Multilingual Desktop Publishing


Our desktop publishing unit has a vast knowledge of the intricacies of multilingual layout, fonts and software. We are very skilled at reproducing your original template for the required foreign language versions and emulate their feel and look. All our DTP work is done in-house.

Our jobs are all Pre-press ready so you can take them straight to your printer. Alternatively, we can take care of all print management for you.

We are also happy to design or assist in the design of your publications to ensure that they are suitable and culturally appropriate for other language communities.

Language Professionals is familiar with accessibility requirements and has produced accessible PDF files from both MS Word and InDesign on a regular basis.


What software do we use for multilingual DTP?

• Adobe CC Creative Cloud (Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Premiere, etc…)

• Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc…)

Where possible, we use Unicode fonts or Unicode-compliant fonts.

We can deliver any file format, from native (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc…) to exported formats (eps, pdf, html, etc…). A PDF will be supplied for reference. For Asian or Middle Eastern (right to left) languages, we can supply eps files or files with all text outlined to avoid font issues.


How long does the multilingual desktop publishing process take?

Please bear in mind that foreign language typesetting does take time, even for a simple business card, as the following processes are always involved:

  • translation of text
  • layout/formatting
  • proofreading by a native speaker
  • in-house check by Language Professionals

Additionally, if any amendments or author’s corrections are required, the above tasks need to be repeated all over again. Any job you entrust us with, no matter how big or small, will go through the same stringent quality procedures.


When designing publications intended to be produced in foreign languages, consider the following points:

  • Bear in mind that many languages will often expand so allow enough white space so font size/leading doesn’t need to be reduced too much.
  • Choose open type fonts which support most languages. Arial, Times New Roman, Myriad Pro, Noto, etc… They may not be everyone’s favourites, but they work with just about every language.