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Frequently Asked Questions

If you are evaluating a translation or localization partner, you may have questions about quality, turnaround times, confidentiality, pricing, supported file formats, and how the process works. This page answers the most common questions we receive from companies, institutions, and language service partners looking for reliable multilingual support.
 
At Alafranga, we provide translation, localization, subtitling, and language support services with a focus on clarity, responsiveness, and professional project coordination. Whether you need a single document translated into Turkish or ongoing multilingual support across technical, legal, medical, media, or digital content, our FAQ section is designed to help you understand how we work and what you can expect.
 


What services does Alafranga offer? 

Alafranga Language Solutions is a founder-led technical translation agency, active since 2002. We offer two core workflows — HumanExpert (100% human translation with independent review) and SmartEdit (AI-assisted draft with human specialist review) — across technical, legal, medical, and media content. Our services include technical document translation, Turkish legal translation, AI-assisted translation, quality review and post-editing, subtitle localization and media translation, website and app localization, multilingual translation programmes, DTP, transcription, interpretation, and sworn translator signature. Turkish is our core language pair. Around it, we work across 40+ languages for LSPs and direct clients across Europe.
 
  • What is the difference between HumanExpert and SmartEdit?
    HumanExpert is our fully human workflow. Every document is translated by a domain specialist and reviewed independently by a second specialist. No AI involvement unless you explicitly request it. This is the right choice for legal contracts, regulatory submissions, safety-critical documentation, and any content where accuracy and traceability are non-negotiable.

    SmartEdit is our AI-assisted workflow. An AI draft is produced inside MemoQ or SDL Trados — with your translation memory and glossary applied from the first segment — then reviewed and corrected by a human domain specialist. Faster turnaround, same terminology standards. We run a free feasibility assessment before applying SmartEdit to any project, and we tell you honestly if it is not appropriate for your content.
 
  • Do you use AI in translation?  Yes — but in a controlled and transparent way. AI is never mandatory. You can always request HumanExpert and keep AI out of your project entirely. When AI is used, it runs inside MemoQ or SDL Trados — not as a standalone tool. Your existing translation memory and client glossary are applied before the AI draft is generated. A human domain specialist reviews every segment before delivery. We do not apply AI drafting to legal contracts, regulatory submissions, or safety-critical documentation without explicit client approval.
 
  • What AI tools do you use? We use GPT, Claude, and DeepL — integrated into MemoQ and SDL Trados with translation memory and glossary controls. This is not raw machine translation. The AI draft is generated within your project's terminology governance before a human reviewer sees it.

  •  Will my content be used to train public AI models? No. We do not use your content to train public models. AI is applied in controlled environments, and only when you opt in to SmartEdit. All projects are handled under NDA as standard.

  • Do you offer DTP services? Yes. Our DTP team handles layout adaptation for translated documents in InDesign, FrameMaker, Illustrator, and Word — for both print and digital delivery. DTP is integrated into our translation workflow from day one and also available as a standalone service. We handle complex scripts including Arabic, Greek, and Cyrillic.

  • Do you offer subtitle and media localization? Yes. Subtitling, dubbing scripts, voice-over scripts, and SDH subtitles — delivered by a dedicated media team with its own project management. Disney+ and Fox TV are among our broadcast credits. Formats: SRT, STL, EBU-STL, TTML, WebVTT, and others on request. Turkish is our founding media language pair, active since 2002.

  • Do you offer transcription and interpretation? Yes. Verbatim or clean-read transcription with speaker identification and time-coded segments. Consecutive and simultaneous interpretation for business meetings, legal proceedings, and technical site visits — remote and on-site.

  • Do you offer sworn translator signature? Yes. Sworn translator oath and signature is available for official document submissions — accepted by Turkish authorities and recognised by Turkish consular offices abroad.

  • Can you localize websites and apps? Yes. We offer website and app localization — UI strings, web copy, SEO-adapted content, and software localization. Glossary-governed terminology management across all content types and language pairs. Compatible with standard localization formats including XLIFF, JSON, XML, RESX, and PO files.

  • Do you offer pilot projects? Yes. We encourage a short paid pilot before larger volume commitments. This gives you the opportunity to evaluate linguistic accuracy, QA process, and our responsiveness before establishing a framework agreement.

  • Can you mirror our internal tools and workflows? In most cases, yes. We work natively in MemoQ and SDL Trados. We also accommodate Phrase, XTM, and Smartcat on request. Tool selection is based on your environment and security requirements. For LSP partners, we operate inside your tools, under your brand, invisible to your end client.


Which languages do you cover?

Turkish is our founding language pair — active since 2002. Around it, we work across 40+ languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Persian, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani), Hebrew, Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kazakh, Turkmen, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi. Every language in our network earned its place through real client demand — not a product roadmap. We expanded only when clients needed it.
 
  • What industries do you specialise in? We focus on sectors where terminology precision, accuracy, and confidentiality are not optional. Our core sectors are industrial and manufacturing, energy and power systems, industrial automation, automotive, electrical and electronic systems, legal and compliance, medical and life sciences, software and technology, media and entertainment, and horticulture and greenhouse technology. Clients include ExxonMobil, Rolls-Royce, Daikin, Fluke, Getac, Mitutoyo, Zeiss, OpenAI, Disney+, and Fox TV.

  •  What file formats can you handle? Office and business documents — DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, PDF, TXT, RTF. Design and publishing — Adobe InDesign (INDD/IDML), Illustrator, FrameMaker. Structured formats — XML, JSON, HTML, XLIFF, PO, RESX, CSV. Subtitling and media — SRT, VTT, TTML, STL, EBU-STL, WebVTT. Our DTP team ensures layout, encoding, and formatting remain intact after translation.


How do you ensure translation quality? 

Our quality process is certified to ISO 17100:2015, audited by Bureau Veritas — not self-declared. Every project follows a structured workflow: briefing and asset preparation, translation by a domain-matched specialist, independent review by a second specialist, and automated QA checks before delivery. Terminology is managed through client-specific glossaries maintained across projects. Translation memory is applied from the first segment. Every linguist in our network has been vetted through real work — not through an open registration form.
 
  • Are you certified or a member of professional associations? Yes. Alafranga Language Solutions is certified to ISO 17100:2015 — audited by Bureau Veritas. We have been a member of the Association of Translation Companies (ATC) and the European Union of Associations of Translation Companies (EUATC) since 2007 — one of the longest-standing memberships from the Turkish translation market.

  • Can you sign an NDA? Yes. We work under NDA as standard. We can sign your NDA or provide ours. All linguists and project coordinators assigned to your project are bound by confidentiality agreements.

  • How do you handle data security and GDPR? All file exchanges are carried out over encrypted channels. Project files are stored on secure servers with limited retention periods. Only authorised project managers and linguists assigned to your project can access your content. We operate under UK jurisdiction and align with both UK GDPR and EU GDPR requirements. SEPA-enabled payments, UK registered company, Company No: 16711244.

  • Do you handle confidential or regulated content? Yes. Confidentiality and compliance are at the heart of our operations. We regularly translate highly sensitive content — government documents, medical IFUs, legal contracts — under strict NDAs and controlled-access systems. For regulated industries such as pharma, finance, and legal, additional QA sign-offs and audit logs are available on request.

  • How do revisions work? All reasonable edits related to accuracy, terminology, or alignment with the agreed scope are included in the project fee. We address feedback typically within 24–48 hours. Every revision updates your translation memory and glossary, making future projects more consistent. If revisions involve new text or scope changes, we confirm cost and scope transparently before proceeding.


Can I talk to a human project manager?

Yes. Every project is overseen by a named project coordinator who is your single point of contact from brief to delivery. At Alafranga, project management is not automated — a real person manages your project, coordinates linguists, and ensures delivery on time and on brief.
 
  • What is your typical turnaround time? Human translation: professional linguists typically handle 2,500–3,500 words per day depending on text complexity and domain. SmartEdit: faster turnaround — AI draft plus human review significantly increases daily output for suitable content types. For urgent or high-volume projects, we deploy multi-linguist teams with shared translation memory and coordinated QA. We always confirm timeline and scope before you commit. If a deadline is not achievable without compromising quality, we say so.

  • Do you accept rush jobs? Yes, depending on capacity. We confirm availability and timeline honestly before starting. For urgent projects, we can deploy parallel linguist teams with centralised terminology control and rolling delivery — so you can start using translated sections while the rest is in progress. Rush surcharges are confirmed transparently in the quote.

  • What information do you need to start? Source files, target languages, deadline, subject matter or industry, and any reference materials — style guides, existing TMs, terminology lists, or glossaries. Output format preferences are also helpful upfront. With this foundation, we build a workflow tailored to your requirements.

  • How do you handle updates to previously translated content? We use translation memories to make updates as efficient as possible. When you send revised content, our CAT tools automatically pre-translate matches, highlight new or changed segments, and discount repetitions. All versions across languages stay synchronised and consistent with the source.

  • Who owns the translation memories and glossaries? You do. We export and share TM files (TMX) and termbase files (TBX) on request. All assets built during your projects remain yours.

  • Can you build and maintain our terminology and style guide? Yes. During onboarding, we collaborate with you to create a custom glossary and style guide — capturing preferred terminology, tone, formatting rules, and forbidden terms. These are updated continuously as projects progress and linked directly to our translation tools so linguists can apply them in real time.