The magic of SPC translations
Translating SPCs (Summaries of Product Characteristics) within the very tight deadlines set by the authorities, while still ensuring high quality, may seem to require almost supernatural powers. That is why it is always advisable to entrust the translation of such documents to a specialised translation agency. In other words, let us work our magic.
There is increasing demand in the chemical industry to help our partners with the translation of SPCs in SPC Editor, the dossier submission tool of the European Commission. That is why we thought it would be useful to share our experiences and provide some guidelines to maximise the efficiency of such translations.
What is the preferred file format?
Should our partner wish to translate an SPC prepared in the SPC Editor, they can export an .xml file from the platform. This is the optimal file format for the translation, as the translatable part already excludes the headings, which otherwise would need to be removed manually. The translated files will also be in .xml format, which means that our partner simply needs to upload them in the SPC Editor.
File formats that are not so user friendly
Some file formats might be better avoided if the .xml format is available. Although we can handle PDFs, Word or Excel files, we have found that our partners spend considerable time creating such documents and highlighting which parts of them do not need to be translated. Similarly, it takes us many hours to exclude the non-translatable headings when we prepare the file for translation.
Discounts on translating SPCs
We strive for long-term partnerships and build translation memories for each of our partners. If a partner would like to have several SPCs translated into the same languages, we are happy to offer a discount.
Languages
We are able to translate SPCs to and from all requested languages, including Norwegian and Icelandic. Our translators are always native speakers of the target language and they have a chemical background. We have a regular pool of SPC translators with extensive experience in this field.
Our expertise:
Our quality assurance team is fully aware of how the SPC Editor works, so they check whether the translated file is in order before delivering the translation.
In the past 3 years, we have translated more than 5 million words for various companies and consultancies in the chemical industry. The documents range from MSDSs, ESs and SPCs to labels, studies, sworn translations for product imports and authorisations, to name just a few examples.
We are proud to have partners such as CEFIC, Rio Tinto, Arkema, Ecolab, Glencore, Tokyo Chemical Industry (TCI), JCDB (Japan Chemical Database Ltd.), Nissan Chemicals, Christeyns, Schülke & Mayr, Sopura and many more.
If you have an SPC or any other chemical translation request, do not hesitate to contact us via our website form or at translation@eurideastranslation.com, and our colleagues will be happy to assist you.
To stay abreast of our latest SPECIAL OFFERS and to receive our regular newsletter, please subscribe here.