making the document’s price range increase or vary slightly from the standard price.
Turn around time
How soon do you need the document translated? Realistically, you should expect a translator to make progress on your work at about 2,000 words every day. This only applies to translation, not editing and proofreading, which needs extra time after the translator has finished. If you want to translate about 10,000 words and you want it within 24 hours, then you should be willing to pay more.
On average, you should give your translation company around three days to translate, proofread and edit a document of about 5,000 words if you want to pay the standard rate. We do not charge extra for rush jobs or weekend translations.
Work Volume
Do you have consistent jobs to be translated, or are you just doing a one-off translation?
You should be able to get cheaper pricing if your volume of work is regular. For instance, if you want to translate a user manual of about 250 pages every three months, you will get discounts that will not be available to an individual who wants to translate his birth certificate without the prospect of ever having to translate a document again.
You should, therefore, inform the company of how frequently they should expect a particular quantity of work. They will probably reduce your translation prices after your first translation job.
Requirements for formatting and DTP
Everything currently discussed is aimed at the translation process and proofreading and editing—note, however, that not every company or translator will include proofreading or editing in their initial quote.
If you are translating a document that is not a plain text document but has graphics, tables, graphs, charts and similar content, then you should be expecting to pay more for DTP services. You may also have a document designed with Adobe InDesign and want the translated document to look the same. This will complicate your job, increasing translation prices as desktop publishing services are paid per hour.
Project management
For the customers to be satisfied with the work done by the translators and to establish a professional relationship, what is required is quality and a lower price of translation. And this can only be obtained through an effective project management team that can direct the whole process in an organized manner. Some team members are there to maintain quality work by getting native translators, finance handlers, and people controlling the delivery times, rates and the tools involved. This all requires higher pricing than the local companies.
Translators
To ensure and keep up with the quality of the service, Universal Translation Services hires experienced translators who have full command of both the source and the target language. Rather than the low prices offered by the other companies for translations done by the locals, the company ensures quality work with guaranteed accuracy due to working with native translators of your target language who specialize in your document’s field. Due to proofreading done by a second native translator, accuracy and quality are assured for any project.
Tools
Sometimes, the document that is to be used for translation, editing and proofreading requires a specific software that is known for its efficiency in the translation world. For this very purpose and to maintain quality work, the computer assisted translation tools used may influence the price of the document. You will have to pay less if such devices are being used, and if there are repetitions in your source document or if you have past translations with us, the total translation price will be lower due to lower costs for repetitions and matches.
How do I do a word count in Word?
If you are writing in a Word file and want to know the word count, you can check the bottom left of your screen. You will see both the number of pages and the word count there. You can click the word count to access details like the number of paragraphs, lines, characters without space, and characters with space.
How many words are in a text?
Each text will have a different number of total words. The total number will depend on various factors. Essays are longer and have a bigger word count than blog posts and informational articles. You can easily monitor the word count when working in Microsoft Word. This way, you would know when you have met the word count requirement.
How can I check my word count online?
There are various ways to check your word count online. You can make a free account on Grammarly and copy/paste the text into a new document within the app. You can see the word count in Grammarly at the bottom left of the page. WordCounter is another online tool that lets you check the word count of your text.
How many pages is 1000 words?
The number of pages depends on various factors. The choice of font and spacing will affect the number of pages. You can write 1000 words on two pages if the pages are single-spaced. If you go for double-spaced pages, you will need four of them to write a thousand words.
Language combination
Some languages are more popular than others. For instance, some customers have documents to translate from and into Spanish. Since there are several Spanish translators, you may get a lower rate for it, depending on the quality of the translators involved. Some companies may charge you lower rates but will provide low-quality translations.
When you need to have something translated from or into a rare language, the pricing will not be as competitive as the pricing for a common language, as some companies will charge much more per word. This is based on how frequently the service is required. Translators that can translate into rare languages are rare. Furthermore, the demand for translations is not adequate. You should, therefore, expect to pay more if you want to translate to an occasional language.
The language that is to be translated from English provides a significant impact on the pricing of the translation process. Some less popular languages, like Hindi or Icelandic, may require translation into English before being translated into any other language, which could increase the pricing range.
It is not our case; we charge the same translation price for any language.
Who offers the best rates?
Realizing the importance of client-company relationships, the translations provided by Universal Translation Services are as cheap and affordable for the everyday businessman as they can get. Many translated documents provided by some of the companies are not often quite up-to-mark as compared to the high prices they are offering.
Business translations are often varied when it comes to their price range. Some factors may influence the price ranges of many documents that must be translated into the client’s requested language. Some companies charge higher for business documents than others.
If you need to have your document translated fast, this could result in getting charged additional rush rates, which results in a higher translation price. For example, if the client needs the document translated into the required language before the deadline requested by the said client or in a crucial 1-2 days could affect the pricing range of the required work. Most companies do that. We do not have any rush or extra rates when doing your translation over the weekend.
There are some reasons why you can expect the price of translation to vary in terms of a quality translated document because we do not just run on doing the work to make money. Still, we do the job according to your limits to please the clients and establish a tremendous customer-company relationship.
Translation Cost Factors
Translation costs can vary widely depending on several key factors, such as the language pairs involved, the complexity of the subject matter, and the expertise of the professional translator. According to Laoret.com, a reputable translation agency, the translation industry often calculates costs based on hourly rates or per-word rates, taking into account the specific requirements of the translation project.
Agencies like Laoret factor in the translators’ specialized knowledge in areas such as legal, medical, or technical fields, which can significantly influence the cost of translation services. As a result, understanding the intricacies of how translation costs are determined is crucial for anyone looking to hire translation services, ensuring they receive quality translations tailored to their needs.
Machine translation and translation memory tools have revolutionized the way professional translation services are delivered, offering faster turnaround times and helping to maintain consistency across large projects. However, the role of human translators, particularly freelance and qualified translators, remains indispensable for achieving high-quality translations. A skilled human translator brings a level of nuance, cultural relevance, and understanding to the text that machine translation cannot replicate.
Translation service providers often rely on a combination of these advanced technologies and the expertise of professional human translators to meet the specific needs of their clients. This hybrid approach ensures that the final product is not only accurate and consistent but also resonates with the target audience, highlighting the value of human touch in the translation industry.
Technology & Human in Translation
Machine translation and translation memory tools have indeed revolutionized the delivery of professional translation services, enabling faster turnaround times and enhanced consistency for extensive projects. Despite these advancements, the invaluable role of human translators, especially those who are freelance and highly qualified, remains critical for producing translations of high quality. The unique ability of a skilled human translator to impart nuance, cultural relevance, and a deep understanding into the translated text is something that machine translation technologies cannot fully replicate.
Consequently, translation service providers frequently employ a blend of cutting-edge technology and the specialized expertise of professional human translators to cater to the diverse needs of their clientele. This integrated approach guarantees not only the accuracy and consistency of the translated content but also its ability to engage the intended audience effectively, thereby underscoring the irreplaceable value of the human element within the translation industry.
Translation pricing is influenced by various factors including the type of content, the level of expertise required, and any additional charges that may apply. Pricing structures can vary significantly across the industry, with the average price being impacted by the specific demands of the project, such as medical translations or technical translations. These specialized fields often require translators with a higher level of expertise, which can influence the cost. Furthermore, the complexity and format of the source material also play a crucial role in determining the final price.
For instance, technical documents with complex jargon or medical texts that require a thorough understanding of healthcare terminology can lead to higher costs. Translation service providers assess these factors to establish a fair and accurate pricing model that reflects the intricacies and requirements of the type of content being translated.
Marketing Flexibility
When creating marketing materials, providing content in an editable format is crucial for ensuring flexibility and adaptability in design and messaging. This allows for easy updates and customization to meet the evolving needs of a marketing campaign. Moreover, additional services such as graphic design, copywriting, and market research can greatly enhance the effectiveness of marketing materials.
These services help in crafting compelling messages, visually engaging designs, and strategies that resonate with the target audience. By integrating these elements, businesses can create marketing materials that not only capture attention but also effectively communicate their brand’s value proposition, ultimately driving engagement and conversions.
