How can I translate PDF files?
There are two features which you can use to translate PDF files:
- Translation of whole PDF files keeping the formatting in place (available in the web translator, desktop apps, and API)
- Translation of text extracted from PDF files without retaining the formatting (only in the desktop apps)
Translation of whole PDF files keeping the formatting in place (available in the web translator, desktop apps, and API)
If you want to translate whole PDF files and keep the formatting of the original document in the translation output, you can do so by using whole file PDF translation.
The number of file translations available per month depends on your subscription plan.
Please note that for technical reasons your PDF file will be sent to Adobe Inc., located in the US. You can find more information in this article and in our Privacy Policy.
You can translate entire PDF files by opening the document translation area:
- In the web translator, click on Translate files
- In the DeepL for Windows app, click on Translate .docx & .pptx
- In the DeepL for Mac app, click on Documents
DeepL also supports this feature in API requests.
Translation of text extracted from PDF files without retaining the formatting (only in the desktop apps)
If you want to translate PDF files without sending your PDF file to Adobe, you can translate them in the DeepL for Windows / Mac app. In this case, your texts will be processed exclusively within the European Economic Area.
Please note that with this feature the formatting of the file won’t be retained, as only plain text from your PDF file will be extracted for translation.
To do so, just drag and drop your PDF file in the text translation area (Translate text for the Windows app / Text for the Mac app). The text from your PDF file will be extracted into the text translation area and translated to the language of your choice with no formatting preserved.
With this app feature, the limits for whole file translation do not apply.
Translation quality of PDF files
Please note that since the PDF file translation relies on optical character recognition, it may be subject to a higher error rate.
If you are unsatisfied with the whole file PDF translation and your PDF file was created from a .docx or .pptx document, you can try translating that source document instead.
Custom fonts and large image sizes might impact the quality of translation. If possible, use documents with fewer visual elements.
If you try to translate a scanned document, please note that the quality of the scan might impact the translation quality.