How much does one page of translation cost? This question is seemingly easy and the expected answer should be straightforward. In reality, however, it takes much more to precisely determine the price of one page of translation from English into Polish, as there are multiple factors that influence its value.
First of all: what kind of translation do we want? A decision between sworn and ordinary translation will affect the price no less than the subject of the text. In our trade, we are also guided by the “time is money” principle. We should be aware that choosing the express mode of translation might result in higher price of the ready translation.
Not all pages are equal; a few words on text volume
Let’s start with defining the previously mentioned concept, as it makes a great introduction to answer a simple question – how much does one page of translation cost? Even though it is increasingly more common to establish prices based on word count in the source document, a settlement based on pages still dominates the Polish market. But just when you think it’s that easy, upon closer investigation it turns out that these pages can significantly differ in volume. A typical page includes 1500 – 2200 characters with spaces and the most commonly chosen value is 1800. Sworn translations are a whole lot different. In this case, one page includes 1125 characters with spaces. It’s worth remembering that in documents that are subject to sworn translations, all stamps are also to be described, which significantly raises the character count.
How much does it cost to translate one page from English to Polish and from Japanese to Spanish?
The language combination is also an important factor here. Niche dialects will require cooperation with highly specialised linguists, which will be reflected in the price of the service. A similar thing may happen when the translator works on specialised texts which are mostly completed by professionals boasting appropriate education and permissions. All additional services also affect the price, so keep in mind all the proofreading, editing and localisation that takes place. Express order completion will also contribute to the higher price.
The cost of a translation page – who works on it?
The spectrum of presented issues helps in understanding all the factors that affect the price of translation in a significant way. But what actually makes up the price? Apart from all the expenses related to business activities and customer service, there is one particularly important component: the remuneration of all the linguists that work on every order. So it’s not only the translator, but also proofreaders and editors. Next time when you wonder how much one translation page costs, it’s worth remembering one thing: it takes more than just a bit of talent and eagerness to prepare a great translation. It’s many years of education, expertise and completed translations that stand behind success.
