What file format and scan quality should I send the translator?

In-depth Answer

Source file quality affects speed and accuracy more than most people expect, because the translator must read registry numbers, dates and proper nouns with confidence.

Good practice: use a scanner or a scanning app with automatic edge correction rather than a bare photo; scan in colour so red seals and signatures are visible; set resolution high enough that the smallest print stays sharp when zoomed; and produce one PDF per document.

Avoid sending images through chat apps that recompress them, cropping until edges are lost, and sending only the pages you assume matter.

If an original is larger than standard paper — a degree parchment, for example — scan it in two overlapping sections and tell the translator, so the layout can be reproduced correctly.

Related questions

• How long does a NAATI translation take, and what slows it down?
• Must handwriting, seals and signatures on a document be translated too?
• Can I use a NAATI PDF instead of a hard copy?