Multilingual Desktop Publishing, or DTP, is an integral part of the localization process. Source documents such as manuals, datasheets, or brochures must be translated and then formatted to meet the specific requirements of the target language. To streamline the localization process, documentation materials must be prepared to take advantage of TM savings. After the translation and QA process, the files will undergo post processing to return them to their original format. Only then is the translated documentation ready for the final layout and formatting.

Multilingual DTP requires additional localization knowledge than merely understanding all the features of the various publishing tools. DTP specialists should have a thorough knowledge of the issues and requirements of the localization process. For instance, they should be aware of international layout conventions and characters set issues, have knowledge of mark-up languages, such as HTML SGML, and XML, and are able to select the appropriate computer-aided translation tool for the project. For these reasons, localization service providers often have their own in-house DTP department.

CSOFT provides professional and competitive multilingual publishing services in 50+ languages. Our desktop publishing specialists work with all industry-standard desktop publishing and graphics tools, and offer complete support for DTP on both Windows and Macintosh platforms.

In addition to regular publishing/graphic design skills, our professional multilingual DTP team excels in the following:

• International and language-specific layout issues, typographical conventions
• Language and character set issues in multilingual documentation and Unicode
• File conversions between translation memory tools
• Re-mastering a source document from one publishing application into another
• Single source publishing
• Markup languages such as HTML SGML, and XML

• Books, manuals
• Marketing collateral (datasheets, brochures)
• Online help systems (HTML Help, WinHelp, JavaHelp)
• Multilingual websites, online documentation
• Multimedia presentations
• CBT (computer-based trainings)

CSOFT is experienced with a variety of documentation formats including:

• HTML, SGML, XML, Unicode
• FrameMaker, Structured FrameMaker
• QuarkXPress; Adobe InDesign, PageMaker
• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Macromedia FreeHand, CorelDraw
• Macromedia Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Director
• Macromedia RoboHelp, Quadralay WebWorks
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, etc.), Visio