Translate instructions for use in PDF into English

What changes when a manual goes into English

Many source languages write instructions in the infinitive or in a polite form: French « Débrancher l'appareil avant tout nettoyage », German « Gerät vor der Reinigung vom Netz trennen ». English uses a short imperative: “Unplug the appliance before cleaning.” A sentence starting “To unplug…” reads as a literal translation.

• Safety signal words. English manuals use a graded set: DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, NOTICE. A source “Attention” or “Achtung” may map to WARNING or CAUTION depending on the severity of the hazard: check these first.
• Numbers. A decimal comma becomes a point: 1,5 kg becomes 1.5 kg, and a thousands space or dot becomes a comma (2,500). A misplaced separator in a torque or pressure value changes the instruction.
• Plurals. English has two forms (one, other) and zero takes the plural: 0 errors, 1 battery, 2 batteries. In French, zero is singular, so this is easy to miss.
• Cross-references. see Fig. 3, item 4: numbers must match the diagrams exactly.

British or American English

A manual for the UK and one for the US are not written quite the same way, so decide which market you are targeting before approving the text.

• Spelling: colour / color, aluminium / aluminum, metre / meter.
• Electrical vocabulary: mains plug, socket in the UK; outlet, power cord in the US.
• Dates: 03/04/2025 is 3 April in the UK and 4 March in the US. For a manufacturing or warranty date, writing the month in full removes the ambiguity.
• Units: American readers often expect inches and Fahrenheit. Manuce translates the text; it does not convert your values. If you want 40 °C (104 °F), add the conversion in the Word file supplied.

Check which variety you get in the free sample, then in the full translation.

What Manuce returns

The manual is handled by Dédale, Manuce's technical specialist. It reads the PDF text block by block, with its position, font, size and colour. You receive:

• the original PDF in English: the source text is removed and the translation placed in the same box, in the original font or an equivalent; diagrams, photos, symbols and background stay where they are. If a translation is longer than the original, its size is reduced until it fits, which is uncommon when translating into English;
• an editable Word version, for adjusting a safety statement or adding unit conversions;
• a formatted PDF and plain text.

For a typical manual of about 2,500 words (8 pages), the translation arrives within minutes and stays in your client area.

What is not done. A scanned PDF with no selectable text is not read. A label that is part of an image, such as a caption drawn into a diagram, is not PDF text and stays in the source language. Manuce does not produce sworn or certified translations, and compliance of the manual with the target market's requirements remains the manufacturer's responsibility. For a manual handed to customers, the Professional or Premium level suits better than Essential, which is meant for understanding.

Preparing the PDF

• Test text selection: if you cannot highlight an instruction with the mouse, the PDF is an image; go back to the file exported from your layout software.
• Spot captions embedded in diagrams: if “Water tank” is drawn into the illustration, it will not be translated. Numbered callouts (1, 2, 3) with a text legend translate without difficulty.
• Export the right version: the manual should match the model on sale, with current references and specifications.
• List the labels printed on the product: if the panel reads ON/OFF or START, the English manual must use exactly those words, not a fresh translation of the source labels.

Reviewing the English version before release

1. Safety statements: does each WARNING and CAUTION match the intended hazard level, with the same word used for the same risk throughout?
2. Figures: voltages, torques, pressures and temperatures, with decimal points.
3. Product and mode names: whether “Mode Éco” should stay as is or become Eco mode is something to check in the free sample, then in the full translation.
4. Cross-references: figure, item and page numbers matching the diagrams.
5. Consistent variety: no mix of colour and color in one document.

In practice

1. Check that the text in your PDF manual can be selected.
2. Upload the PDF: the quote appears based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free sample (terminology, imperatives, UK or US English) before paying.
4. Download the English PDF in its original layout, plus Word, formatted PDF and plain text.
5. Review safety wording, values and button labels, and edit in Word if needed.