Does the CafeTran support PDF files? Thread poster: Elena Peshkova
|
|---|
Elena Peshkova 
Local time: 13:03
Member (2022)
French to Russian
+ ...
Hello everyone,
can you give me a piece of advice, please?
I downloaded a free version of CafeTranEspresso. The web page of CafeTran says that the app support PDF files. However, I am not able to open a new PDF file for translation. I am wondering if it is because it is a free version or if it is because the app does not support PDF files?
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| It's very misleading | Oct 31, 2022 |
Elena Peshkova wrote:
Hello everyone,
can you give me a piece of advice, please?
I downloaded a free version of CafeTranEspresso. The web page of CafeTran says that the app support PDF files. However, I am not able to open a new PDF file for translation. I am wondering if it is because it is a free version or if it is because the app does not support PDF files?
Yes - that's very misleading information. I fell into the same trap. Foolishly, I allowed myself to be fooled into thinking you could just drop a PDF on the application and CafeTran would start creating segments ready for translation. I had been misled by the suggestion that CafeTran "supports PDF files". In actual fact, the PDF first needs to be converted into a Word file. Unless there is something I have completely misunderstood.
[Edited at 2022-10-31 22:56 GMT]
| | | | | Simple approach | Nov 1, 2022 |
Elena Peshkova wrote:
Hello everyone,
can you give me a piece of advice, please?
I downloaded a free version of CafeTranEspresso. The web page of CafeTran says that the app support PDF files. However, I am not able to open a new PDF file for translation. I am wondering if it is because it is a free version or if it is because the app does not support PDF files?
There is just this simple approach via the clipboard: https://cafetran.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/6000109979-translation-of-pdf-documents
For free conversion, you can use https://www.ilovepdf.com/ and other services.
Specifically: https://www.ilovepdf.com/pdf_to_word
Stumbled upon this one:
For Mac users, there is also this approach: https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/keyboard-maestro-convert-pdf-files-into-text-files-in-the-front-finder-window-macro/4548
I haven’t tested it yet, but I assume that it will only grab selectable text out of pdf files, most likely without any character formatting.
EDIT: Tested the macro. As expected: only the plain text is extracted, no formatting. And there is an encoding problem to be solved. This simpler solution is better:
• Open PDF in Preview.
• Press Cmd+A, Cmd+C.
• Activate BBEdit (or any other text editor or word processor) and press Cmd+V.
BTW: I've tested https://www.ilovepdf.com/pdf_to_word with this file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/imh5pa3zfe8khfc/Handbuch-für-Staplerfahrer-RICHTIG.pdf?dl=1
The result is very usable:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iffdjcswbmrruuw/Handbuch-für-Staplerfahrer-RICHTIG.docx.zip?dl=1
[Edited at 2022-11-01 08:16 GMT]
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:03
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Elena Peshkova wrote:
The web page of CafeTran says that the app support PDF files.
Can you tell us the URL of the page that says so?
I only see this on the home page:
Superior Handling of PDF’s
CafeTran’s novel use of the system clipboard makes it possible to translate PDF’s and other difficult file formats, while leveraging the efficiency benefits of CafeTran Espresso.
This doesn't mean that CafeTran supports PDF files (yes, I agree it's a bit confusing).
It just means that you can use CafeTran as one of the steps in translating a PDF file. To translate a PDF file, you have to either (a) convert it to e.g. Word (using a third-party tool) or (b) you have to retype it manually (you can hire a typist at a very reasonable rate to do it) or (c) you can copy individual chunks of text from the PDF file, translate it, and then save the translation in a file, and later manually re-format that file to look like the PDF file.
CafeTran's clipboard translation feature can be used for the third option here (I haven't used it myself). So you're not actually loading the PDF file into CafeTran, but instead, you open the PDF file in a normal PDF program and then you select text manually and copy it, at which time CafeTran presumably takes over and allows you to translate the copied text.
Some tools, like Trados and MemoQ, have built-in PDF converters. So, in those tools, you don't need a third-party converter to convert the PDF file to a Word file, because there is a converter built-in to the CAT tool, but these tools still require a conversion and you're not actually editing the PDF file directly (or creating a PDF file directly).
| | |
|
|
|
| Solid solution | Nov 1, 2022 |
Samuel Murray wrote:
Some tools, like Trados and MemoQ, have built-in PDF converters. So, in those tools, you don't need a third-party converter to convert the PDF file to a Word file, because there is a converter built-in to the CAT tool, but these tools still require a conversion and you're not actually editing the PDF file directly (or creating a PDF file directly).
The converter in Trados is actually licensed from the company behind https://www.ilovepdf.com/pdf_to_word
| | | | | |
Samuel Murray wrote:
I only see this on the home page:
Superior Handling of PDF’s
CafeTran’s novel use of the system clipboard makes it possible to translate PDF’s and other difficult file formats, while leveraging the efficiency benefits of CafeTran Espresso.
This doesn't mean that CafeTran supports PDF files (yes, I agree it's a bit confusing).
And, to be honest, "superior" is rather an exaggeration....
| | | | |
|
|
|
| | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 19:03
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
| Does it truly? | Nov 4, 2022 |
It loads the PDF file into LibreOffice Draw, which then saves it as an ODG file (which can then be saved as PDF again). However, the conversion from PDF to ODG is very primitive. Each line of text is converted into a separate text box (so if you have a block of text consisting of multiple lines, each line will appear as a separate segment in the CAT tool).
| | | |
Samuel Murray wrote: It loads the PDF file into LibreOffice Draw, which then saves it as an ODG file (which can then be saved as PDF again). However, the conversion from PDF to ODG is very primitive. Each line of text is converted into a separate text box (so if you have a block of text consisting of multiple lines, each line will appear as a separate segment in the CAT tool).
You are right and there are far better converters. Luckily you can join split paragraphs in CafeTran. However, this is only a work-around since text boxes aren’t adjusted.
[Edited at 2022-11-04 12:28 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:03
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Probably won't work in Catalina anyway | Nov 4, 2022 |
The onerous, time-intensive, and often unsatisfactory task of converting PDFs to MS Office (or LibreOffice) formats is not part of the translating services I offer.
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Does the CafeTran support PDF files? | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
| | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
