Desktop publishing, or DTP, is all about making documents and files look nice and pretty. DTP specialists focus on the layout of images, posters, and PDF files, among others. But how does DTP relate to localization? Is there still a need for DTP specialists in the localization industry? Absolutely.
In localization, the process of translating files from one language to another can often lead to formatting issues. Take a PDF document, for example. The English version may look nice and polished, but when it’s localized, the translation may not fit the same layout as the original. This is where DTP specialists come in.
DTP specialists are responsible for fixing localization formatting issues. They take the mess of translated text and images and work to make it look pretty again. This can include adjusting the layout and even swapping the order of text for right-to-left languages like Arabic and Hebrew.
DTP specialists are often tasked with making localized assets look just as nice as the source files. This way, the final product can be sent to customers and received with the same level of appreciation as the original. Without DTP specialists, localization formatting issues could result in a subpar final product.
In short, DTP specialists are a crucial part of the localization process. Their expertise in desktop publishing allows them to make sure that localized files look just as nice as the original. So the next time you’re reading a document that’s been translated into another language, remember that there are DTP specialists behind the scenes working to make sure it looks just as pretty as the original.