Translate a PDF into Greek and keep the layout

What changes when a PDF goes into Greek

Greek runs left to right, so the page structure stays as it is. Three things still need attention.

• Glyphs. Many layout fonts, especially display and brand typefaces, only cover the Latin alphabet. A missing « Ω » or « ψ » would show up as an empty box. When the original font lacks Greek, Manuce uses an equivalent font: the look stays close, but it will not always be the exact design from your brand guidelines.
• Length. Greek often runs longer, with long words: « information » becomes « πληροφορίες », « terms and conditions » becomes « όροι και προϋποθέσεις ». In a narrow column or a button, the text size is reduced until the translation fits its box.
• Capitals. Greek marks the stress accent on lower-case letters but normally drops it in all-caps text: « Περιεχόμενα » becomes « ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ ». An all-caps heading carrying accents is not a mistranslation, but it is a typographic slip worth checking.

One more Greek detail: final sigma « ς » is used only at the end of a word (« όρος »), « σ » everywhere else. Lines broken mid-word by an old layout can produce odd splits, so those are places to proofread.

Greek punctuation, numbers and conventions

A PDF translated into Greek should follow local usage, or it gives away its origin on page one.

• The question mark is written « ; ». « Have you signed? » becomes « Έχετε υπογράψει; ». A Greek reader seeing « ? » in Greek text spots a poorly adapted document.
• The semicolon is the raised dot « · » (άνω τελεία).
• Quotation marks are angle quotes « », with no inner spaces.
• Numbers use a decimal comma and a full stop for thousands: 1.250,50 €, with the euro sign after the amount. An English source showing €1,250.50 needs this switch.
• Dates run day, month, year: 31/12/2025, or written out as « 31 Δεκεμβρίου 2025 », with the month in the genitive. Watch out for US-style dates in the source.

Grammatically, Greek has only two plural forms (one and other): « 1 σελίδα », « 10 σελίδες ». Fixed phrases such as « Page 3 of 10 » or « 2 attachment(s) » translate cleanly, but an automatic counter in a footer remains whatever the original PDF contains. In letters and contracts, formal address uses the plural « εσείς »: check this in the sample if your document speaks directly to the reader.

What Manuce delivers, and what it does not

For a PDF whose text can be selected, you receive:

• The re-laid PDF: the original text is removed and the Greek translation placed in the same box, in the original font or an equivalent. Images, logos and backgrounds stay in place. Because Greek runs left to right, this PDF is produced, unlike Arabic or Hebrew.
• A Word version with editable text, handy for adjusting a cramped heading or an accented capital.
• A formatted PDF and plain text, useful for proofreading or copying.

What Manuce does not do:

• Scanned PDFs (a picture of a page with no selectable text) are not read. If you cannot highlight a word in your PDF viewer, you first need a version with real text.
• Text inside images (a diagram, a screenshot) stays as it is: only the PDF's text is translated.
• No certified translation. For a birth certificate, degree or court ruling going to a Greek authority, a translation certified by an authorised translator is generally required; Manuce does not provide one.

Greek is a surcharged language: a ×1.25 coefficient applies to the per-word rate, already included in the quote shown on upload.

Preparing the PDF and checking the Greek

Before uploading, a few checks avoid surprises:

• Test text selection. Highlight a sentence and paste it into an editor: if characters come out garbled, the translation will too.
• Spot tight boxes: buttons, table cells, captions. That is where the Greek text will be shrunk; if legibility matters, keep the Word version to retouch them.
• Note terms to leave untranslated: product names, brands, references. There is no glossary to send: check them in the free sample, then in the delivered translation.

On delivery, proofread first:

• all-caps headings (remove accents if needed);
• questions, which should end in « ; »;
• amounts and dates (1.250,50 €, 31/12/2025);
• proper names: a foreign name is often transliterated into Greek (« Smith » → « Σμιθ »), which is not always wanted on an official document where the name must stay in Latin script.

For a document going to a Greek client or partner, the Professional level is the right fit; Essential is enough to understand a PDF you have received.

In practice

1. Check that the text in your PDF can be selected.
2. Upload the file and choose Greek: the quote appears at once, based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free sample, looking at punctuation, accents and terms to keep.
4. Pay, then download the re-laid PDF, the Word file and the plain text.
5. Proofread all-caps headings, amounts, dates and proper names.