PDF files are versatile and reliable for publishing and editing documents, regardless of the operating system, software, or hardware used. Besides being printable, the PDF document is compact and can be password-protected. But how do you translate a PDF from English to Portuguese? We’ll answer that question for you in this article. Check it out!
Types of Translation
Today, there are various types of document translation. The most commonly used are:
Sworn Translation
Sworn translation is used to validate and present official documents to entities and public bodies in other countries. This type of translation can only be performed by a sworn translator registered with a Commercial Board of your state to give public faith to the document.
Sworn translation is used, for example, in documents required to apply for citizenship in another country, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, and identity documents.
Certified Translation
Certified translation is a simple free translation performed by a certified translator. It verifies the authenticity and quality of the translated document in relation to the original, so that it is valid in another country.
Certified translation can be used, for example, for documents like certificates, academic transcripts, and diplomas, to be presented when applying to study abroad.
However, it is important to always check with the educational institution what documents you need to present and the type of translation required for your application.
Technical Translation
Technical translation is a free translation without legal value. It should be used when the document contains specific language from a particular field, such as scientific or technological, and needs to be translated into another language without losing the original document’s meaning.
This type of translation should be performed by a technical translator who understands and correctly uses the terminology of the field.
Technical translations can be used, for example, in the pharmaceutical field, such as medication leaflets.
How to Translate a PDF
Translation can be done through applications or by specialized companies and translators. See both cases below.
“Non-Official” Translations
As many know, PDF files are not editable, and Adobe Acrobat does not translate PDFs from English to Portuguese or other languages. So, see how to translate a PDF if your goal is just to read a document in your language.
Note: The following steps are for translating your PDF with PDFelement.
- Open your PDF file by clicking the “Open PDF” button or dragging and dropping the file into PDFelement;
- Perform OCR to extract the text from the document if your file is not in PDF format or if you have opened a scanned document. To do this, click on “Convert” and then on “OCR”. After this, your document will be converted to text. Note: if you open a scanned document in PDFelement, it will automatically detect it and ask if you want to perform OCR;
- Select the document, right-click on the selected text, and click “Copy Text”;
- Paste the copied text into an editable program, such as Word, and translate the PDF from English to Portuguese using programs like Google Translate. Google Translate is a free instant translation tool and one of the most used for documents that do not have a specific purpose (when the translation is not done by a specialized translator). The tool now offers the advantage of a feature that allows you to upload PDF files for free.
Professional Translation
It is essential to emphasize that translation agencies and qualified translators in the market do not use automatic translation strategies to translate a PDF or other types of files.
Instead, professionals edit the entire text from scratch using specialized programs or convert it to Word and then transfer it to CAT Tools such as Trados Studios, MEMSOURCE, Smartcat, among others. In the case of Trados and other tools, it is possible to import high-resolution PDF text.
Therefore, it is crucial to understand that if you need to translate legal, academic, corporate documents, or any other type of translation that requires high accuracy (which cannot have errors and must be a faithful copy of the original document), it is recommended—and often mandatory—to seek qualified professionals.
A professional translator can use a program to convert your documents to PDF, such as:
- Microsoft Word | Microsoft Office;
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC;
- PDFelement, among others.
Document Translation with Yellowling
Translating documents with Yellowling is the most practical, secure, and economical way to ensure quality. We are the number 1 translation company in Latin America, performing translations (of different types) in various languages, including PDF translation from English to Portuguese.
As of April 2023, the date this article was written, Yellowling has over 180 specialized translators, has completed over 27,000 translations, and has served more than 4,200 clients.
It’s simple to request your translation with Yellowling; just follow the steps below:
- Select the source and target languages of the document (English and Portuguese, respectively);
- Fill in your details on the Yellowling website and upload the documents that need translation. To do this, upload the document(s) in PDF or image format;
- Choose the best delivery date for your translations according to your needs. You will receive your quote within a minute;
- If you agree, request the service online directly on our platform without leaving your home and make the payment;
- You can access our platform and track the status of your translation in real-time;
- On the scheduled date, you will receive your translations digitally or physically without any hassle. Yellowling takes care of the entire process for you!