The process, before you commit to it.
Here's exactly what happens to your document, in order, from the moment you send it to the moment it's delivered.
Our six-step process
Brief
You send your document, or describe the job. Attach a file if you have one — PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT, RTF, JPG or PNG, up to 10MB each.
Quote
We reply within 1 working hour (office hours) with a fixed price and a turnaround date.
Translate
A translator working in your language pair and subject area produces the first draft.
Independent review
A second person — not the original translator — checks it against the source for accuracy and completeness.
Terminology check
Key terms are checked for consistency, against your own glossary where one exists.
Certify (where required) & deliver
For certified work, we add our signed statement of accuracy and a notary attestation where the receiving authority requires it, then deliver on the agreed date.
What happens to your document
Every file you send us travels encrypted, both to us and internally between the people working on it. Processing happens within the EU — nothing is routed through, or stored on, servers outside it. Files are kept only for as long as the job and any correction window require, then deleted on a fixed schedule; we don't keep a permanent archive of client documents. We don't use anything you send us to train a machine translation model or any other system. We don't share your files with a third party. If your organisation needs it in writing before you send anything, we'll sign an NDA on request — just ask when you get in touch.
File formats & turnaround
- Formats
- PDF, DOC, DOCX, ODT, TXT, RTF, JPG, PNG.
- Note
- Editable formats (DOC, DOCX, ODT) are fastest to quote and translate; scanned PDFs and images take a little longer, since text has to be extracted first.
- Turnaround
- Standard (2–3 working days) · Express 24 hours (+30%) · Same working day (+50%)
Our QA method
Independent review
The person who checks your translation is never the person who wrote it. A second, qualified reader compares it against the source before it’s certified or delivered.
Terminology consistency
For repeat clients, we keep a running glossary of your preferred terms, so the fifth document reads consistently with the first.
Process questions
Who actually translates my document?
A translator working in your language pair and subject area — for example, a technical translator handles manuals, not whoever’s free.
Can I speak to the translator directly?
For business and technical accounts, yes, for clarifying terminology or scope. For most personal document jobs it isn't necessary — questions go through your quote reference.
What if I need to make a change after I've sent my document?
Tell us as soon as possible — if the job hasn't started, we update it free. Once translation is underway, a change may affect price and turnaround; we'll tell you before proceeding.
Do you use machine translation?
Not for translation work sold as "translation" — that's done by a human translator with independent review. If you specifically want machine-translated text checked and corrected, that's our separately priced MT Post-Editing service, on the Proofreading & Editing page.