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We translate into and out of all languages. We'll assign the right translator based on the language pair and subject area to make sure the terminology and tone are just right.

Translation rates vary by language pair because each language has its own market conditions and specialist availability. We price each language pair on its own merits. That means if a language is cheaper for us to resource and deliver, we pass that saving on to you, rather than charging a single flat rate across all languages.

Proofreading/revision is a quality check. A second language professional reviews the translation against the source text to confirm accuracy, terminology, consistency, and natural phrasing. This four-eyes step is part of our standard workflow.

We match every project to an experienced translator with the right subject knowledge. The translation is then checked by a second professional (the “four-eyes” approach) to check meaning, terminology, and consistency.

Yes. We hand-pick the right translator for your subject matter and style. If your content is technical or high-stakes, we’ll match you with a specialist who works in that field, often with relevant industry or academic background (for example, medical translators with medical training).

We also build in checks. If anything in the source text is unclear, the translator will query it rather than guess. And if you have reference material, a glossary, or preferred terminology, we’ll use it to keep wording consistent and accurate.

Turnaround depends on word count and complexity. As a guide, our translators can produce around 2,000 words of general text per day. Our reviewers can typically process around 4,000 to 6,000 words per day. We offer both 100% human translation + review and an AI + human hybrid options. Hybrid can be quicker for suitable content. We can confirm the deadline once we’ve seen your files.

Yes. We provide certified translations for businesses, legal firms, and official organisations. Certification requirements vary, so we'll always ask you to confirm what the receiving authority requires before we begin.

Yes. We can often meet tight deadlines using our AI + human hybrid translation service and, where appropriate, by splitting larger projects across multiple translators. What’s achievable depends on word count, subject complexity, and the level of translation required. Share the files and your deadline, and we’ll confirm the fastest reliable option for your project.

Reasonable tweaks to the translated text are included. If the source text changes, or if you need substantial additional edits or rewrites, we can discuss the scope and quote separately.

Yes. If you have an NDA, send it over and we’ll review it. We also treat all client materials as confidential as standard, with access limited to the people working on your project.

If you have specific confidentiality requirements, tell us what’s required and we’ll adhere to your process.

A calque is a word or phrase created by translating another language literally, part by part, and adopting that structure in the target language. Some calques become fully normal and widely used. Others stay awkward and make the writing feel like the source language is still visible.

Examples of calques used everyday:

English “flea market” is a calque of French marché aux puces (literally “market of fleas”).

English “beer garden” is a calque of German Biergarten.

English “skyscraper” has parallel calques in other languages, for example, French gratte-ciel (literally “scrape-sky”) and German Wolkenkratzer (literally “cloud-scraper”).

English “paper tiger” is a calque of Chinese 纸老虎 (zhǐlǎohǔ).

Why translators still talk about “avoiding calques” - Because the risky calques are the ones that haven’t become accepted usage in the target language. Those literal structures can sound stiff, unclear, or foreign, and in professional writing, that can lead to extra rounds of revision, rewrites, or a loss of confidence in the text.

AI translation has improved, and for simple content it can be enough, much like using AI to help with a straightforward legal matter. But you would not rely on it to argue a complex case where the outcome matters. Translation works the same way. AI still makes confident mistakes, misses context and cannot take responsibility for meaning, tone or risk.

There is also a more fundamental truth: people connect with people. Content translated by a professional linguist carries something AI cannot manufacture.

For straightforward content our Standard Translation Packs use AI for efficiency, then professional linguists refine the output so it reads naturally. For technical, legal, compliance or sensitive content our Specialist Human Translation Pack keeps the work 100% human, with a second linguist reviewing every project.

Yes. Our Specialist Human Translation Pack is translated by a specialist human translator and independently reviewed by a second professional linguist. We also offer 100% human creative services through our Creative Translation Pack and our Transcreation and Brand Copy Pack, both delivered by human creative linguists.

If you need a fast, cost-effective translation for everyday content, choose our Standard Pack (AI + human review) or Standard Plus Pack (AI + human edit + human review). If the content is highly technical, legal, compliance-related, or high-stakes, choose our Specialist Human Translation Pack (100% human, independently reviewed). Share your files with us and we’ll advise which pack is the best fit.

Yes. Many clients use Standard translation for high-volume content and Specialist Human translation for key pages or higher-risk material.

Yes. When AI is used, we access it securely via an API within our professional translation environment, not by pasting your content into public tools. Your content is transferred over encrypted connections and used only to produce your translation.

You can, but treat it as guidance rather than proof. Our version has been reviewed by a native-speaking professional human translator. AI tools may produce wording that is different but not necessarily more accurate or a better fit. Feel free to share the line you’re unsure about and we’ll confirm it’s correct for you.

Our Standard Translation Pack and Standard Translation Pack PLUS use AI as part of the workflow.

Standard Translation Pack: AI produces an initial draft, then a professional linguist checks and reviews it to make sure it reads naturally and matches the meaning of the source.

Standard Translation Pack PLUS: Uses AI but with two separate human linguists. The first linguist checks and reviews the AI draft, and a second linguist completes a final review for extra reassurance on accuracy and consistency.

AI Quality Guard is our in-house tool that runs routine checks on spelling, grammar, spacing, and consistency, so our human linguists can focus on clarity, context, and tone.

Translation keeps the meaning of the original text and expresses it clearly in another language. It’s the right choice for content where accuracy and consistency matter, such as product information, policies, help content, technical material, and most website pages.
Transcreation is used for marketing copy such as slogans, taglines, and campaign headlines, where the wording may need to change to create the same impact in the target market.

If you’re not sure which you need, send the text and tell us where it will be used and we’ll recommend the best approach.

We can provide a back translation (a literal version in your working language) and a short rationale for each option, so you can see the intended meaning and why it works in the target market. This is especially useful because transcreation isn’t word-for-word, the wording often changes to keep the same impact.

Because transcreation involves creative thinking and iteration, not just writing. The transcreator will need time to research your market, check competitor messaging, and think about how different options will land with the target audience. Good creative work also benefits from “sleeping on it” and returning the next day with fresh eyes. 

A good brief makes transcreation faster and stronger. If you can, share:

- Campaign brief: what you’re trying to achieve, the key message, and the call to action.

- Target audience: who it’s for, where they’ll see it, and what you want them to feel or do

- Tone of voice: guidelines, adjectives, and any “do/don’t” examples

- Brand and style guide: spelling preferences, punctuation rules, and formatting standards

- Reference materials: existing campaigns, taglines you like, competitor examples, or anything to avoid

- Terminology preferences: product names, legal lines, regulated wording, and words that must not change

- Context: where the line will appear (banner, video, social post, packaging) and any character limits

If you don’t have all of this, don’t worry, just send what you have.

Typesetting is the layout work that happens after translation. It’s how we make the translated document look like the original, or as good as the original, by adjusting formatting, spacing, line breaks, and page flow once the new language is in place.

You may need typesetting for designed files such as InDesign, Illustrator, and print-ready PDFs, or whenever the translation needs to fit a specific layout.

If you only need the translated text in an editable document which is not for publication, typesetting isn’t usually required.

Because it’s a separate stage of work from translation. Translators focus on meaning, tone, and accuracy. Typesetting is handled by professional typesetters who specialise in design and layout.

Translated text often becomes longer or shorter, which affects line breaks, spacing, and page flow. Typesetting covers the time needed to adjust the layout, check the visual result, and prepare production-ready files so the translated document looks as good as the original.

We'll let you know if typesetting is required for your project.

We have a large font library, but if your artwork uses a specific licensed font (common in InDesign and sometimes PowerPoint), we may need you to supply it, if your licence allows sharing. Fonts also vary by language: some don’t support certain character sets. If your chosen font won’t work in the target language, we can suggest a close alternative that does. If you’re not sure, send the files first. We’ll tell you if anything is missing.

Yes. InDesign layouts often use linked images rather than embedding them, so we need the image links to view the pages properly, do the typesetting and generate the final PDF files. If the linked files are very large, you can send the InDesign file first and share the image links later. 

Tip: Using the InDesign "Package" feature is the easiest way to send the INDD/IDML file, images, and fonts together.

In some cases, but it’s rarely the best option because the translated text doesn’t “fit” back into the document the same way. It can be longer or shorter, and PDFs don’t reflow text cleanly like editable source files. PDF editors also often substitute fonts, which changes spacing and page breaks. The result can look untidy very quickly, especially in multi-page documents. PDF is OK as a source, but it’s rarely the best format for editing or final layout.

Yes, depending on what the PDF was created from.

If it was exported from Word (or a similar editable document), we can usually convert it back into an editable format fairly cleanly.
If the PDF was created in InDesign or another design software, we can rebuild the original file. For print-quality output, we’ll need the original fonts and high-resolution images. If those aren’t available, we can recreate it using substitutes that meet your preferences.

We can work with most file types, including:

Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Design and DTP: InDesign (IDML, INDD), Illustrator, Photoshop

Web content: HTML, XML, YAML, JSON

Software and app strings: RESX, PO/POT, PHP resource files, iOS strings, Java properties

Subtitles: SRT, WEBVTT

Translation files: XLIFF/XLF, SDLXLIFF, TTX, Wordfast

We can translate PDFs too. 

Not sure about your file type? Send it anyway and we’ll advise.

Whatever works best for you. Email is fine, and you can also share files via your usual file-sharing method, for example WeTransfer, FTP/SFTP, Google Drive, Dropbox, or another secure cloud link.

Yes. We can translate scanned documents, as long as the scan is readable. For good-quality scans, we can use OCR (text extraction) to speed things up. We can supply the translation as an editable Word document or PDF. If you need the layout to match the original (for example, images, logos, and similar formatting), we can do that too and we’ll quote for it separately.

No. In most cases, you can send the files in your chosen format and we’ll return the translation in the same format, for example Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
The main exception is PDFs and other non-editable formats. In those cases, we’ll agree the best output format with you before we start.

You don’t have to provide a script. We can transcribe the speech in the audio. We'll then translate it and timecode it to create the final subtitle file.

If you have the script, send it over as it can speed things up and help with the spelling of names, product terms, and specific terminology. 

We can supply subtitles as standard subtitle files (for example, SRT or WebVTT), as well as other formats depending on the platform you’re using. If you’re not sure what you need, tell us where the video will be published and we’ll recommend the best format.

We can also burn the subtitles into the video for you, permanently embedding the translation into the file so the subs are always visible.

Yes. We can create subtitles for the hard of hearing (SDH). These include the dialogue plus helpful information such as speaker IDs and key sound cues (for example [music], [laughter], [applause]) so the video is easier to follow without the audio.

We can provide either.

Human voice talent is usually best for customer-facing content, brand films, sales videos, and anything where performance, nuance, pronunciation, and trust matter. You can choose from voice samples before we record.

AI VO can be a good fit for internal training, drafts, or low-risk content where speed and cost matter more than performance.

If you tell us the audience, where the video will be published (website, social, internal LMS, paid ads), and your budget range, we’ll recommend the most suitable approach.

Yes. We’ll share a shortlist of suitable voice options (with sample reels) based on your brief, and you can choose the voice you prefer before we record. If you have a specific style in mind, send an example and we’ll match it as closely as possible.

We start by agreeing the style upfront: the audience, where the video will be used, and the tone you want (for example warm, authoritative, conversational). If you have a reference video or voice you like, share it, it helps us match the feel.

If you’re localising an existing video, the original version is the best guide. The voice artist can follow the pace, energy, and intent of what’s already working in the source language.

If you don’t have an existing version to match, a reference recording can be really helpful. Some clients record a quick guide track (sometimes called a scratch track) on a phone or in-house, even if the audio quality is basic. The voice artist then uses it as a reference for timing, emphasis, and tone when recording the final VO.

Usually not. We can brief the voice artist and manage the session based on your notes and reference material, so you don’t have to be “in the studio” to get the result you want.

If you’d like to be involved, you can be, but many clients prefer to send clear direction upfront rather than directing live. Director’s notes are very welcome if you have them, even line-by-line guidance on tone, emphasis, and pronunciation. That kind of detail can be especially helpful when there’s no original version to match.

Either way, we’ll make sure pronunciation and tone are agreed before final delivery.

A usage fee is the fee the voice artist charges for the right to use their recording in a specific way, for example, internal training, a company website, paid social ads, or broadcast. It’s a standard part of voiceover, similar to how an actor may charge for the use of their image or performance.

These fees are set by the voice artist and depend on where the audio will be used and for how long. There won’t be any surprises later: we’ll include any buyout or usage fees in the quote we send you. If budget is a priority, we’ll recommend a voice option and usage terms that fit, while still matching the style you need.

For a quick quote, we need three things:

- The source language and the target language(s)

- The word count (or the file so we can calculate it accurately)

- What the content is about (for example, marketing, legal, technical, medical, HR, training)

If you can send the file, we’ll confirm the word count and recommend the best approach, for example, AI-assisted or 100% human, which can affect the price. Page count on its own isn’t reliable because the number of words per page can vary a lot depending on the document.

If you’re not sure, send what you have and we’ll tell you what else we need.

We’re happy to talk through your project on the phone and give you a ballpark figure. Costs vary depending on the language pair, word count, file type and the complexity of the source copy. If you send the file, we’ll provide a quote by email, often on the same day.

We can be flexible depending on the project. For most business translations, we usually request 50% upfront and 50% on delivery. For small one-off jobs and personal documents, payment is normally taken in full before we start. Regular clients can be set up on 14-day terms when a PO number is provided to confirm the work.

When we have the final version of your text for translation, we'll apply discounts to the quote automatically for repeated text and translation memory matches, so you’ll already be getting our best price from the start. If you have a budget to work to, tell us and we’ll recommend the best approach for quality, turnaround, and cost.

Even short translations require the same project setup: checking the brief, preparing files, assigning the right translator, and running quality checks before delivery, etc. The minimum fee covers that work, so small jobs are handled properly and turned around quickly.

If you want to reduce costs, it often helps to bundle small items together, for example, sending a handful of social posts in one go rather than one short snippet at a time.

Yes. Always. All of our translators are qualified professionals and native speakers. We’ve worked with many of our translators for years, and we hand-pick the right translator for each project based on subject matter and style. Wherever possible, we keep the same translator on your account for consistency.

Yes. Wherever possible, we keep the same translator on your account so terminology, tone, and style stay consistent over time. We also use approved glossaries and translation memory (where appropriate) to reinforce consistency across files, formats, and future updates. Many of our long-term clients work with the same translators for years.