| You're just about finished with the edits and tweaks | | | | or editor. Depending on how much the text needs to |
| on your brochure. The next step is to have it | | | | be reduced, that could take a day or more to |
| translated. Before you do, remember that when | | | | complete. How will this affect your deadline? In my |
| English copy is translated, the text expands. More | | | | experience it is rare for marketing departments to |
| words will be needed to communicate your message | | | | have extra days built into their timeline. |
| in many other languages. Does your layout have | | | | Another option is taking a look at your layout. |
| room for this expanded text? | | | | Westerners see empty space in a design as a void, |
| As a rule of thumb, when English is translated into | | | | while the Japanese think empty space offers |
| Romance languages (French, Italian, Portuguese, | | | | possibilities. Consider the Japanese view when |
| Romanian, Spanish) the number of words will increase | | | | designing printed marketing materials that will be |
| by 20-25%. One of the easiest things you can do to | | | | produced in several languages. |
| make sure the translation fits is to edit the English | | | | White spaces allow you to avoid formatting problems |
| text before it is translated. Adjectives are great, but | | | | when you produce the translated versions. If your |
| get rid of them if they're not essential. | | | | text has expanded, you won't have to resort to |
| Reducing the amount of copy before it is translated | | | | editing it or reducing the font size, which can make |
| can also save you time. If you learn that the | | | | your copy difficult to read. |
| translation won't fit when you go to put it into your | | | | For translations, remember that less really is more. |
| layout, it will have to be sent back to the translator | | | | |