How to prepare a PDF for English to Sinhala translation

Find out what kind of PDF you have

A PDF may contain selectable text, scanned page images, or a mixture of both. Try selecting a short sentence. If you can only select the whole page as an image, treat it as a scan when preparing it for translation. Selectable text is a useful clue, but it does not guarantee the extracted reading order is correct.

For English to Sinhala PDF translation, keep the original PDF available throughout the review. Copying only the extracted text into another file can lose the connection between a label, a number and the place where they appear on the page.

Make scanned pages readable

A readable scan is more useful than an aggressively compressed file. Check the smallest text at a comfortable zoom level. Make sure page corners are visible and that shadows or folds do not cover important fields.

If you have to photograph a document, place it flat, use even lighting and review each image before uploading. Include relevant reverse sides and attachments. Do not edit an unclear name or number into what you think it should say; flag the uncertainty for review.

• Put the pages in their original order.
• Check stamps, handwritten notes and text near page edges.
• Keep an untouched source copy for comparison.

Review tables and reading order carefully

On multi-column pages, the order of extracted text can differ from the order a reader sees. Compare each section with the original page. For a table, identify the row label, column heading and value together before judging whether the translation is complete.

Sinhala text can occupy different space from the English source. Inspect the final layout as well as the wording: a translated heading should remain associated with its content, and a signature or date should not appear under the wrong label. A useful translation and a pixel-for-pixel reproduction are different requirements.

Upload, review and choose the next step

Use Add document on Translate to select the PDF, then choose the source and target languages. Review the draft alongside the original and check the quote and options offered for your document.

If the file is difficult to read or you need a particular delivery format, describe that requirement to support before committing to a service. Choose sworn review when a translator’s review and signature are needed. Confirm the receiving organisation’s requirements rather than assuming that every translated PDF will be accepted for every purpose.