Structuring for Success

Prepare Your Assets and Collateral for Localization

THINK GLOBALLYThe growth of technology and the Internet has allowed companies to gain a competitive edge that was previously too ex-pensive for all but the largest brands. When going international, cultural differences and design can have a drastic impact on in-market performance. Smart brands design their materials accordingly, typically leveraging a translation company to localize their existing collateral.

What if you tackle this challenge from the start, developing your content, Web site and sales collateral with a global mindset? When creating marketing materials for international consumers, keep in mind the elements behind a Web, video and print campaign or a multilingual presentation. Technical implications behind these assets may impact or delay translation efforts down the pike.

This guide takes a deep dive into the technicalities of preparing marketing assets and collateral for future translation efforts so your company can align itself accordingly. Marketers who understand and apply localization best practices during development reduce costs and production timelines, gaining an edge on the competition.

CREATING CAMPAIGNS FOR THE WEB: MINI-SITES, FLASH, IMAGES AND VIDEOS

Web Mini-Sites• Recommended software: None; HTML is non-proprietary

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Apply UTF-8 encoding, unless projects specs require otherwise

• UTF-8 encoding supports all languages, allowing localized versions to be delivered in the same format as the original.

• Use Western European encoding only when necessary, such as when required by server limitations. Note that Western European encoded files containing Asian or Eastern European accented characters will be converted to entities.

Develop a spreadsheet that contains a verified, final list of customized URLs

• Your company might require customization of specific Web page links for each target language. Automatically extract URLs from Dreamweaver. Alternately, use relative rather than absolute URLs.

Allow for 40 percent text expansion when developing Web pages

• The space needed to accommodate translated text will expand or contract depending on the target language. A good rule of thumb is to allow for 40 percent text expansion when creating Web pages.

Build content with dynamic elements to allow for customization

• When creating UI for a mini-site, consider using dynamic components within Flash. Applying actionscript coding to show or hide a button based on availability of an external file will allow for a customizable UI.

• External assets, such as on-screen elements for buttons and UI design, can also be loaded dynamically from XML or through HTML variables. This allows content to be further customized for localized languages without editing the source content.

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Flash• Recommended software: Adobe Flash CS6

• Why: Native program for creating Flash (.fla and .swf)

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Encode XML files in UTF-8 format

This ensures characters display properly in Flash.

Embed fonts into FLA Embedding fonts in FLA avoids display issues when re-publishing into SWF for localized languages, ensuring accented characters display.

Include all source files in the delivery, including .fla, .xml, .psd, .ai, ActionScript files and all custom filters and effects to allow for re-publishing of SWFs.

After translation, adjust the layout and text boxes, or embed characters if necessary.

• Adjust text boxes if the content exceeds size of box

• Adjust the position of the text box if the text expansion creates an overlap

• For Asian languages, characters must be embedded within the .fla file. It is possible to embed an entire font set, but for Asian languages, these are very large. Having the .fla file allows the localization partner to embed the specific characters to allow proper display and limit the size of the published file.

Allow for 40 percent text expansion

The space needed to accommodate translated text will expand or contract depending on the target language. A good rule of thumb is to allow for 40 percent text expansion.

When creating a Flash presentation, use text boxes that adjust automatically in length based on the content and allow text to wrap within the text box. Apply properties for font size and spacing to individual text boxes rather than as a constant variable to all text boxes.

Continuous flow of text Sentences in the same paragraph, or words in the same sentence, should always be part of the same text box, otherwise content may take longer than usual to prepare.

Use static or dynamic text boxes to keep all related content within the same text box either within Flash or the same XML mode.

Place content in external XML files

All text content and image/video links should be stored in XML files external to the Flash file. If content can’t be entirely externalized into XML, provide confirmation on where the content resides. Allow for HTML coding to be recognized for layout adjustment within the published SWF.

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Images• Recommended software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (raster) Adobe Illustrator CS6 (vector)

• Why: Industry-standard software for creating images. Well supported and documented with good longevity.

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Include image source files in your delivery

Unflatten image source files (with editable text layers), such as .psd and .ai, to ensure localization teams can access text.

Place text and objects on separate layers

To translate embedded text, linguists must access the text separately from the graphic. Otherwise, the graphic may need to be re-created, resulting in extra cost and a project delay.

Although text in vector-based programs like Illustrator can be selected regardless of layer, placing text on its own layer speeds production.

Apply housekeeping rules to layers, specifically:

• Name each layer descriptively

• Remove unnecessary layers

• Group similar layers using the Group option in the Layers palette (Photoshop and Illustrator)

A messy Layers palette will increase the time required to localize a graphic. Often, what’s clear to the designer is not clear to the translator (or the next designer to work on the file). If hidden layers are not required for the deliverable, you should delete them.

Remove unnecessary elements • If additional text layers not used in the published image are present, remove them. Otherwise, content may be extracted for translation or kept in local-ized PSD, increasing the file size.

• Remove non-text layers that aren’t used within the published image to re-duce the file size and simplify publishing

• Lock any layers with non-editable text

Provide an English version of the file in .jpg or .gif format

Translators compare the finished, translated image with the original English version to ensure accuracy.

Don’t convert text to outlines in Illustrator or rasterize text in Photoshop

If an image requires outlines or rasterization, create a copy of the original text layer, hide it and place it directly under the outlined or rasterized layer in the Layers palette.

Use OpenType fonts OpenType fonts are the same regardless of operating systems, allowing them to be used on a PC or Mac.

Use fonts consistently Avoid using a different font for a single letter in a string. If a new font family is used, share it with the localization vendor so that the look and feel of the localized images can match the source.

If preparing a graphic for the Asian and Russian market and using non-branded fonts, be aware that localizers will use the fonts you’ve approved for each market

Due to language and font requirements, specific fonts may be used for Asian and Russian languages and character display. Choosing a font that is UTF-8 compliant and supports Asian characters is ideal when creating source content that will be localized. If a specific font for Asian languages needs to be applied, you should include this as part of the deliverable. The localization team will use specific fonts for the Asian market if provided by the developer.

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ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Include font files in your delivery

Including fonts in your source files drop will ensure the localized graphic text matches the original English.

Allow for 40 percent text expansion when creating graphics

The space needed to accommodate translated text will expand or contract depending on the target language. A good rule of thumb is to allow for 40 percent text expansion when creating a graphic.

Multi-layer PSDs: Include image published files in your delivery

Only one published file should be generated from one PSD.

If multi-layered PSDs must be provided, include the source published output files and instructions (layers to hide/unhide, publishing dimensions, etc.).

Video• Recommended software: Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Adobe After Effects CS6

• Why: Tool is accessible, cross-platform compatible, easy to use and offers various publishing formats including .flv and .mp4, and allows cross-platform publishing, including .mov files, which are typically created for Mac.

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Hand-off both the video and the script concurrently

Part of the localization process requires the localization partner to compare the video and the script to ensure they are the same.

Always include the uncompressed video in the hand-off

Compressing the video prior to localization will degrade the quality, because video must be decompressed, edited, and then recompressed.

Ensure source file ratio matches that of the end deliverables

For example, do not provide 16:9 ratio if the localized videos will be delivered in 4:3 format. If it doesn’t match, make sure you provide delivery size instructions.

Provide source video in the format of the deliverables

Large format files increase the file size and impact transfer time, while smaller format files create quality issues because the video will be stretched to meet final output settings.

Files submitted to the localization vendor should match the specs for final publishing. If the English file is 640 by 480 pixels, in 4:3 ratio, with 30 frames per sec, then the deliverable will match these specs.

For the Web, videos should meet the following requirements:

800x450, 29.97 fps, 44.1 kHz for audio and stereo (if video contains background music).

Include the soundtrack as a separate component from the sound-effect track in the hand-off

This action will preserve background soundtrack and sound effects while replacing the audio narration. Otherwise, fades in and out are required on the soundtrack, with voice and soundtrack to remove only the English voice for the localized video.

Consider delivering audio files in WAV format - 44.1 kHz - stereo/mono - 16 bit

Include the narration track as a separate component in the hand-off

This action applies only if the video includes people talking on-screen.

Consider delivering audio files in WAV format - 44.1 kHz - stereo/mono - 16 bit

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ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Add several key frames, freeze frames, or splash screens where video can be lengthened without affecting overall look and feel

Localized audio might be longer than the original narration for non-time-sensitive video.

Avoid video sequencing that includes constant animations

Because localized audio might be longer than the original, it’s important that the video can be lengthened without breaking the animations.

Deliver video according to final display medium, specifically:

• .flv for Web delivery

• .mp4 for iPhone/iPad compatibility

These files are used as reference during the localization process and serve as baseline for quality of end deliverables.

For video with onscreen text:

• Use static or light animated onscreen text

• Provide the source video without onscreen text in the delivery

During the localization process, the localization team needs to recreate the onscreen text.

This process will be more effective, have a better quality and will be less costly if:

• There is no camera movement or complex text effect (like 3D text or compli-cated handwriting effect)

• The recreation is based on the source video without onscreen text

If the video will be subtitled, don’t place on-screen text within the lower part of the screen

Subtitles will appear within the bottom 20 to 25 percent of the screen. Names of speakers and presenters may overlap with subtitles if they appear within the bottom part of the screen. You should consider positioning text in the top part of the screen.

Ensure that all text displayed within the video appears within the title safe area

The title safe area is the measured zone within the video frame that defines where all visual elements should be contained to prevent elements from being cropped out of the screen during transmission. This is especially important when dealing with videos that will be broadcasted on a platform other than the Web (for example, on television).

To view the title safe area within Adobe Premiere, activate the Title/Action safe guides using the drop-down menu that appears below the composition screen.

Ensure that no voiceover occurs during the transition “bumpers”

No English audio should be audible during the transition part at the end of videos or over the bumper. If unavoidable, the only exception would be instances whereby the speaker says something to effect of, “If you require any further information, please contact us” in the transition portion only. Nothing should be heard over the bumper section.

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Videos must be published in MP4/H.264 and FLV formats.

The following table defines the publishing settings to be used in Adobe Premiere:

MP4/H.264 FLV

Format H.264 FLV

Multiplexing

Multiplexer MP4

Stream compatibility iPod

Video

Codec MainConcept.H.264 Video

TV Standard NTSC

Frame width 8001 8002

Frame height 4502 4502

Frame rate Same as source Same as source

Field order None (Progressive)

Pixel aspect ratio Square pixels

Profile Main

Level 4.0

Render at maximum depth Disabled Disabled

Bitrate encoding VBR, 2 Pass VBR

Target bitrate 2 Mbps

Maximum bitrate 2 Mpbs

Encoding passes Two

Bitrate level Custom

Bitrate 1000 kbps

Minimum bitrate (% target) 80

Maximum bitrate (% target) 120

Bitrate variability (% target) 80

Set key frame distance Enabled Disabled

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Key frame distance 30

Undershoot (% target) 100

Audio

Audio format AAC

Codec AAC MPEG Layer III (MP3)

Output channels Mono Mono

Frequency 48 kHz

Audio quality High

Bitrate settings 160 128

Precedence Bitrate

CREATING COLLATERAL: PRINTED DOCUMENTS

• Recommended software: InDesign CS6 or Word 2003/2007 or (newest version Word 2013)

• Why: InDesign allows localization into multilingual languages from the same version of software. (Quark requires market-specific language versions.) Word can be used for documents with basic layout and limited artwork because it requires limited manipulations for the translation process.

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Adapt the paper size for the intended audience(s)

A4 for European and Asian markets and Letter size for North American markets.

If the document will be printed on multiple sizes of paper, consider adapting a one-size-fits-most approach. For example, 8.26” x 11” will fit on both Letter size and A4 paper.

Specify operating system, software, and software version

For example:

• PC or Mac

• InDesign CS6 or InDesign CS6

Use OpenType fonts Since OpenType fonts are cross-platform compatible, they simplify desktop publishing activities of localized documents. They are also free.

Design the document to allow for text expansion

The space needed to accommodate translated text will expand or contract depending on the target language. A good rule of thumb is to allow for 40 percent text expansion.

Adjust text boxes that are displayed either in horizontal or vertical layout to accommodate expansion.

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ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Continuous flow of text Sentences in the same paragraph, or words in the same sentence, should always be part of the same text box. Avoid inserting soft returns or hard returns in the middle of a sentence.

Use column breaks intelligently and maintain text flow by ensuring that content continues dynamically into the following column/page.

Include the .joboptions file in the hand-off

The localization partner will use the same settings to output localized documents, ensuring localized versions look and print similar to the original.

CREATING COLLATERAL: PRESENTATIONS

• Recommended software: MS PowerPoint 2003, 2007, 2010 or 2013

• Why: Leading software for creating presentations. PowerPoint is part of the MS Office suite, therefore easily accessible.

A V O I D I N G P R O D U C T I O N I S S U E S

ACTION ISSUE AND EXPLANATION

Use OpenType fonts Since OpenType fonts are cross-platform compatible, they simplify desktop publishing activities of localized documents.

Use fonts consistently Avoid using a different font for a single letter in a string. If a new font family is leveraged that has not been used in the past, you should share it with the localization vendor so that the look and feel of the localized images can match the source.

Design the document to allow for text expansion

The space needed to accommodate translated text will expand or contract depending on the target language. A good rule of thumb is to allow for 40 percent text expansion.

Continuous flow of text Sentences in the same paragraph, or words in the same sentence, should always be part of the same text box. Also avoid inserting soft returns or hard returns in the middle of a sentence otherwise, content will take extra time to prepare correctly for translation.

Use slide master and layouts for repetitive content

Content repeating on every slide, such as titles, headings and background images, should be placed on the slide master.

The key benefit to using slide masters is the possibility to make universal style changes to every slide all at once, instead of one at a time.

Provide editable text If translatable text appears on images and graphics, include editable version (PSD, AI) along with the PowerPoint presentation.

Consider placing editable text boxes in the PowerPoint file over the graphics (assuming the graphics do not contain any text for translation), instead of inserting published non-editable graphics that contain the text.

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GENERATING A LIST OF URLS IN DREAMWEAVER

Tools Used

• Adobe Dreamweaver CS3, CS4, or newest CS6

• MS Excel 2007, 2010 or newest 2013

Process

1. Open the HTML page or pages in Dreamweaver.

2. Click the Window menu and ensure that the Results palette is open.

3. In the Results palette, click the Search tab.

4. Click the green arrow to open the Find and Replace window.

5. In the Find and Replace window select the following:

• Find in (dropdown 1): Current Document (if you have one HTML page open) -- or -- Open Documents (if you have multiple HTML pages open)

• Search: Specific Tag (dropdown 2); a (dropdown 3) With Attribute (dropdown 4); href (dropdown 5); = (dropdown 6); [any value] (dropdown 7)

6. Click the Find All button. The list of URLs is generated in the Results palette.

7. Click the Save Report button.

8. Save the report as an XML file.

9. Launch Excel and open the report XML file.

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10. When prompted in the ‘Open XML’ dialog, select the first radio button.

11. The URLs are listed under the column titled ‘mm_displaystr’.

NOTE: If all the HTML files are located in one folder, it is possible to select the folder. In this case, select Folder… in the Find in: section as illustrated below.

RECOMMENDED READING

Esselink, Bert. “A Practical Guide to Localization”. John Benjamins Publishing Co. 2000.

Singh, Nitish. The Culturally Customized Web Site. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005.