Understand 5 Main Factors That Affects Translation Cost
Whether you are translating a website or an important document, the translation cost is an important factor to consider. No one translation agency or freelancer will quote you the same price.
If you search online, most of the time, you won’t find a fixed price list. Every agency or freelance calculates differently. Some will calculate per word, while others may calculate per hour. There are some factors that help them to determine the cost that they will charge you.
Understand the factors that affects the translation cost can help you to know better on how translation agency or freelancer charge.
Understanding the various factors affecting translation costs can help you budget effectively and ensure you receive the best possible service without compromising on quality. Let’s dive in to know more about which factors affects the translation cost.
1. Language Pairing
The target languages will affect the cost of translation. Certain language is common in the country. For example, Chinese is quite common in Malaysia and Chinese translator can be found easily. It can be more affordable than translating to Spanish.
The difficulty of the language will also affect the cost. Chinese translators may be found easily in Malaysia, but there will be challenges when translating Chinese. For example, classical Chinese is not easy, and it may be harder to find someone who can translate it. The charges may be higher for translating classical Chinese.
The structural complexity of a language can also affect the translation cost. Every language has its own grammatical structures or idiomatic expressions. Some can be more challenging and require more time to do it.
2. Scope Of The Job
The scope of the translation job refers to the length of the document, complexity, and other requirements you require. All these will affect the cost of the job.
The volume of content definitely will affect the cost. Translators will need time and effort to translate the documents. Translators usually will charge based on per word or per page. The longer the document is, the higher the cost is.
The complexity of the document will also affect the cost. General documents will be simpler compared to specialized content like medical texts, legal contract or research paper. This is because specialized content requires expert knowledge and a greater level of accuracy. Mistakes in specialized content will lead to serious consequence, and translator will have a greater responsibility.
3. Turnaround Time
Turnaround time can have a significant impact on translation costs, and it is often not taken into consideration by many people. This is because different projects require different working hours to complete the project.
Most of the time, a translator will know how long it will take to complete the work. Their estimated time to complete the project allows them to work at a steady pace, including translating, editing, proofreading, and final review, without being rushed. They will have enough time to provide a higher quality job.
Occasionally, there will be urgent or rushed projects that require a shorter time. When a translator takes up urgent projects, they will need to speed up their process. They may need to work overtime and even prioritize your project. They may also have lesser time to proofread or even involve additional translator to ensure the project is completed in time. All these will have an impact on the translation cost.
4. Translator Expertise
Every translator comes with varying levels of skills, specialization, and experience. It will affect their ability to handle different types of content. The more experienced the translator is, the higher the cost is, and you will get a higher-quality work in exchange.
Translators can be categorized into two groups: general translators and specialized translators. General translators are usually able to translate emails, newsletters, basic website content, and business correspondence. They are not required to have in-depth knowledge of a specific field.
While specialized translators specialized in specific subject. It can include medical, law, financial or literary translation. Specialized translators often need training or professional experience in the specific field that they are translating.
The experience of the translator also determined the translation cost. They can handle highly specialized documents better than those that are inexperience. They have deeper understanding of the intricacies of the field.
5. Format Requirements
Certain clients may request for certain format requirements. Format requirements may refer to structure, layout, file type, and technical aspect of the document that is required to be translated. The complexity of the format requirements will determine how time-consuming the project is. It is a factor that will affect the translation cost.
Most of the time, translators will use Word documents to do the work, which are typically easier to work with. This allows translators to focus on the translation rather than the formatting. Other file types may include PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, or even InDesign documents, which may require more technical skills.
Another issue that translators will face is that the translated text can expand or contract. Certain projects may require the content to fit into specific layouts or design elements, such as websites, mobile apps, or brochures. It is challenging for translators to preserve the original layout.
Here are the factors that mainly affect the translation cost. Translation is not as easy as most people think. It requires knowledge and time to complete the job. Talk to your translation agency or a freelance translator to understand how they charge.
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