Translate a sales brochure PDF into German

What changes when a brochure goes into German

A brochure is tight by design: short headlines, call-out boxes, narrow columns. German tests that layout harder than most European languages.

• Length. German text often runs 20 to 35 % longer than English, and a short label can double in width: ‘Free quote’ becomes Kostenloses Angebot, ‘Fast delivery’ becomes Schnelle Lieferung.
• Compound nouns. Herstellergarantie (manufacturer’s warranty), Kundenzufriedenheit or Lieferkettenmanagement are single words. In a narrow column or a button they cannot wrap the way a string of English words can.
• Capitals. Every noun is capitalised: unsere Lösungen für die Logistik. All-caps headlines hide this, but body copy shows it everywhere.
• Numbers. The full stop separates thousands and the comma marks decimals: ‘1,200 customers’ becomes 1.200 Kunden, ‘3.5 %’ becomes 3,5 %. Dates are written 15.03.2025.
• Plurals. German has two plural categories, as English does, but the noun itself often changes: 1 Jahr Garantie, 2 Jahre Garantie.
• Punctuation. German quotation marks open low: „Qualität aus Europa“.

The sales tone German-speaking buyers expect

Many brochures lean on punchy slogans and wordplay. A buyer in Germany, Austria or Switzerland tends to look for facts instead: specifications, lead times, standards met, terms. Calliope, the engine specialised in marketing and sales copy, translates into that register rather than word for word.

• Formal address. Business copy normally uses Sie: ‘Contact us’ becomes Kontaktieren Sie uns, ‘Discover our range’ becomes Entdecken Sie unser Sortiment. Some consumer brands use the informal du; if that is your choice, check it on the free extract.
• Wordplay. A slogan built on a pun in English or French has no direct German counterpart. Expect wording that keeps the idea, not the joke.
• Superlatives. ‘The best solution on the market’ reads as empty to many German-speaking readers; a concrete sentence carries further.
• Gender-inclusive wording. ‘Our customers’ may come out as unsere Kunden or unsere Kundinnen und Kunden. Both are in use; review against your brand’s style.

What Manuce delivers, and what it does not

Manuce reads the text of your PDF block by block, with its position, font, size and colour. You receive:

• The re-laid PDF: the original text is removed and the German placed in the same box, using the original font or an equivalent. Photos, icons and background stay where they were. This layout work is included in the price.
• A Word version with editable text, handy if your designer will rebuild the brochure from the source file.
• A formatted PDF and plain text.

One point matters a great deal with German: when the translation is longer than its box, the text size is reduced until it fits. A large headline such as ‘Our commitments’ (Unsere Verpflichtungen gegenüber unseren Kunden if the phrase is expanded) can therefore come out noticeably smaller than the original.

What Manuce does not do:

• A scanned PDF, an image of a page with no selectable text, is not read.
• Manuce does not edit your InDesign or other source file; it works on the PDF.
• Manuce does not provide sworn or certified translation. A brochure rarely needs one, but attached certificates or contract terms sometimes do.

Preparing the brochure and checking the German version

Before uploading:

• Check that the text can be selected in the PDF. Outlined text (converted to vector paths at export) behaves like an image and will not be read.
• Trim the tightest headlines in the source: a three-word heading leaves more room in German than a full sentence.
• Export the PDF from the source file rather than ‘printing’ to PDF, so the text blocks stay cleanly separated.

Before paying: ask for the free extract and, where possible, pick a representative paragraph such as the offer description. It shows the register, the use of Sie and how your product names are handled.

On delivery, check first:

• headlines and buttons whose size has been reduced;
• the characters ä, ö, ü, ß in brand fonts, which may be replaced by an equivalent font;
• prices, dates and phone numbers (international format for readers abroad);
• product and range names, which should stay unchanged;
• legal notices and contact details on the back page.

In practice

1. Check that the text in your brochure PDF is selectable.
2. Upload the file and choose German: the quote appears, based on the exact word count.
3. Read the free extract to confirm tone and formal address.
4. Receive the re-laid PDF, the Word version, a formatted PDF and plain text.
5. Proofread shrunken headlines, figures and product names before printing.