Good translation starts before the first sentence is translated. The files and instructions you provide can affect accuracy, tone, layout, and turnaround. Before sending a project, gather the latest source documents and explain where, how, and by whom the translated material will be used. A short, specific brief helps your translator resolve uncertainties early and avoid preventable revisions. Use this checklist to prepare your files and communicate what matters.
Send the right source files
Share the original, editable files whenever possible. Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and design files are usually easier to work with than scans or flattened PDFs. Editable files help the translator see headings, tables, footnotes, and text relationships, and can make it simpler to preserve the original structure.
Check that you are sending the final version, not a draft with missing pages or unresolved comments. Include every file that contains text to translate, such as captions, labels, appendices, and notes. If you only have a scanned document, send the clearest copy available and flag handwriting, stamps, or sections that may be hard to read.
Explain the context
Tell the translator what the document is for and where it will appear. A customer email, legal notice, product manual, and website landing page call for different choices in tone and terminology. Explain the subject, any relevant background, and whether the translation should follow an existing company style.
Point out phrases that have a specific meaning in your organization or industry. Provide approved translations, a glossary, or earlier translated material if you have them. Identify words that should stay unchanged, such as product names or trademarks. If a sentence is ambiguous, describe the intended meaning rather than asking the translator to guess.
Describe the audience
Specify who will read the translated document. Useful details include the readers’ location, familiarity with the subject, and whether they are customers, employees, regulators, or specialists. The same information may need plain language for a general audience and precise technical wording for trained professionals.
Name the target language and, when relevant, the preferred regional variety. Also share any requirements for formality, inclusive language, or reading level. If the content is intended for a particular community or market, say so. These details help the translator choose wording that feels appropriate without changing the source meaning.
Set formatting and delivery needs
Tell your translator how the finished files should look and what format you need back. Note whether to preserve headings, tables, numbering, hyperlinks, and image placement. If the document has a fixed page limit or must fit existing design space, mention that before work begins; translated text can take more or less room than the source.
Include the deadline, review steps, and any delivery or file-naming requirements. Clarify whether you need layout work in addition to translation, and who will approve the final version. Before sending, remove outdated drafts from the package and identify the file that should be treated as the source of truth.
A complete source package and a concise brief give your translator a stronger starting point. Share editable files, explain the context and audience, and state formatting and delivery needs upfront. Before you send the project, check that every file is current and every requirement is clear. Sydney Lingua can help you prepare a translation brief for your next document.