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Can't open PDF

Daniel Schechter

Hi, I'm a new SDL-Trados user. I've just translated a PDF using SDL-Trados and now I would like to export the translated file. I wasn't sure how to do this but went to Batch Tasks/Export Files and exported the file to my desktop. It appeared there in a folder labeled en-US. However, when I try to open the file using my PDF reader app, it refuses to open. The app just quits. Any idea how to resolve this issue?

Thanks, Daniel
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  • 0

    Hi  

    To add to what  has posted, first a correction: The Target file resulting from a PDF is always a Word document. If you need a PDF to return to the client, you can open the document in Word and save as PDF.

    An advantage of the above is that you can also save a Source Word file and take a look at it before you translate in case there is any way it needs improvement, in the layout for example. Then, if you want to you can make changes to that Word file and create a new translation project with it.

    A quick easy way to do this is to open the resulting SDLXLIFF in Studio then do the following:

    Go to File > Advanced Save > Save Source As

    Likewise, a simple way of creating a Target Word file when you have the SDLXLIFF open in Studio is:

    Go to File > Save Target As

    Make sure you note where the file is being saved so you can navigate to it via Windows Explorer and open it.

    I hope this helps,

    All the best

    Ali
  • 0 in reply to Alison Field
    Hi,

    Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed responses. Based on the details you've provided I was able to export the target translation. However, the result was unsatisfactory.

    As Daniel suggested, I ran the batch task "Finalize," which, as Alison noted, produced a Word doc that looks like the original PDF and, as Alison said, I could tweak it as necessary to ensure the client would receive a file that had an identical layout to the original. But before long I could see that the pdf/word doc was riddled with formatting errors and would take me a very long time to adjust, thus negating whatever supposed efficiency gains SDL-Trados provides. In the end, I had to insert the translated text using Adobe Acrobat Pro.

    I was under the impression from what I had read that SDL-Trados could handle various formats. I thought it could take my pdf and do the heavy lifting, format-wise, so I could focus on my translation. This was not the case obviously and I had to rely on other software to get the job done properly.

    DCS
  • 0 in reply to Daniel Schechter

    Hi Daniel,

    as I pointed out above, I always tried to avoid using pdf files as source (for anything). The pdf format is simply designed to be an output format. Its benefit is that it displays/prints satisfactorily on about every platform/printer/program. (Almost.) This file format is not designed to be processed further. It is possible to process it further, but you are working against the grain, so to say. (I understand you did not have a choice.)

    Depending on how complex the layout is, it can be hard to get Word to replicate it. IMHO replacing text in a pdf using Acrobat Pro is a Verzweiflungstat.

    One way to approach the issue might be to first of all try to get a suitable source file. Ask your customer whether they have the document source, e.g. the InDesign or Word file from which the PDF was generated. Or try the "Export" function of Acrobat Pro. (Quite impressive.) If that does not work, try Studio's pdf filter.

    All the best,

    Daniel

    PS: Vote for the improvement of file handling! Here: https://community.sdl.com/ideas/translation-productivity-ideas/i/trados-studio-ideas/enable-more-document-structure-information-when-using-the-embedded-content-processor
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