Note: This blog post was originally written in Japanese for our Japanese website. We used our machine translation platform Translation Designer to translate it and post-edit the content in English. The original Japanese post can be found here.

Have you ever created a document that is difficult to read or confusing, even though it was written in the simplest terms? Here at Kawamura, we provide not only translation services but also layout services — so that your translated documents remain easy to read. As such, we are privileged to see many documents in different formats. They all contain amazing information — but sometimes the format is not so kind on the eyes or is unfit for simply overwriting with translation.

Seeing is believing. The information we perceive with our eyes is extremely important to us. This is a two-part post — in part 1, we've put together some basic layout tips common for any language that you can use right away, using Microsoft Word as an example. In part 2, we’ll share some common layout mistakes we have found during editing layout after translation, and then the differences in the layout for English and Japanese. So, make sure to have a look at part 2 as well. Here we go with part 1!

Layout does matter

Layout may be more important than the content. If you're skeptical, read on.

Less than 30% of documents are actually read

Every document, whether it be a manual, contract, or poster, is designed to be read by someone. But that doesn't mean that it will actually be read by someone (ouch). A simple Google search will tell you that less than 30% of manuals and other documents are read by their consumers — even less are read to their full extent. Why does this happen? Well, few people want to read a whole document that is packed full of text or that uses nothing but warning colors like high-contrast yellow. This might lead to something like precautions in a manual being overlooked. The fact remains — people will only read a document when its content is well-organized and easy to read.

Basic layouts and templates

It can be a hassle to configure layout settings every time you create a document. What is a good way to effectively have as many people read your document as possible then? Having basic layout settings and templates. Here are some of the benefits:

• Helps draw attention to important points
• Helps maintain consistency
• Improves readability
• Strengthens brand identity
• Prevents errors in translation caused by layout such as line breaks
• Reduces the time and cost required for post-translation layout adjustments
  

Layout in Word format- What and How

When creating a new file in Word, Templates will be displayed. Did you know you can create similar templates yourself? Templates allow you to set headers and footers, colors, fonts, and more. You might be thinking, “Why not just create a Word document (.rtf, .doc, .docx), copy it, and re-use it as a template?” There’s an important difference — with a Word template (.dot, .dotx), you can only select [Save As], which prevents overwriting. It is highly recommended you use a template if there is a type of document of the same structure that you create on a regular basis.

Creating a Word template

There are two ways to create a template. Either create a new template or create it from an already existing document.

How to create a template from scratch

1.  From the Microsoft Word [File] menu, select a template you like or select [New].
   
   
2. Configure [Margins] in the [Layout] tab to adjust the area where text is displayed. You can set different margins for different sections — this can come in handy for documents in which a cover page and body text have different margins.
3. Select the header and footer parts you want to use from the [Insert] tab or double-click to edit them directly. Headers and footers can also be adjusted for each section. We often see documents with document information in the header, and page numbers in the footer.

   Oh no! Don’t do this: Manually entering headers and footers, including page numbers, for each page within the body text area.

4. Configure [Styles] in the [Home] tab (or with CTRL + Shift + S). With Styles, you can register and re-use headers and other font settings. (Even only using Styles can be extremely helpful if you don’t use templates.)

   Oh no! Don’t do this: Using the default style throughout the whole document and changing fonts and sizes manually.

   Simply using Styles will ensure consistency and make your entire document easier to read. You can also left click on a style and click [Modify...] to adjust the font and paragraph settings. (Did you know that you can set separate fonts for different languages such as Japanese and English?)
5. Choose themes, colors and fonts from the [Design] tab. Make sure to choose something that helps improve readability of your document and that headers are easy to distinguish.
6. Once you have completed the settings, save the file as "Word Template (*.dotx)," and the template is complete!
   

Also, here is a tip not limited to Word; whether for an internal document or something for your clients and users, it is recommended that you use different colors to some extent, such as changing the color of the text depending on the content. This helps readers to easily distinguish what kind of content the document is about.

How to create a template from an existing document

1. Delete unnecessary text. (Having the wrong text left in a document not only leaves a bad impression, but it can also cause problems.)
2. Save the file as "Word Template (*.dotx)," and it’s done!
   

Summary

In this post, we covered the part 1 of basic layout settings using Microsoft Word as an example. Look out for part 2 — we’ll be diving into common layout mistakes we have found during layout editing performed after translation. If you have any questions, please feel free to let us know.