Professional Language Services Since 1985
Home / Knowledge Center / Client Guide
Client Guide

How to Prepare Documents for Faster Translation

Small improvements to the source files and instructions you send can reduce questions, avoid rework, and help a translation project move more efficiently.

5 min readPractical Client GuideDavila & Associates, Inc.

Good source files save time

The fastest translation workflow begins with a source document that is complete, legible, and organized. Blurry photos, cropped pages, duplicate versions, and missing instructions often create more delay than the translation itself.

Whenever possible, send the original digital file—such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or a high-quality PDF—rather than a photo of a screen or a low-resolution image.

Make every page readable

Best file typeIf you have an editable source file, send it. Editable files can make it easier to preserve formatting, tables, headings, and other layout elements.

Tell us how the translation will be used

The intended use can affect formatting, certification, terminology, and delivery. Let us know whether the document is for court, immigration, business, medical, academic, internal, marketing, or another purpose.

If a specific agency, court, client, or institution gave you instructions, include them with the request rather than waiting until the translation is finished.

Identify the language and deadline

Tell us the source language, target language, and your actual deadline. If the job is urgent, identify it as a rush request immediately so scheduling can be evaluated before work begins.

For larger projects, tell us whether all files have been delivered. Starting with one incomplete batch and adding new versions later can create duplicate work and version-control problems.

Provide terminology when consistency matters

For recurring business, legal, technical, or organizational content, existing terminology can be valuable. Send prior approved translations, glossaries, product names, department names, acronyms, or style preferences that should remain consistent.

Faster translation checklist
Send the clearest original or editable file available.
Include every page and avoid cropped scans.
State the source and target languages.
Explain the intended use and any recipient requirements.
Give the real deadline and flag rush work immediately.
Provide approved terminology or prior translations when available.
Avoid sending multiple conflicting versions of the same file.

Ready to send a project?

Use the Request Services form to tell us what you need. Include the language, deadline, intended use, and the best version of the source document available.

When every word matters, preparation matters too.

Davila & Associates provides professional interpretation, translation, transcription and legal videography services for legal, government, business and individual clients.

Request Services