The translation industry has changed during the last two decades due to the introduction of the personal computer and the Internet and, subsequently, computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools. CAT tools and other software reduce the workload and increase production output and consistency. The increasing complexity of these tools requires more experience to prepare text in such a manner that only text that should be translated is made available for translation, while all other text is hidden or protected. [+]Computer-aided translation tools include translation memory software, terminology management software, alignment software and interactive machine translation. These software packages were first developed for internal use, but CAT tool development companies are currently developing products for sale. For more information refer to the Wikipedia page on CAT tools.

Preparing a project correctly requires experience and some software writing skills. Language Service Providers (LSPs) are under pressure to prepare the projects, find translators and reviewers, manage the process, and then send the project back to the customer. Sometimes the day is just too short to do it all! [+]Correctly formatted Word files are easy to convert into Trados TagEditor files, but when the formatting is implemented using tabs, soft enters or other special features, or when fonts change unnecessarily because styles are applied incorrectly, TagEditor files become messy, making it hard for the translator to see what is to be translated.

Preparing projects in memoQ, SDL Trados, Passolo, World Server and most other CAT applications requires in-depth familiarity with the software itself and the translation process. Our team has 15 years of experience with CAT tools, which we are happy to share with our customers.