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Preview Translated InDesign Files with Pseudo Translation

Pseudo-translation is a way of performing translation without really translating. It replaces the source text with a repeated special character set from other languages. It's completely automated, and it exists here to provide InDesign designers a quick glance at what a translated version of their prototype will look like. Quickly identify strings that will not be translated, locate problematic buttons with run-off text, or simply test your font to determine how it's going to look and feel with a different set of characters.

Pseudo-translate Your File

  1. Launch InDesign Desktop App
  2. Open a new or existing InDesign file
  3. Click Window > Extensions > Smartling
  4. In the Smartling window, click Menu on the top left-hand corner
    • This is where you'll find all functions of the Smartling plugin
      Screenshot_2023-01-19_at_10.44.32.png
  5. From the options listed in the menu, select Pseudotranslate
  6. In the dialog that opens, select a language that represents the region you will be translating for. Each language set corresponds with a text expansion or contraction percentage. This allows you to decide how much expansion or contraction you'd like to see in your pseudo.mceclip3.png
  7. Click Apply Translations and take a look at your new Pseudo-translated page. A copy of your chosen page will be created with selected pseudo translations.

Text Expansion Ratios

  • Chinese, Japanese: reduces text size by 50%.
  • Korean: reduces text size by 30%.
  • Baseline: displays pseudo translations with no text expansion.
  • Most European Languages: increases text size by 15%.
  • French, Italian: increases text size by 30%.
  • Dutch,German: increases text size by 50%.

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