Materials and packaging translation services

From technical specifications and safety information to product packaging and marketing materials, accurate translation helps businesses communicate clearly with customers, suppliers and partners around the world.

At Atlas Translations, we’ve been supporting manufacturers, materials specialists and packaging businesses since 1991.

We understand that translating technical information requires more than fluency in another language. It calls for an understanding of the materials, manufacturing processes, terminology and intended audience.

Whether you’re launching products internationally, translating technical documentation or preparing packaging for overseas markets, our experienced team can help.

Need materials or packaging translation? Email team@atlas-translations.co.uk for a quotation or some friendly advice.

Translation for the materials industry

Materials science and manufacturing involve highly specialised terminology. A mistranslated specification, measurement or technical instruction can cause confusion, delay production or create safety risks.

We work with businesses and organisations across a wide range of materials and manufacturing disciplines, including:

• Plastics and polymers
• Composites and advanced materials
• Metals and metallurgy
• Concrete, cement and construction materials
• Gypsum and plasterboard products
• Paper, board and packaging materials
• Valves and industrial components
• Coatings, adhesives and surface treatments
• Materials research and testing

Our professional translators are selected for their subject knowledge as well as their linguistic expertise, helping ensure that technical information remains accurate, consistent and understandable.

Technical documents we translate

We regularly support businesses with:

• Technical specifications and product data sheets
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
• Materials testing reports
• Manufacturing and operating instructions
• Quality assurance documentation
• Research papers and laboratory reports
• Installation and maintenance manuals
• Product catalogues and brochures
• Tender documents and supplier information
• Training materials and presentations

We can also help with specialist formatting and multilingual document production, ensuring that translated materials are ready for their intended use.

Packaging and product labelling translation

Packaging often has a lot of work to do in a very small space. It needs to communicate product information clearly, reflect your brand, meet applicable market requirements and fit within the available design. And, of course, it needs to make sense to the people buying or using the product.

We translate packaging and labelling content for businesses selling products in international markets, including:

• Product names and descriptions
• Labels and packaging text
• Instructions for use
• Ingredients and materials information
• Warnings and safety instructions
• Storage and handling information
• Sustainability and recycling information
• Cartons, boxes, sleeves and inserts
• Point-of-sale displays
• Product leaflets and promotional materials

Our translators consider the intended market, terminology, tone of voice and available space, rather than simply translating each sentence in isolation.

Where packaging contains regulated information, we can work with your approved terminology and market-specific requirements. Final regulatory approval remains with the appropriate product or compliance specialist.

Translating large product ranges and multiple SKUs

If your business has hundreds or thousands of products, keeping translations accurate and consistent across the entire range can be a considerable challenge. Product descriptions may share terminology, packaging formats may be repeated and new products may be added throughout the year.

Atlas can help you manage ongoing multilingual product content efficiently.

Depending on your requirements, we can support:

• Large-scale translation of existing product ranges
• Staggered product launches and seasonal updates
• Translation of new SKUs as they are introduced
• Consistent terminology across related products
• Translation memories and approved glossaries
• Multiple languages and target markets
• Structured product information in spreadsheets and other file formats

We can discuss a project-by-project arrangement or an ongoing approach to suit your product pipeline.

The aim is to avoid unnecessary duplication, maintain consistency and make managing multilingual product information considerably easier.

Packaging translation that works with your design

Packaging translation isn’t just about words. The translated content also needs to work within the finished design. Some languages require considerably more space than English. A short product description or warning may become much longer once translated. This can create problems with labels, cartons, inserts and point-of-sale materials.

Our team can advise on potential text expansion, terminology and layout considerations before your packaging goes to print. We also offer multilingual desktop publishing (DTP) and typesetting support, helping you prepare translated materials for production.

Where necessary, we can work with your designers and artwork suppliers to identify issues before they become expensive printing mistakes.

Sustainability and environmental information

Sustainability is increasingly important across the materials and packaging industries. Businesses may need to communicate information about recycled content, responsible sourcing, environmental performance, packaging disposal or material composition. These claims need careful translation, particularly where terminology has a specific technical or regulatory meaning.

We can translate:

• Sustainability and environmental reports
• Recycling and disposal instructions
• Environmental product declarations
• Materials sourcing information
• Packaging reduction initiatives
• Product environmental claims
• Corporate sustainability communications

We take care to preserve the meaning of the original information without introducing claims that have not been made or verified.

More than translation

Some projects require more than a translated Word document.

Atlas also provides:

• Proofreading and revision – independent checks of existing translations
• Multilingual DTP and typesetting – preparing documents and packaging artwork in different languages
• Interpreting – for technical meetings, supplier discussions, factory visits and international conferences
• Subtitling and voiceover – for product demonstrations, training videos and promotional content
• Terminology management – helping maintain consistent product names and specialist vocabulary

Our project managers coordinate the process, working with specialist linguists and raising questions where clarification is needed.

We would much rather ask about an ambiguous technical term than make an assumption that causes problems further down the line.

Why choose Atlas Translations?

Experience since 1991

We’ve spent 35 years helping businesses communicate internationally, including companies working with complex technical products and specialist materials.

Specialist human translators

We select professional linguists with relevant industry expertise. Technical terminology deserves specialist attention, not guesswork.

Quality you can rely on

Atlas is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 17100, with established quality management and translation processes.

A team that asks questions

If a specification is unclear or a packaging instruction could be interpreted in more than one way, we’ll ask. It’s part of doing the job properly.

Support for ongoing requirements

From a single product leaflet to thousands of multilingual product descriptions, we can help you plan a practical and consistent translation workflow.

Confidentiality and care

We understand that product specifications, research findings and commercial information may be sensitive. Confidentiality is an important part of our work.