Alchemy Translations

Translation cost calculation for offers:

1. Identify client's wants and needs according to client's request.

2. Identify the method of word count according to the type of document to be translated.

2.1. The document to be translated has relatively few repetitions e.g. correspondence, literary work.

Word Count:
The repetitions are disregarded. The total number of words is to be counted basing on Statistics in WORD file.

A) If the document to be translated is in WORD format:
- On the Review tab, in the Proofing group, click the Word Count button to view the number of words;
- Check files for an availability of the images containing text;
- If such images are available, check with the client whether it is also necessary to translate it and whether the client can send the image source files;
- If necessary, recognize the images, see clause 2.1 B).

B) If the document to be translated is in PDF format or as scanned paper document, image:
To make it editable:
- Convert PDF to WORD using Adobe Acrobat Reader Pro
1. Open a file in Acrobat.
2. Click on the Export PDF tool in the right pane.
3. Choose Microsoft Word as your export format, and then choose Word Document.
4. Click Export. If your PDF contains scanned text, Acrobat will run text recognition automatically.
5. Name the Word file and save it in a desired location.
or
- Convert scanned paper documents, images and PDFs to Word, Excel, searchable PDF and other editable formats using ABBYY FineReader

2.2. A website translation is requested:
First ask the customer to send the text of the website as a .doc or .csv file.
If the customer insists on giving an offer without providing a text in .doc or .csv format:
- Make a preliminary calculation using copy/insert a text of the website into the word document.
- Pay attention to count all pages of the website, including impression, links etc.
- Do not make multiple copies of an identical content such as header or menu.
- Provide an offer to the customer basing on the word count statistics of the WORD file.

2.3. The document to be translated has many repetitions e.g. technical, medical texts:
The translation can be made via Tools with a translation memory. i.e. Trados, especially SDL Trados Studio 2017.

2.3.1. Find out the number of new (weighted) words.
The new words are calculated by full word rate.
2.3.2. Find out the number of repetitions.

- If Trados has detected no fuzzy matches (fuzzy) all repetitions are to be counted (sum up 100%: cross-file reps + repetitions).
- If Trados has detected fuzzy matches:
Fuzzy matches are considered by cut-down rates, may differ between the companies. We use the rates as follows:
Repetitions 20%
Cross-file Repetitions 20%
100% 20%
95-99% 25%
85-94% 50%
75-84% 50%
50-74% 100%
No Match 100%

- Compare the total word number detected in Trados with the total word number found in WORD (see clause 2.1 А), both should roughly be the same.
If they are not:
* Perhaps the text is recognized with errors or extra spaces or unreadable symbols.
* If possible, try again to recognize, deleting areas with errors or highlighting them properly, or contact a senior PM or DTP specialist for help.
* If the text is of poor quality and cannot be recognized properly, either ask the client to send the file of better quality or as a source file, or calculate the rate without considering repetitions at all, i.e. to count an approximate rate (therefore the translator has to translate the text into a new .doc file and count the PO after the target words).

3. After final word number detection:
- Open the table “Rates” in Google sheets.
- Add a new row.
- Enter the project name and client data, date of the offer.
- Insert the number of new words into the cell “New words” (if you counted them via Trados, then enter the number of weighted words).
- Insert the number of repetitions (see the info above concerning fuzzy matches, non-fuzzy matches) into the cell “Repetitions”.
- Check the rate with the Senior PM or the Chef.
- Enter a possible client’s general discount into the cell “Rebate”.
- Summarize and round up (automatically concluded via formula in the Rates tab) the rate to be given to the client.

4. Send the offer to the client.

5. For small orders up to ca. 500 - 700 source words (depending on the rate) is a minimal charge €70 or $70 applied.