Frequently asked questions

The work we often get asked questions about

faq-icon Can you produce Arabic-to-Japanese and Japanese-to-Arabic translations?

Yes we can as long as the field is not a specialty one. In general, Japanese translations are done by Japanese translators, and Arabic translations are done by Arabic native-speakers fluent in Japanese.

faq-icon Can you translate official documents, such as passports and ID papers?

Yes we can. And, if necessary, we can issue a certificate of translation. Indeed, we are always ready to provide Arabic translations of passport details that are required for visits to some Middle East countries.

faq-iconDo local user manuals have to be provided when exporting goods to the Middle East region?

Yes, in countries like Saudi Arabia, there are rules that require Arabic user manuals to be provided with imported products. Even in countries without legally binding rules, it is important to localize products because the use of English is not that widespread in the Middle East.

faq-iconShould numerals be written in the Arabic script or as Hindu-Arabic numerals
in sentences of publications, such as user manuals?

Either type of numeral can be used. Local readers can read both types of numerals. However, mixing up numeral types is not recommended. Also, avoid listing together Arabic script numerals with Hindu-Arabic numerals as a way of improving document production efficiency. Note, that in recent times, the use of Hindu-Arabic numerals is becoming more prevalent in print, including newspapers, magazines and websites.

faq-icon Can you do Arabic DTP using FrameMaker?

Alas, FrameMaker currently cannot cope with languages that flow from right to left, like Arabic. In the case of FrameMaker-based DTP source data in English or other languages, we can cope by converting the data to a DTP application that accommodates Middle East languages, such as InDesign. Please apply via the contact mail.
faq-icon What kind of DTP applications are there that can handle languages
that flow from right to left, such as Arabic?
In the past, we often used a Macintosh version of Adobe PageMaker, but now we mainly use the Windows versions of InDesign and Illustrator. (We can still accommodate DTP in the Mac version.)

faq-icon I want to make Arabic my product's UI.

At SHAMS, we have many years of experience in making Arabic the UI of products. We accommodate various requests, including selection of system font, translation and checks of actual equipment.

faq-icon I have a project for an Arabic book - can you handle such work?

We have plenty of experience in producing various books, including study books, dictionaries, theses and general publications. We can provide support across many facets right from advising at the planning stage.

faq-icon Is translation done in house?

We consistently perform our Arabic translation services in house from translation through to checking. Translation work in other languages is performed by very experienced external-contract translators.

faq-icon Does your company use TRADOS?

Yes, we can provide TRADOS translations for multiple languages. Notably, for Arabic, we have been using TRADOS ever since the first version came on the market. Back then, the initial versions had problems that made them difficult to use commercially, but, thanks to advances in the newer versions, we are now more than happy to use TRADOS.

faq-icon Can you produce a translation memory?

Yes, we can provide TRADOS translations for multiple languages. Yes, we provide an inexpensive, high-quality translation memory service thanks to collaborations between native-speaker translators and Japanese controllers.

faq-icon Can you provide translations in other languages?

Apart from our specialty languages, we also provide translations in various other languages.
Please contact us for details.

faq-icon At our company, we would like to produce our own Arabic documents,
so can we do that using Japanese and English data?

Middle East languages, starting with Arabic, flow from right to left, so it is not possible to just simply produce Arabic documents. The left and right sides of the layout also have to be interchanged, and a Middle East version of the application must be used. Please feel free to contact us to discuss the matter.

faq-icon Is it possible to layout multiple languages side by side?

Yes, we can mix typeset multiple languages.
Please contact us for details on InDesign, Illustrator and Microsoft Office.

faq-icon I would like to convert an English manual into a multilingual manual.

We can do that.
We can keep all work in house, from translation of variously formatted documents (HTML, XML, etc.) and layout adjustments right through to checking.

faq-icon We already have Japanese and English sites but we would like to
make a new Arabic site.

We have plenty of experience in producing Arabic websites. We would be able to produce a site with layout and style suitable to an Arabic version based on the current websites you have. Furthermore, we could integrate search engine optimization (SEO) to suit the Middle East.

faq-icon I would like your company to manage my Arabic website.

In addition to producing websites we also manage them. We also have experience of managing websites that need frequent updating, including news sites that need daily updates and shopping sites geared to overseas markets. Please contact us to discuss the matter.

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