Translation of School Transcripts Thread poster: Scott de Lesseps
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Hello,
Can anyone tell me what the protocol is for translating school transcripts? My client faxed me the transcripts (which I paid $5.00 to receive on my end), and much of it is illegible. I hate to keep making him pay for faxing (if he doesn't have free access to a fax). The only other options I can think of are scanning the documents, and sending them electronically, or using efax.com, which someone on another site recommended. I signed up with an account with efax.com, but I don't know... See more Hello,
Can anyone tell me what the protocol is for translating school transcripts? My client faxed me the transcripts (which I paid $5.00 to receive on my end), and much of it is illegible. I hate to keep making him pay for faxing (if he doesn't have free access to a fax). The only other options I can think of are scanning the documents, and sending them electronically, or using efax.com, which someone on another site recommended. I signed up with an account with efax.com, but I don't know if it will come out more clearly with that or not (and the client may have to pay to fax to that number also). If he scans the documents and sends them, would they have to be in a PDF format? If so, then would I have to have Acrobat Writer? Is this a viable, and advisable option?
Also, what about the format? Does the original format have to be duplicated, or just imitated? He also included a diploma, so what does one do in that case? Any help or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
Scott ▲ Collapse
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efax should give the same quality as the illegible fax you received, it's basically an electronic facsimile of the original. if you don't have a fax machine, like myself, it's free and works great (I've used it 3 times this month). The client sends to that number like a normal fax so I don't think he's charged for it.
As far as format, I stick to as near as possible to the original. When deviating, I make it logical, so the person reading the new document can easily glance back a... See more efax should give the same quality as the illegible fax you received, it's basically an electronic facsimile of the original. if you don't have a fax machine, like myself, it's free and works great (I've used it 3 times this month). The client sends to that number like a normal fax so I don't think he's charged for it.
As far as format, I stick to as near as possible to the original. When deviating, I make it logical, so the person reading the new document can easily glance back and forth from the original to the translation and see that they correspond. Hope this helps. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Zawadzki (X) 
Local time: 12:03
English to Polish
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These days telephone modems are rarely used for internet connections, but they work OK as faxes, and they cost peanuts. But this will hardly solve a quality problem. Scan + e-mail is much better (the sending party can check and adjust quality).
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 06:03
German to English
| Several issues here | Nov 5, 2003 |
1. The client may not have access to a scanner and program to create pdf files. If the client is in the US, it might be simpler if he/she makes a xerographic copy (less distortion than a fax) and sends the docs via overnight mail.
2. You really should have some sort of fax facility, either a fax modem (your present modem might have this capability, read the manual) or a separate device or e-fax, since there are a lot of hard-copy only documents that need to be translated. Although I have a... See more 1. The client may not have access to a scanner and program to create pdf files. If the client is in the US, it might be simpler if he/she makes a xerographic copy (less distortion than a fax) and sends the docs via overnight mail.
2. You really should have some sort of fax facility, either a fax modem (your present modem might have this capability, read the manual) or a separate device or e-fax, since there are a lot of hard-copy only documents that need to be translated. Although I have a stand-alone fax machine, I use e-fax for my incoming faxes, as I can retrieve my faxes even when I'm away from my office, as they arrive via e-mail.
3. Regarding the formatting of the documents, I agree with the comment that although you need not follow the format exactly (sometimes it's impossible, due to varying font sizes, complicated layout), you should structure your format so that the reader can easily relate the translation to the original document.
Hope this helps,
Kevin ▲ Collapse
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Scott de Lesseps
United States
Local time: 06:03
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | How to charge? | Nov 5, 2003 |
Thanks for all the helpful info everyone!
I do have another question related to the same topic. Much of the transcript is in table format, and it's full of numbers. There are really more numbers than words, overall. So I wanted to get opinions on how to charge for something like this. I will probably do it in Word, in table format. Does anyone have any experience with this type of thing?
As for the diploma, is translating just the text sufficient, or does the whole docume... See more Thanks for all the helpful info everyone!
I do have another question related to the same topic. Much of the transcript is in table format, and it's full of numbers. There are really more numbers than words, overall. So I wanted to get opinions on how to charge for something like this. I will probably do it in Word, in table format. Does anyone have any experience with this type of thing?
As for the diploma, is translating just the text sufficient, or does the whole document need to be "imitated"? Thanks a lot.
Scott ▲ Collapse
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In so far as these "short" documents,I always charge a minimum. word rate with a minimum charge. As for the format, I always try to imitate the original format as close as possible. As other collegues have mentioned, so the reader of the translation can look at both documents and see what is what.
| | | | Dyran Altenburg (X)
United States
Local time: 06:03
English to Spanish
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| For these type of jobs... | Nov 9, 2003 |
...clients pay me US$50 per document minimum(which is the same rate law firms charge for the service).
If a complicated format is involved, I charge by the hour (typically 2 hours in the case of transcripts).
[Edited at 2003-11-09 14:41]
| | | | Scott de Lesseps
United States
Local time: 06:03
French to English
TOPIC STARTER | transcript charges | Nov 10, 2003 |
Dyran Altenburg wrote:
...clients pay me US$50 per document minimum(which is the same rate law firms charge for the service).
Do you mean $50 per page? Thanks.
Scott
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| Translation of School Transcripts | Nov 15, 2003 |
Sometimes we get so hung up on trying to get something immediately that we end up spending more time than we would by receiving a decent copy through the regular mail !
Ask the client to make the best copy they can and to pop it in an envelope.
Andy Golebiowski
Buffalo, NY
USA
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