What is Typesetting?

While it may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about your translation process, typesetting can be one of the most important parts of a successful marketing campaign. Here’s everything you need to know about this essential piece of the marketing translation puzzle.

So, what is typesetting?

Although the real nitty gritty of a project may be the translating itself, typesetting should be more than just an afterthought. Typesetting involves formatting and presenting your materials in the most effective way to appeal to your target audience. It’s usually done in preparation for printing, but it can also be an important step for creating online materials, too.

What does typesetting involve?

The main things to look out for when you deal with a typesetting task will be the way the information is set out on the page or document. Different languages may have different rules about punctuation, line spacing, italics, and capitalisation. These are the sorts of things that might not be picked up on by a regular translator, but could make a difference to how your target audience interacts with the material.

A typesetting expert with experience in the target language will be able to ensure the process runs as smoothly as possible. They can help to make your materials look professional and presentable in the target language, taking things such as font choice, hyphenation, and punctuation into account.

What does a typesetter look out for?

Whether it’s a different alphabet or important differences in sentence structure, there are plenty of quirks of language that can benefit from the eagle eye of an experienced typesetter. For example, did you know that Arabic doesn’t use capital letters or hyphens?!

Phrases can also end up being either longer or shorter depending on the language and the words used. German is an important example – many words are longer than their English counterparts. A typesetting professional can make sure your marketing materials avoid any issues that might distract from the key messages of your brand.

How can Atlas Translations help you?

When you work with Atlas Translations, you’re working with real people with plenty of fantastic experience in translation and typesetting. Our typesetting experts work in their native tongue to provide accurate and effective materials. We work with you to develop the product you’re looking for – with a dedicated team to make sure your marketing materials make a big impact. Get in touch with us today to find out more!