Foreign Language Typesetting and Multilingual DTP in Over 130 Languages
I’m a foreign language typesetter based in Ottawa, and I’ve been offering multilingual desktop publishing (DTP) services in over 130 languages since 2005.
Most of my work comes from translation agencies. They send me the translated text along with the original files, and I typeset the translation so the final document keeps the look and layout of the original. I work on everything from brochures, posters and packaging to technical manuals, forms and presentations, and I deliver files that are ready to print or publish.
Being able to read and write Arabic gives me a real advantage with right-to-left languages like Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Hebrew. I also do a lot of work in Asian languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese. All of the work is done in-house by me, and nothing is subcontracted.
- Over 130 languages typeset since 2005
- Instructor of the Localization DTP Specialist course at Localization Academy
- Based in Ottawa, working with clients across Canada and around the world
Services
Foreign Language Typesetting
I typeset translated documents in InDesign, QuarkXPress, FrameMaker, Illustrator and Word, matching the layout, fonts and style of the original as closely as the language allows.
Adding Missing Letters to a Font
Sometimes a client’s font doesn’t include the letters a language needs, and those letters show up as squares. Instead of switching to a different font, I can edit the original font and add the missing characters, so the translation keeps the same typeface as the English. I wrote about this in a recent post on a Vietnamese project.
Fillable and Accessible PDFs
I convert standard forms into fillable PDFs, including tooltips and export values, and I can make PDFs accessible to WCAG and AODA standards.
PDF Re-creation
Do you have a PDF without a source file? I can re-create it in whatever application you need, including InDesign, Illustrator or Word, so it can be translated and typeset.
Scripts for Repetitive Work
I’ve been writing scripts and macros for my typesetting work for about ten years. If the same formatting job keeps coming up, I can write one to handle it, and work that takes half an hour by hand can often be done in a few minutes.
I also offer subtitling, OCR, logo transliteration and graphic design.
Clients
Over the years I’ve worked through translation agencies for end clients including the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of New York, the City of Ottawa, the United Nations, RBC, BMO, CIBC, TD and Scotiabank.
Jaber Maycid has been part of Polaron’s international project management team since 2011. He is dependable, expert across languages including right-to-left scripts, and meets deadlines across time zones.
Eva Hussein, CEO, Polaron Language Services
Recent Posts
- When a Font Doesn’t Support the Language
A Vietnamese project where the font was missing the accented letters, and how I added them to the font. - A Smart Lock Manual That Shipped with Broken Arabic
Every Arabic letter in the manual was disconnected, and nobody noticed before it reached the shelves. - An Arabic Logotype Drawn from the Latin’s Own Strokes
No Arabic font matched the Latin logo, so I built the Arabic from pieces of four of the Latin letters.
Get in Touch
Whether you’re an agency looking for a typesetter you can rely on or you have a single project in mind, feel free to contact me for a quote. I usually answer emails within 24 hours.
