Home / Resources
Knowledge Center
Learn before you spend.
Practical guides on certified translation, pricing, localization and more — written to help you make an informed decision, whether or not you work with us.
Guides
Everything you need to know, in ten guides
USCIS Translation Guide
What USCIS requires and how to avoid rejection.
See what is included ↓Certified Translation Guide
What it is, and when you actually need one.
See what is included ↓Medical Translation Guide
Why terminology accuracy is a safety issue.
See what is included ↓Legal Translation Guide
Precision, certification and common pitfalls.
See what is included ↓Website Localization Guide
A practical checklist for launching in a new market.
See what is included ↓Translation Pricing Guide
How word count, certification and rush fees work.
See what is included ↓MTPE Guide
When machine translation post-editing makes sense.
See what is included ↓Subtitle Guide
Timing, length and reading-speed standards.
See what is included ↓Desktop Publishing Guide
Keeping layout and formatting intact across languages.
See what is included ↓AI vs. Human Translation
What each is actually good for.
See what is included ↓In depth
Guide details
01 USCIS Translation Guide
USCIS requires a signed Certificate of Accuracy with every translated document — the translator doesn't need to be certified, but the translation must be complete and accompanied by that certificate.
- Every page must be translated, including stamps and seals
- The certificate must include translator name and signature
- Formatting should mirror the original document
02 Certified Translation Guide
A certified translation includes a signed statement attesting to its accuracy and completeness. Most government, legal and academic institutions require it for official submissions.
- Required for immigration, court and academic use
- Different from notarized translation
- Turnaround is typically 1–2 business days
03 Medical Translation Guide
Medical terminology carries real consequences — a mistranslated dosage or diagnosis can affect patient safety, which is why medical translation should always involve subject-matter review.
- Use linguists specialized in clinical terminology
- Request a second review pass for critical documents
- Confirm HIPAA-conscious handling with your provider
04 Legal Translation Guide
Legal documents combine precise terminology with jurisdiction-specific conventions. A qualified legal translator understands both the language and the legal system behind it.
- Confirm certification requirements with the receiving court
- Ask whether the translator has legal-domain experience
- Request consistent terminology across related filings
05 Website Localization Guide
Localizing a website means more than translating text — currency, imagery, idioms and even color associations can shift by market.
- Audit your site for culturally specific references
- Localize metadata and keywords, not just visible copy
- Test right-to-left layouts if entering Arabic or Hebrew markets
06 Translation Pricing Guide
Most translation is priced per word, with additional line items for certification, formatting, and rush turnaround — transparent pricing means knowing what each fee covers.
- Per-word rate is the base cost driver
- Certification and notarization are separate fees
- Rush turnaround typically adds a percentage surcharge
07 MTPE Guide
Machine Translation Post-Editing uses AI for a first pass, then a human editor corrects and refines it — faster than pure human translation, more reliable than machine output alone.
- Best for high-volume, lower-risk content
- Not recommended for legal or certified documents
- Always finished by a human editor
08 Subtitle Guide
Good subtitles respect a reading-speed limit and stay on screen long enough to read comfortably, without lagging behind the audio.
- Standard reading speed: ~17 characters per second
- Two lines maximum per subtitle, typically
- Timing should sync within a few frames of speech
09 Desktop Publishing Guide
Multilingual desktop publishing keeps your translated document visually identical to the source — same layout, same stamps, reproduced in the new language and script.
- Right-to-left languages need layout mirroring
- CJK scripts often require different line spacing
- Always request a final visual proof before printing
10 AI vs. Human Translation
AI translation is fast and improving, but still struggles with nuance, legal consequence and cultural context — which is why the highest-stakes work still goes through a human linguist.
- AI excels at speed and high-volume content
- Humans remain essential for legal, medical and certified work
- The best results usually combine both
Frequently asked
Quick answers
Most projects are priced per word, with certification, formatting, and rush fees itemized separately so you know exactly what you're paying for.
PDF, Word, images (JPG/PNG), and most common document formats. A clear photo of a physical document works too.
Yes — notarization is available in addition to standard certification, for documents that require it.
Most certified documents are completed in 1–2 business days; larger projects are scoped individually.
Still have questions?
Start a project and ask your Project Coordinator directly — real answers, not FAQs.
Start Your Project →