A translated brochure, report, manual or marketing asset may be linguistically accurate, but if the layout has not been adapted properly, the result can still feel awkward to the reader. Line breaks, punctuation, quote marks, spacing, number formats, fonts and text expansion all need to follow the expectations of the target language.
This is especially important in foreign language typesetting, where the design has often been created in one language and then adapted for another. Even closely related European languages can follow different typesetting rules.
Below we look at common typesetting conventions for EFIGS languages: English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.
What is foreign language typesetting?
Foreign language typesetting is the process of formatting translated text so that it fits the original design while also following the typographic conventions of the target language.
This may involve:
- importing translated text into the original design file
- adjusting text boxes, line breaks and spacing
- selecting fonts that support the required characters and accents
- adapting punctuation and quotation marks
- checking number, date and currency formats
- correcting hyphenation and paragraph styles
- reviewing the final file before print or publication
In multilingual desktop publishing, the goal is not simply to “make the text fit”. The final document should look as though it was originally designed for the target language.
Why typesetting matters after translation
Translated text rarely behaves exactly like the source text.
Some languages take up more space than English. Others use different punctuation, different spacing around punctuation, different quotation marks or different rules for capitalisation. A layout that works perfectly in English can quickly become crowded, uneven or confusing when adapted into another language.
Poor typesetting can lead to:
- awkward line breaks
- text overflowing from boxes
- inconsistent fonts or styles
- missing accents or special characters
- incorrect quotation marks
- wrong decimal or thousands separators
- punctuation that looks unnatural to native readers
- a final file that feels unprofessional, even if the translation itself is accurate
For client-facing documents, packaging, marketing materials, technical manuals and training content, these details matter.
Foreign language typesetting checklist
Before final approval, a multilingual typesetting project should be checked for:
Font support
The chosen font must support the characters used in the target language, including accents, diacritics and special letters.
Text expansion or contraction
Some translated text becomes longer or shorter than the source. The layout may need to be adjusted rather than forcing the text into the original space.
Quotation marks and punctuation
Different languages use different quote marks and punctuation conventions. These should not simply be copied from the English source file.
Numbers, dates and currency formats
Decimal separators, thousands separators and currency placement vary by language and market.
Paragraph styles
Indentation, spacing, headings, bullets and line spacing should be consistent throughout the document.
Hyphenation and line breaks
Automatic hyphenation settings should be checked carefully, especially in languages with longer compound words.
Final review
The typeset file should be reviewed by someone who understands the target language, not only by a designer.
English typesetting conventions
English typesetting is familiar to many international design teams, but it still has rules that should be followed carefully.
Common English typesetting conventions include:
- use either a first-line indent or spacing between paragraphs, not both
- do not indent the first paragraph after a heading
- use bold or italics for emphasis rather than underlining
- avoid using the spacebar to align text manually
- use proper curly quotation marks and apostrophes rather than straight marks
- check that headings, bullets and body text follow consistent styles
English also normally uses a full stop as the decimal separator and commas as thousands separators, for example 1,000.56.
French typesetting conventions
French typesetting has several important differences from English.
Common French conventions include:
- French uses guillemets for quotations: « comme ceci »
- many punctuation marks require specific spacing, including before colons, semicolons, question marks and exclamation marks
- months and days of the week are not usually capitalised
- accents should be retained on capital letters where required
- a comma is used as the decimal separator
- thousands are often separated with a space
For example, an English number such as 1,000.56 would normally be adapted in French as 1 000,56.
Capitalisation also needs careful attention. French generally uses fewer capital letters than English, so headings and titles should not simply copy English title case.
Italian typesetting conventions
Italian shares some conventions with other European languages, but it has its own preferences for punctuation, quotation marks and abbreviations.
Common Italian conventions include:
- guillemets may be used for direct speech: « come questo »
- double quotation marks can be used for quotations within quotations
- single quotation marks may be used for emphasis or special expressions
- foreign words are often italicised
- Italian uses its own abbreviations, such as a.C. for “BC” and n. for “number”
- a comma is commonly used as the decimal separator
As with any language, consistency is important. A document should not switch between different quotation styles or number formats unless there is a clear reason.
German typesetting conventions
German often creates specific layout challenges because translated German text can take up more room than the English source. Long compound nouns can also affect line breaks and hyphenation.
Common German conventions include:
- German quotation marks are usually written as „like this“
- nouns are capitalised
- an ampersand is generally restricted to company names and fixed brand usage
- a comma is used as the decimal separator
- a full stop is commonly used as the thousands separator, for example 1.000,56
- fonts must support German characters such as ä, ö, ü and ß
When designing for German, it is sensible to allow extra space in text boxes and avoid layouts that depend on very tight line lengths.
Spanish typesetting conventions
Spanish typesetting has several conventions that are easy to miss if the layout is adapted directly from English.
Common Spanish conventions include:
- Spanish uses inverted question marks and exclamation marks at the beginning of relevant sentences: ¿…? and ¡…!
- a comma is commonly used as the decimal separator
- currency symbols may appear after the number in some Spanish-language contexts
- Spanish generally uses fewer capital letters than English
- accents must be retained, including on capital letters where required
Capitalisation is a common issue in translated headings. English-style title case often looks unnatural in Spanish, so headings may need to be adapted rather than copied mechanically.
Common typesetting mistakes in translated documents
The most common problems in foreign language typesetting are not always dramatic. Often, they are small details that make the document feel “off” to a native reader.
Typical issues include:
- English quote marks left in French, German, Italian or Spanish text
- missing accents or unsupported characters
- automatic hyphenation creating poor breaks
- translated text squeezed into the original English layout
- inconsistent spacing around punctuation
- numbers left in the wrong format
- headings left in English-style title case
- line breaks that separate words or phrases awkwardly
- final files reviewed visually, but not linguistically
These issues are especially common when the translation and design stages are handled separately without a final language review.
When do you need professional DTP and typesetting?
Professional multilingual typesetting is particularly useful for:
- brochures
- annual reports
- product catalogues
- technical manuals
- training materials
- eLearning content
- packaging
- marketing campaigns
- PDF documents
- print-ready files
- multilingual presentations
It is also important when the original files were created in specialist design software, or when the translated text needs to match an existing layout very closely.
Why use a language services provider for typesetting?
A designer can make a document look good, but multilingual typesetting also requires language awareness. The reviewer needs to know whether the punctuation, spacing, quotation marks, line breaks and formatting choices are natural for the target language.
That is why DTP and typesetting should be part of the translation or localisation workflow, not an afterthought.
Asian Absolute provides multilingual DTP and typesetting support for documents, marketing materials, technical content and other translated assets. Our teams can help prepare files for publication while making sure the finished layout follows the expectations of the target language.
If you need help with a multilingual document, brochure, manual or campaign, speak to the Asian Absolute team or request a quote for your project.