How to translate a PDF into English and keep its layout

Why a PDF translates differently from a Word file

A PDF is an output format: it fixes every line, block and image at a precise position on the page. There is no text flow as in Word, where a longer paragraph simply pushes the next one down. Translating a PDF into English therefore means replacing the French text block by block and making it fit in the same space.

Our guide on translating a PDF without breaking the layout covers the general principles, whatever the language. This article focuses on the most common case, French into English, with the checks and pitfalls specific to that pair.

Before uploading: three checks on your PDF

1. Does the PDF have a text layer?

This is the deciding factor. Open the file in your PDF reader and try to select a sentence with the mouse, or search for a word with Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac). If the text can be selected and the search finds it, the PDF has a text layer and can be translated with its layout preserved.

If nothing can be selected, you have a scanned PDF, in other words a picture of a page. Manuce does not handle this kind of file. You have two options: get the original document (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) from its author, or ask for a PDF exported directly from the source software rather than a scan.

2. Do you have the source file?

If the PDF was exported from Word or PowerPoint and you can get hold of the original, send that instead: the text flows freely and the English settles into place on its own. Our article on translating a Word document without losing its formatting covers that case. A PDF remains the right choice when it is the only file available, for instance a document received from a partner.

3. Does the document need to be certified?

A Kbis extract, a degree certificate, a court judgment or a civil status record intended for a foreign authority often requires a sworn translation, signed by a translator accredited by a French court of appeal (traducteur expert près une cour d'appel). Manuce does not provide sworn translation, so for these documents go straight to an accredited expert. Our guide on when a sworn translation is mandatory will help you decide.

What English changes on the page

Moving from French to English is not neutral for the layout. A few differences worth knowing when you review the result:

• Text length. English is often more compact than French: fewer articles, fewer strings of prepositions (“la date de fin de validité de l'offre” becomes “the offer expiry date”). Blocks usually end up slightly less full, which is far less of a problem than overflow. Very short headings and table labels, on the other hand, can grow longer.
• Punctuation. No space before colons, semicolons, question marks or exclamation marks, and “ ” quotation marks instead of the French « ».
• Numbers. The decimal separator becomes a full stop and the thousands separator a comma: “12 500,75” is written “12,500.75”. Keep a close eye on this in financial tables.
• Dates. “03/04” means 3 April in French but 4 March to an American reader. For a document circulating abroad, writing the date in full (“3 April 2025”) removes any ambiguity.
• Capitals in headings. American usage tends to capitalise every important word (“Annual Activity Report”), while British usage more often keeps only the initial capital.

British or American English?

Think about the recipient before you order: a partner in London and a client in New York do not expect the same spelling (“organisation” or “organization”, “colour” or “color”). When you proofread, what matters most is consistency: one variant from start to finish.

Translating the PDF step by step with Manuce

1. Upload the file in the app: a PDF with a text layer, up to 40 MB.
2. Select English as the target language, then the level: Essential, Professional or Premium.
3. Read the quote: the word count is taken from the actual document, not estimated per page, and the price is shown before any payment.
4. Check the free sample: an extract is translated at no cost, so you can judge the tone and rendering before paying.
5. Download the translation within minutes from your client area and by email, with images, tables and fonts in place.

Each document goes to the specialist for its subject. A PDF with no particular field (internal memo, company presentation, letter, minutes) goes to Atlas, the general documents specialist. A contract goes to Thémis, a financial report to Métis, a technical data sheet to Dédale: the full list is on the specialists page.

On confidentiality, no file is read by a human, the servers are in France and documents are never used for training. Details are on the privacy page.

Worked example: a 2,000-word PDF

Take a 2,000-word company presentation in PDF, roughly 5 pages, to be translated from French into English. English is one of the common languages (×1.0 coefficient). These are the prices shown on the quote on the day of writing:

The original layout is included in the price and express delivery is +0 %. VAT not applicable, article 293 B du CGI.

If the same PDF also has to go out in German and Spanish, the Professional level costs €36 per language, €108 before discount; the 30 % three-language discount (€32.40) brings the total down to €76. The full price grid is on the pricing page, and our article on getting a quote for English translation explains how to read it line by line.

What to check on delivery

• Text blocks: no words cut off or hidden at the edge of a frame, especially in boxes and captions.
• Tables: figures aligned, decimal separators converted, headers readable.
• Text inside images: a diagram or chart saved as an image has no text layer, so its labels stay in French. If they matter, recreate the image from the source file.
• Proper names and acronyms: brands, product names, French acronyms (SAS, CSE, TVA). Decide whether they stay as they are or need explaining for a foreign reader.
• Consistency: the same term translated the same way from page to page, one variant of English throughout.

To go further on this language pair, see our French to English translation page.