Four things we do, each one priced before we start. Jar fronts, back-of-pack panels, bistro menus and the paperwork customs officers actually read, translated by people who cook in the language they write.
Jar fronts, tin lids, back-of-pack stories, flavor names and the small print that sits beside the barcode. We write for the aisle, so a line has to be understood in the two seconds a shopper gives it.
$0.16–$0.29 / word · by languageRestaurant menus, tasting notes, wine-list blurbs and distributor line sheets. Dishes keep their names where the diner expects them, and get a plain description where they don't. Prep-method verbs get checked with someone who has stood at a pass.
$0.16–$0.29 / word · same rate cardSpec sheets, certificates of analysis, HACCP summaries and importer paperwork. Precision outranks charm here: every unit, lot number and ingredient keeps its exact meaning. We read against published rules and flag what looks off; your counsel signs.
+$0.05 / word on top of the pair rateGerman and French can run a fifth longer than English. We set the translation into your Illustrator or InDesign artboard, trim, re-break and check that nothing crowds the net-contents line, then hand back a marked-up PDF.
$58 / artboardWe keep a working note per destination: the rules that shape the wording, and the habits of the people reading it. Here are three we're asked about most.
Mandatory words appear in both official languages, and Quebec shoppers notice when the French is an afterthought. We draft FR-CA, not France French, and set the bilingual layout.
Allergens emphasised inside the ingredient list, metric net contents, and an origin statement where the rule asks for one. Each member state adds its own habits on top.
Three scripts on one pack, vertical text on narrow labels, and flavor words that carry temperature and texture. Short lines read best; we write to the width of the tin.
Plan for longer text before the artwork is locked. These are typical expansions we see on food packaging against an English line of 100 characters, and the reason a layout proof earns its $58.
Everything else is the rate card on the home page: pair times words, with a minimum. These are the only things that change it.
Send the artwork and the destination. A written quote comes back the same business day, by language pair and word count, from $0.16 a word. Calls are by appointment.
orders@elmanchovy.com