Technical translation services for manuals and technical documentation

Technical translation services cover documents that have to be accurate in use: user manuals, installation instructions, maintenance manuals, datasheets and safety documentation. Unlike general translation, this work depends on subject knowledge as well as language. One wrong instruction or dimension can cause a breakdown, damage or an unsafe situation.

Jargon and industry terms are usually the hard part. We put each job with a translator who already knows your sector, and we use translation memories and termbases so a term you use in one manual comes out the same way in the next.

We translate a wide range of technical documents, including:

• User manuals and operating instructions
• Installation and assembly instructions
• Maintenance and service manuals
• Work instructions and procedures
• Datasheets and product specifications
• Safety documentation, such as safety data sheets (SDS/MSDS)
• CE documentation and declarations of conformity
• Drawings and CAD documentation, including callouts
• Standards, certificates and inspection reports
• Software manuals and user interfaces
• Technical brochures, web copy and correspondence

Our technical translators work in fields such as:

• Machinery
• Mechanical engineering
• Automotive
• Metal
• Energy
• Road and waterway construction
• IT
• Consumer electronics

Can't see your field? Please contact us. Through our network we can almost always find a technical translator with the right background.

If you place a machine or technical product on the European market, the instructions for use have to be available in a language the user in that country understands. A translated manual is often part of CE marking, not an optional extra.

From 20 January 2027, Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 replaces Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Digital instructions are allowed, but the language rules still apply. If you are launching a new machine or revising your documentation, plan the translations early.

Need the manual written or rewritten first? We also write technical manuals and work instructions that translate cleanly. One supplier for writing and translation means less duplication, and the same terminology in every language.

1. Price indication or quote. Our price calculator gives you a no-obligation price indication within 1 minute. For larger projects we prepare a tailored quote.
2. File analysis. We look at the format, the volume and the terminology, and we use your existing glossaries or previous translations.
3. Translation by a specialist. A native speaker with knowledge of your field translates the text into their own language.
4. Review by a second translator. A second translator checks accuracy, terminology and readability.
5. Final check and layout. We check the translation in the finished layout, so tables, figures and cross-references still line up.
6. Delivery in the original format. You get a file you can print, publish or drop straight into your system.

In technical translation, consistent terminology matters as much as correct grammar. We work with a translation memory and, where it helps, a client glossary. Terms you have already approved are reused in new documents. That keeps quality up and brings the cost down when you update existing documentation.

For the right material, such as large volumes of internal or highly standardized documentation, we also offer machine translation with post-editing (MTPE). A specialist translator then checks and corrects the machine output. We will tell you whether that is appropriate. For safety instructions and published documents, a fully human translation is the safer choice.

We work with almost any file format, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign, FrameMaker, XML, HTML and PDF. Paper originals are fine too. The translation comes back in the original layout, so you do not have to rebuild the document.

Don't see your format listed? Get in touch and we will find a way to handle it.

We translate technical documentation in all European languages: from and into Dutch, and between other languages, for example a manual from Dutch into English or from English into Dutch. Through our network we also translate into languages outside Europe, such as Chinese and Indonesian.

See, for example, our pages for Dutch and Spanish.

Word count

We charge a fixed price per word, based on the word count in the source language, so you know the cost before we start.

Language pair

The language pair also affects the price, mainly because some languages have fewer specialist native speakers.

Subject and complexity

Very specialist texts take more terminology research. Our translators already work in many of these technical markets.

Repetitions and previous translations

A translation memory picks up sentences that have been translated before. That cuts time and cost when you update existing documentation.

Proofreading

If you only need an existing translation checked, we also proofread technical texts in any language, at a separate rate. Send us the text first.

Request a quote

Want to know what your technical translation will cost? Calculate your price or request a no-obligation quote.

What is a technical translation?

A technical translation is the translation of a text that has to work in practice: a manual, specification, safety instruction or work instruction. The translator needs subject knowledge as well as language skills, so the terminology and the instructions stay accurate.

Who translates my technical documents?

A native speaker with a technical background in your field. A second translator then reviews the translation, followed by a final check in the finished layout.

What does a technical translation cost?

The price depends on the number of words in the source language, the language pair and how specialist the subject is. Our price calculator gives you a no-obligation indication within 1 minute.

Do you keep the original layout?

Yes. We work in formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign, FrameMaker, XML, HTML and PDF, and we return the translation in the original layout.

How do you keep terminology consistent?

We work with a translation memory and, where it helps, a client glossary. The same terms are then translated the same way across your documents and in later versions.

Do you offer machine translation with post-editing?

Yes, for suitable texts we offer machine translation with post-editing (MTPE) by a specialist translator. We will tell you whether that is appropriate. For safety instructions and published documents we recommend a fully human translation.

Does a manual have to be translated for CE marking?

For machinery and many other technical products, the instructions for use must be available in a language the user in the country of sale understands. From 20 January 2027 this falls under Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.

Which languages do you translate technical texts into?

All European languages, and many languages outside Europe as well, such as Chinese and Indonesian.