asked on What prospects are there for offering DTP services?
I have worked as a full-time translator since 2009 and am now contemplating to purchase a Mac and DTP software like Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop, Illustrator and Quark so I can widen my offering of services to include DTP as well. This is normally something the translation agencies handle themselves, but perhaps I could easier find direct customers by offering them DTP services.
As I translate in a language direction which is highly demanded, I receive more job offers than I can accept. How is the situation when it comes to DTP?
1. Can I do DTP for other languages (at least languages I am somewhat familiar with, like Chinese, Russian and French)?
2. Which areas could I quite easily get a good start in within sub-areas of DTP? For example, DTP that is related to translation would be one sub-area. What other sub-areas are there?
3. Which industries require DTP from freelancers the most (more than the translation industry)?
4. How do I handle files if I work with DTP software on a Mac and my customers send me Windows DTP files?
5. How long would it take me to get started with DTP with no previous knowledge of it by just having the necessary hardware and software?
6. How good is the profit margin (how much competition is there)?
7. If I purchase the software and a Mac, can I, to start with at least, let someone else use this Mac with the installed DTP software and work remotely with DTP tasks? In other words, I give this other person full access to my Mac and all installed DTP software. Would it work for this other person to work full-time using this method?
I am interested in starting with this, but need to make sure I can make a reasonable profit on it also before I purchase anything.
As I translate in a language direction which is highly demanded, I receive more job offers than I can accept. How is the situation when it comes to DTP?
1. Can I do DTP for other languages (at least languages I am somewhat familiar with, like Chinese, Russian and French)?
2. Which areas could I quite easily get a good start in within sub-areas of DTP? For example, DTP that is related to translation would be one sub-area. What other sub-areas are there?
3. Which industries require DTP from freelancers the most (more than the translation industry)?
4. How do I handle files if I work with DTP software on a Mac and my customers send me Windows DTP files?
5. How long would it take me to get started with DTP with no previous knowledge of it by just having the necessary hardware and software?
6. How good is the profit margin (how much competition is there)?
7. If I purchase the software and a Mac, can I, to start with at least, let someone else use this Mac with the installed DTP software and work remotely with DTP tasks? In other words, I give this other person full access to my Mac and all installed DTP software. Would it work for this other person to work full-time using this method?
I am interested in starting with this, but need to make sure I can make a reasonable profit on it also before I purchase anything.
* IllustratorPage Layout SoftwareMac OS XAdobe Creative Suite CS* DTP
Last Comment
Adrian Cozma
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What about if I concentrate on my current domain (translation), and I begin there and have DTP as a side-line to my translation business? And take on easier tasks the first year, only working with translation related DTP?
Translation related to DTP isn't really a job that I can see .. translation is a specific skill which you have but it is text-based and not really a DESIGN skill like DTP.
People working in DTP and graphics will use the services of a translator but a translator that knows DTP isn't really much of an advantage. They can give you a Word or text file to translate and then insert it into a specific design in Illustrator or Quark or InDesign.
Its like cycling and painting .. you can do both things .. but they really don't work well together. They are two specific areas of expertise with little overlap.
People working in DTP and graphics will use the services of a translator but a translator that knows DTP isn't really much of an advantage. They can give you a Word or text file to translate and then insert it into a specific design in Illustrator or Quark or InDesign.
Its like cycling and painting .. you can do both things .. but they really don't work well together. They are two specific areas of expertise with little overlap.
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What David describes is what I had in mind: more for a layman's tasks. I was also thinking of if I had these DTP tools, would it make it easier/quicker to edit cumbersome text sections with formating that takes a long time to edit in MS Word? Often I receive these files which have been converted from pdf, and the formating takes a long time to get right in MS Word.
And also, for example, I might take scuba diving photos and then if I have these DTP programs and a Mac perhaps I could make very good editing of the photos and sell to magazines.
I think there are numerous other opportunities to put a Mac with DTP software to good use as a side income source besides my current translation business. Just being able to make a lot of things easily and quickly with photos and being able to combine photos with text etc. gives a lot of potential to create.
I also think it's possible for me to get direct clients instead of working for translation agencies (which handle DTP themselves) if I have a Mac with DTP software. Although my clients always send Windows files to me (mostly MS Word and pdf and Excel, sometimes InDesign) and SDLXLIFF files and MemoQ files, as I understood it it won't present any problem for me when using DTP software in Mac.
And also, for example, I might take scuba diving photos and then if I have these DTP programs and a Mac perhaps I could make very good editing of the photos and sell to magazines.
I think there are numerous other opportunities to put a Mac with DTP software to good use as a side income source besides my current translation business. Just being able to make a lot of things easily and quickly with photos and being able to combine photos with text etc. gives a lot of potential to create.
I also think it's possible for me to get direct clients instead of working for translation agencies (which handle DTP themselves) if I have a Mac with DTP software. Although my clients always send Windows files to me (mostly MS Word and pdf and Excel, sometimes InDesign) and SDLXLIFF files and MemoQ files, as I understood it it won't present any problem for me when using DTP software in Mac.
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Would it be useful with DTP software if I later would get into game writing? DTP software, image processing software, etc. like Final Cut Pro and Motion 5 for Mac?
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Thanks for the suggestions, I could enquire at some of my customers also what type of DTP services they might be in need of.
I received this advice also from another translator who works with DTP:
"Trying to save money on production tools is usually a bad idea. One or two minor DTP jobs per month, and Adobe CC pays for itself. Try it for a year, and the worst-case scenario is you've learned DTP. Worth the fee, I think."
I received this advice also from another translator who works with DTP:
"Trying to save money on production tools is usually a bad idea. One or two minor DTP jobs per month, and Adobe CC pays for itself. Try it for a year, and the worst-case scenario is you've learned DTP. Worth the fee, I think."
There's no need for DTP skills in order to translate a document as of late. There are plugins, online services and various workflows to get a document translated with ease. I don't think you can have a competitive advantage under a year, until when you need to get up to speed with the DTP lingo and processes involved in creating professional work.