Financial documentation does not always arrive in the form of a report or PDF. Many companies work with Excel spreadsheets, presentations, tables, and charts that also need to be translated.
In these cases, a professional financial translation must respect both the content and the structure of the file.
What should be translated? What should remain the same? And what elements should be reviewed more closely?
What does a financial Excel spreadsheet look like?
In an Excel spreadsheet, you can translate headers, item names, comments, notes, instructions, or explanations.
Amounts, percentages, and other numerical values must retain their exact value, even if their format can be adapted to the target market.
For example, 25,750.40 can be presented as 25.750,40 in Spanish. The thousands and decimal separators change, but not the amount.
The formulas also require special attention. The translation of the text should not change calculations, references, or links across cells.
What about financial tables?
Tables usually have a lot of information in a small space. Headings, items, units, percentages, and notes must remain easy to interpret after they have been translated.
It is worth reviewing:
- headings and categories;
- names of items;
- footnotes;
- units and percentages;
- references between tables;
- space available for the translated text.
It should also be noted that a short term in English may take up more space in Spanish. If the formatting isn’t checked, text might be cut off and tables may be difficult to read.
Are financial charts also translated?
Yes. Titles, captions, labels, and category names should be adapted to the target language.
The data represented, however, must maintain its original values.
The same applies to presentations of results. Translating a financial slide involves checking that the text still fits correctly within charts, tables, and other visual elements.
Is it better to send a PDF or the editable file?
Whenever possible, it is preferable to provide the original editable file.
Working directly with Excel, PowerPoint, or other editable formats allows for better preservation of the structure and facilitates the review of tables, charts, and references.
If the company has glossaries, previous reports, or pre-approved terminology, it is also a good idea to share them with the financial translation service.
Financial translation with blarlo
At blarlo we work with reports, spreadsheets, presentations, tables, charts, and other financial content.
As an agency specializing in financial translation, we select professional native translators based on the type of document, the sector, the language, and the target market.
Blarlo also has ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certifications.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Headings, notes, concepts, and other text can be translated, maintaining numerical values and checking the file structure.
The formulas must retain their functionality. The translation should not change the calculations or the references across cells.
Textual elements, such as titles, captions, and labels, are translated. The data represented must retain its original values.
Whenever possible, the editable file makes it easier to work with tables, charts, and other document elements.
Do you need to translate an Excel spreadsheet, a presentation, or financial documentation with tables and charts? Request a quote for financial translation with blarlo.
blarlo · professional translation agency certified with ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 · blarlo.com
