Multilingual Desktop Publishing (DTP) and Typesetting Services
Our multilingual DTP and typesetting service teams put your translated and localized text back into the original design: InDesign brochures, manuals, catalogs, labels and reports. The designed files you receive are ready to print or publish. Native linguists of the target languages check every page after layout, so line breaks, hyphenation, fonts, and right-to-left text are correct in every language.
multilingual DTP at a glance
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What we translate |
Brochures, catalogs, user manuals, packaging and labels, annual reports, books and presentations |
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Specialists |
DTP experts working with native linguists who check every laid-out page |
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Requirements |
Right-to-left and Asian scripts, text expansion, fonts for each language, printer specifications |
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Files & platforms |
InDesign (INDD, IDML), Illustrator, Photoshop, Word, PowerPoint, PDF |
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Turnaround |
12,000 words/day translation · 50 pages/day layout |
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Price |
From $5 / page |
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Delivered with |
Print-ready PDF plus packaged source files with fonts and links |
About the service
What is multilingual desktop publishing (DTP)?
Multilingual desktop publishing, or DTP, is the step that happens after translation where the translated text goes back into the original layout. Typesetting is a core part of the DTP process that sets the text itself: fonts, line breaks, hyphenation, spacing and reading direction. Both make a translated brochure, manual or label look as if it was designed in that language.
Multilingual layouts break when text changes language. German and French can run up to 30% longer than English, Arabic and Farsi read right to left, and Chinese and Thai have no spaces to break lines on. A designer who can’t read the language won’t spot a broken word or a missing character, so a native linguist checks every page before you print.
Multilingual desktop publishing →Who we lay out translations for
- Marketing and brand teams Brochures, catalogs, ads and sales decks for new markets
- Manufacturers and engineering firmsUser manuals, datasheets and safety instructions
- Food, cosmetics and pharma brandsPackaging, labels and inserts with legal text in every language
- Publishers and universitiesBooks, journals, e-books and course materials
- Translation agenciesWhite-label DTP for files you have already translated
What we translate
Documents we lay out in every language
From a one-page flyer to a 500-page manual, including the text in charts, images, and tables that a copy-paste misses.
Marketing and sales
- Brochures, flyers and catalogs
- Sales decks and presentations
- Posters, banners and ads
- Infographics and charts
Technical and regulated
- User manuals and instructions for use (IFUs)
- Datasheets and specifications
- Safety data sheets and warnings
- Packaging, labels and inserts
Corporate and training
- Annual and ESG reports
- Policies and employee handbooks
- Training workbooks and course slides
- Forms and certificates
Digital and web
- HTML emails and newsletters
- Social media graphics
- Screenshots in help guides
Translation + layout
What a translated layout needs before it goes to print
A translated file is only finished when it fits the design, reads correctly, and prints without errors in every language.
Text that fits the design
Translated text grows or shrinks, so we adjust frames, tracking, font size, and page flow to fit it, without cutting words or squeezing the design. You approve the look once, and every language follows the same styles.
Usually needed for: Brochures, packaging, presentations
Arabic and right-to-left layouts
Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, and Hebrew pages are mirrored: reading order, columns, tables, icons and page numbers. We set kashida justification, keep English brand names and numbers readable inside Arabic lines, and use Arabic or Western numerals as your market expects.
Usually needed for: Middle East and Gulf markets
Fonts and scripts for every language
Many brand fonts have no Arabic, Cyrillic, or Asian characters. We match each language with a font that carries every character and fits your brand, and handle line breaking for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai.
Usually needed for: Asian and Eastern European markets
Checked by a native linguist, ready for print
A native linguist reviews the final PDF page by page for broken words, missing accents, and wrong hyphenation. We then deliver print-ready PDFs to your printer's specifications (bleed, crop marks, color profile) and packaged source files.
Usually needed for: Print runs, catalogs, labels
More detail: Arabic and right-to-left DTP explained →
Need multilingual DTP services?
Send your files or details and get a fixed price and delivery date within 24 hours.
How we work
How your documents are translated and laid out
- 01File checkWe check your source files, fonts, and images, and agree on the output: print, digital, or both.
- 02TranslationNative linguists translate from IDML, XLIFF, or Word exports, so the text goes back into the layout without copy-paste.
- 03Layout and typesettingDTP specialists rebuild each language in your original design and fix text flow, fonts, and right-to-left pages.
- 04Native check and deliveryA native linguist checks the final PDF; we fix every mark, then deliver print-ready PDFs and source files.
Confidential by default
Linguists sign NDAs and files move over secure transfer.
Human translation
No AI translation unless you ask for it.
ISO 17100 process
Translation, revision and final checks on every job.
Pricing and turnaround
How much does multilingual DTP cost?
- Translation + revision
- from $0.06 / word
- Layout and typesetting (DTP)
- from $5 / page
- Native check after layout
- Included
- Layout turnaround
- 50 pages/day
- Quote and schedule
- Within 24 hours
Included in every price
- Native translator who specialises in your subject
- Full revision by a second linguist (ISO 17100)
- Your glossary and terminology kept consistent
- Formatting matched to your original file
- Confidential handling, NDA on request
- Fixed price before we start. No surprises.
Certified translations also include a signed statement of accuracy on our letterhead.
Fixed quote within 24 hours. No obligation.
What affects the price
- Source files. Editable InDesign or Word files cost less than scanned PDFs that must be rebuilt.
- Layout complexity. Text-only pages cost less than pages full of tables, charts and text inside images.
- Right-to-left pages. Mirrored Arabic, Farsi, and Hebrew pages take more layout time. The word rate stays the same.
- Repeated pages. Templates, catalog pages, and label sets that repeat are charged less.
- Number of languages. One file setup and style sheet serve every language.
Optional extras
- Rush delivery
- +25%
- Desktop publishing (InDesign, PDF)
- Per page
- Notarization or apostille
- On request
- Printed hard copy by courier
- On request
“Professionalism, perfect for deadlines, and flexibility to meet our needs make Translation Partner one of the top translation companies in Egypt, with international standards.”
Marketing ManagerJabra
multilingual DTP questions
What is multilingual desktop publishing (DTP)?
Multilingual DTP puts translated text back into the original design, so a brochure, manual, or label looks as if it was made in that language. It covers layout, typesetting, fonts, text inside images, and right-to-left pages, followed by a native linguist’s check.
How much does multilingual DTP cost?
Translation plus revision starts at $0.06 per word, depending on the language pair, and layout starts at $5 per page. The page price depends on the layout and the files you send, and you get a fixed quote within 24 hours.
Which software and file formats do you work with?
We work in Adobe InDesign (INDD and IDML), Illustrator and Photoshop, plus Word, PowerPoint and PDF. We translate through IDML or XLIFF exports, so the text goes back into the layout without copy-paste.
Can you work from a PDF only?
Yes. If the source files are lost, we convert the PDF or rebuild the pages in InDesign or Word, then translate and lay them out. It takes longer than working from the original files, so send those if you have them.
How do you handle Arabic and other right-to-left languages?
We mirror the layout, use Arabic fonts with correct letter joining and kashida, and keep English names and numbers in the right order inside Arabic lines. A native Arabic linguist checks every page, because broken letters are easy to miss for designers who don’t read Arabic.
What files should I send you?
Packaged InDesign files with fonts and links, or your Word or PowerPoint files, plus brand guidelines and your printer’s specifications if the job is for print. Tell us the languages and markets, and whether you need print, digital or both.
Do I need DTP if I only ordered a translation?
If the text goes back into a designed file, yes. Otherwise, someone on your team pastes the translation into the layout and fixes broken lines in a language they may not read. Plain Word documents keep their original formatting at no extra cost.
Can you update the files when the source changes?
Yes. Translation memory stores every approved sentence, so we translate only what changed and update the same files. Your layouts stay consistent across versions and languages.
Want your multilingual DTP quote?
Send your files or details and get a fixed price and delivery date within 24 hours.
Complete the below form to get your quote