How Much Does Multilingual DTP Cost?
DTP quotes often look confusing because the work comes in stages: preparing the file, laying out the translation, applying corrections and checking the result. Here is what each stage costs and how they add up.
In short: At Laydox, layout after translation starts at €1.00 per page on files we formatted and €1.50 per page on files you formatted. Priced by stage, file preparation (DTPE) is €0.50, layout after translation (DTP1) €1.50 and the final check (QA) €2.00 per page; corrections (DTP2) are €15 per hour. The full set of all four is €3.50 per page, and urgent jobs add 50%.
The stages of DTP
Translation agencies usually buy DTP in stages. Each one has its own price, so you pay only for the work a project needs.
| Stage | Price |
|---|---|
| DTPE: file preparation before translation | €0.50 / page |
| DTP1: layout after translation | €1.50 / page |
| DTP2: corrections after review, updates, redlines | €15.00 / hour |
| QA: final layout check against the source | €2.00 / page |
| Full set: DTPE + DTP1 + DTP2 + QA | €3.50 / page |
Prices per page of each language version. Layout after translation on files we formatted ourselves is €1.00 per page; on files you formatted, from €1.50 per page.
Why the price is per language
Every target language is its own layout job. German and Finnish can run 30–40% longer than English, and Japanese can contract. Each version needs its text re-fitted, its line breaks and hyphenation checked and its fonts confirmed, so the page count is multiplied by the number of languages.
Worked examples
A 40-page InDesign manual into five languages, full set. 40 pages × 5 languages × €3.50 = €700.
The same manual, layout only. If your team prepares the files and checks the result, DTP1 alone is 200 pages × €1.50 = €300, plus DTP2 hours if the reviewers send corrections.
A brochure we laid out last year, now in a new language. Layout after translation on a file we formatted is €1.00 per page: a 24-page brochure costs €24 per language.
What makes DTP cost more
- Source files with local formatting instead of paragraph styles
- Text inside images that has to be recreated in each language
- Right-to-left or CJK target languages
- Several rounds of corrections after review (DTP2 is billed by the hour)
- Tight deadlines: urgent jobs add 50% of the project cost
How to keep the cost down
- Order DTPE before translation. A well-prepared file lays out faster in every language.
- Collect all reviewer corrections into one round, so DTP2 is done once.
- Ask for the source in a modern format. Converting an old QuarkXPress or Publisher file to InDesign starts at €3.00 per page, and every later update gets cheaper.
- Plan the deadline with the layout stage in it, not after it.
Questions
Why are files you formatted cheaper to lay out?
Because we know they are built cleanly, with styles and threaded frames, so translated text re-flows with little manual work. That saving goes into the price.
Do you charge per page of the source or of the translation?
Per page of each language version.
How do I get an exact price?
Send the files with the target languages and the deadline. A quote usually comes back within 15 minutes; large batches of files take longer.
Key takeaways
- Layout after translation from €1.00 per page
- DTPE €0.50, DTP1 €1.50, QA €2.00 per page; DTP2 €15 per hour
- The full DTPE + DTP1 + DTP2 + QA set is €3.50 per page
- Pages are counted per language version
- Good file preparation lowers the cost in every language