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Can You Translate PDF While Keeping the Formatting Intact?

by Stéphane Turquay

Managing and translating PDFs often feels like an annoyance, especially when preserving the formatting is a priority.

No matter if you're working with business documents, academic files, or creative material, keeping your PDF's structure the same during translation is very important.

Smallpdf’s innovative PDF Translator ensures accurate translations while preserving your document's original format as much as possible.

Here’s how you can easily translate your PDFs without losing their structure.

Why Is It Important to Keep Formatting During PDF Translation?

The design, layout, and formatting of a PDF matter. It maintains the professional appearance of your document and ensures your content is easy to follow.

Losing formatting in translation can distort the message or make an otherwise polished document look messy. For businesses, in particular, maintaining formatting builds trust and ensures your content is accessible.

Thankfully, Smallpdf’s Translate PDF is built to combine efficient translations with a focus on structure. It works seamlessly for translating your files into multiple languages while aiming to translate PDFs without losing formatting.

How to Translate PDFs and Keep Their Format

Follow these quick steps to translate PDFs online and keep formatting intact.

1. Upload Your PDF Start by visiting the Translate PDF.

Simply drag and drop your PDF document into the designated area or use the “Choose File” button to upload it directly from your device. Don’t worry about file size—Smallpdf is designed to handle large PDFs too.

2. Choose Your Translation Type

Once your PDF is uploaded, select how you want the translation to work. Smallpdf offers two options:

  • AI-Generated Summary: Quickly get the key points and gist of your document in the desired language.
  • Full Document Translation: Perfect for when you need the entire PDF translated while maintaining as much formatting as possible.

Click “Translate” once you’ve made your choice.

3. Select the Target Language

Smallpdf supports an extensive range of languages. From English to Spanish, German to Chinese, and more—you can convert your file into almost any major language. Use the dropdown menu under “Translate to” to pick the language you need.

4. Review the Translated PDF

After the translation is complete, Smallpdf presents your translated document, and it strives to translate the PDF while preserving formatting to maintain its structure.

While most standard layouts and basic formatting will remain intact, images and complex designs may see minor inconsistencies. It's always a good idea to review the final result for accuracy.

5. Download Your Document

Once satisfied, simply hit the download button to save your translated PDF file. It’s that easy! You now have a polished, translated document ready to share or use.

How to Translate PDFs and Keep Their Format

How to Translate PDFs and Keep Their Format

Additional Features for Enhanced PDF Translation

Smallpdf doesn’t just stop at basic translation. Here's what else you get to enhance your experience:

  • OCR Technology: Working with scanned PDFs or image-heavy files? Smallpdf’s Optical Character Recognition (OCR) automatically recognizes and extracts text to make translations seamless.
  • AI Chat Insights: Not sure about a translated section? Use the AI chat to get deeper insights, summaries, or key points from the document in your preferred language.
  • Multi-File Support: Need to translate other file types, like Word, PPT, or even JPG? Smallpdf can handle those too!

Why Choose Smallpdf to Translate PDFs?

Here are the top reasons why Smallpdf stands out for PDF translation tasks:

  • Ease of Use: No complex software downloads or installations—just a simple drag-and-drop interface.
  • Secure and Private: Smallpdf uses 256-bit TLS encryption to protect your files, ensuring your data remains secure.
  • Unlimited Use: Translate as many files as you need.

FAQs About Translating PDFs with Smallpdf

Can I translate a PDF without losing its formatting?

Yes, our PDF Translator prioritizes preserving your file’s formatting as much as possible. Basic layouts like headers, paragraphs, and standard fonts are retained, though complex designs might need adjustments.

What languages does Smallpdf support for translation?

Smallpdf supports most major languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, and more. You can view the full list via the “Translate to” dropdown menu after uploading your file.

Can I translate scanned PDFs with Smallpdf?

Absolutely! Smallpdf’s OCR technology ensures even scanned PDFs or image-heavy files can be converted into readable text before they’re translated.

Is there a file size limit for translations?

Smallpdf handles large files with ease. For very lengthy documents, the tool even offers AI summaries to save time.

Simplify Your PDF Translation Today

With Smallpdf, you don’t have to compromise on quality or efficiency. No matter if you're a professional handling business documents or a student working on international research, translate PDFs while keeping formatting intact effortlessly.

Stéphane Turquay – Principal Product Manager at Smallpdf
Stéphane Turquay
Principal Product Manager @Smallpdf