Finding the best catalog translation software for your 2022 business needs is the secret to translating catalogs (or catalogues) with consistency, efficiency and with a high quality standard. 

This applies whether you translate brochures, parts catalogs, product lists or any other catalog document. While the must-haves in a catalog translation application can vary based on the organization, there are some non-negotiable features that companies should always look for when choosing catalog translation software.

We’ll give you a recommended solution at the end of this post. First, here are the top 10 best catalog translation software features to help your organization achieve the most accurate translations while reducing costs and saving time.

10 Best Catalog Translation Software Features

1. Compatible Catalog Document Translator

It’s important to look for a catalog document translator that has broad compatibility with all your documents associated with catalog creation. 

For example, you might use Adobe InDesign for publishing, but you are sourcing the product data from an Excel Spreadsheet, .txt file or .xml file full of SKU’s, model numbers, prices, product descriptions, barcodes, categories, etc. You want catalog translation software that is compatible with the specific file types you work with.

The same goes for translating catalogs from files created using automated digital flipbook software or catalog builders. You might be linking your product data file (from a database file or csv) to the flipbook software to populate a template design, and then downloading it to an InDesign file for editing or a PDF. 

2. Catalog Image Text Translation

Images are an important part of catalogs, oftentimes containing text overlay. When you create multilingual catalogs, you need software that will also translate text on images. Not all translation applications have this capability. So before you invest in a particular translation system, look for the file types “.img” and “.jpg” in the list of supported files. 

3. Allows You to Upload a TermBase Glossary in CSV Format

Catalogs are loaded with repetitive terminology and/or product names, which necessitates the use of a termbase glossary while translating catalogs.

A termbase glossary is a bilingual (source and target) repository in TBX or CSV format. It contains specific terms and terminology that regularly appear in a company’s content. Term bases typically include product names, company names, brand names, acronyms and other repetitive terminology. That being said, Termbases are particularly useful when you translate a catalog.

Catalog translation applications that accept CSV termbase imports (as opposed to just TBX) make glossary management easier and faster. Learn more about creating termbase glossaries.

4. Integrated Interactive Glossary for Translating Catalog Terminology

Once your glossary has been imported to your catalog translation management system, you can look up your company-approved terms while editing and reviewing machine-translated catalogs. This helps you to maintain consistency and comply with company policy around terminology use. 

Furthermore, some systems will automatically replace terms in the translation for you. For example, Pairaphrase now allows users to also insert glossary terms into the text during a term lookup. This enhances productivity within the human translation workflow while improving the quality and consistency of translations.

5. Translate a Catalog & Reuse the Text

The best translation software for catalogs will also include translation memory.

A translation memory consists of sentences, phrases and segments that have been translated from one language into another, and it is stored on a server for future reuse. Since you will be reusing catalog text as your catalog is periodically revised, it is important to utilize translation memory. Translation Memories can deliver nearly-instant quality improvements and reduce translation costs and effort.

6. Web-Based Catalog Translations

When you assess catalog translation software programs, you will find yourself wanting web-based access. Producing multilingual catalogs in the cloud gives you more flexibility and seamless access from anywhere. Translating on a web-based platform will give you more uptime and make it easy for you to collaborate with colleagues on catalog translation projects. 

7. Collaborative Translation

Translation collaboration is easy when your catalog translation software offers features such as permissions-based sharing, translation tracking, Slack-like instant messaging and bookmarking. You’ll enjoy the fact that everyone who has permission can see the same version of the translated file. This will help you move away from email attachments and eliminate confusion regarding file versions.

8. Catalog Translation Software API

If your company likes to integrate its software systems with each other, opt for a catalog translation app that gives you robust API access. Share the app’s API documentation with your IT team to connect the catalog translator to your company’s catalog maker software, CMS and more to deliver up-to-date, real-time translations.

9. Automatic File Formatting

The best translation software for catalogs will include automatic file formatting capabilities. 

This is because catalogs are often image-heavy with carefully-designed layouts. Automatic formatting allows you to translate your file while retaining much of the formatting. Otherwise you can lose all the spacing, images, graphics and layout. It’s not a perfect technology, but it can save you hours of time on translating catalog documents that need to remain publishable.

10. Enterprise Security

When you find the best catalog translation software for your company, look for enterprise security features such as multi factor authentication (MFA) and make sure the software supplier regularly performs penetration testing and vulnerability scans. After all, you need to safeguard your company’s data.

Recommended Catalog Translator Tool

Wondering how to find the best catalog translation application with all these capabilities? Try Pairaphrase. It’s a web-based translation management system for enterprises who value safer, smarter and faster translation.

Schedule a demo or request a free trial.