Before ordering a certified translation, gather the complete documents, check that the text and visible marks are readable, and confirm what the receiving organization wants. For a packet containing several records, a short preparation check can make the next step much clearer.
This checklist explains how to prepare files for TranslateDay. Your university, evaluator, immigration authority or other recipient sets its own submission requirements. Check those instructions before deciding what to translate.
1. Start with the recipient and the purpose
Write down where the translation will be submitted and which records that organization has requested. Keep its instructions beside your files. A request for a translated diploma does not necessarily mean that every academic record is required, and a translation does not replace a credential evaluation.
- Identify the receiving organization and the requested document types.
- Check the required target language and any instructions about certification, delivery or supporting pages.
- Ask the recipient about an unclear requirement before placing an order that depends on it.
For academic records, our academic translation guide provides a starting point. For immigration documents, see the USCIS certified translation service and verify the instructions for your own submission.
2. Gather all relevant pages
Open each document and inspect it from beginning to end. Look for reverse sides containing text, continuation pages, seals, stamps, handwritten notes and attached certification or verification information. Include the content that belongs to the document you need translated; do not ask a translator to guess what an unreadable or missing section says.
If you are uncertain whether an attached page is part of the requested record, ask before paying. Avoid silently leaving out a page because it contains only a small amount of text.
3. Check readability before choosing files
A clear phone photo can be useful when you do not have a scanner. Review the image on your own screen: can you read the names, dates, document numbers and small print? Are the edges visible? Is glare covering a signature or stamp?
- Keep the whole page in the image and use even lighting.
- Check that every selected file opens and that the pages are in a sensible order.
- Use the original downloadable document when available instead of repeatedly photographing a screen.
- Keep any relevant attachment or reverse side with its document.
TranslateDay accepts PDFs, Word files and clear document photos. The current document upload page lists the ordering instructions and limits. Download an email attachment or cloud file to your device before choosing it. An email saved as .msg or .eml cannot be uploaded directly; if the email itself needs translation, save or print it to PDF first.
4. Organize a packet by language pair
For the same source and target languages, you can choose several documents together. If your packet mixes different source languages, ask support how to organize it rather than assuming that one language selection covers everything.
Fictional preparation example: imagine a birth certificate and a marriage certificate in the same source language, both needed in English. Check the front and any reverse side with content for each record. Keep the files distinguishable, select that language pair, and review the total for the complete packet. This example is a checklist illustration, not a customer story or a price quotation.
5. Add useful instructions without changing the record
Use the order-notes field to identify the recipient, explain a particular requirement or flag a section you want the team to check. Distinguish instructions from the source document itself. If a name or date appears differently across records, explain the discrepancy; do not alter the source image to make the records agree.
For an unusual file, a tight deadline or a notarization request, contact support before checkout so the scope can be clarified.
6. Confirm the chargeable pages and the total
A physical sheet and a chargeable translation page are not always the same. TranslateDay defines a standard page as up to 250 words, one-sided, in letter or A4 size or smaller. Dense or complex material may require individual review.
Read the current pricing and page-count guidance, then review your saved checkout before payment. If attached verification pages, electronic-signature information or a dense layout make the count unclear, use the existing page-count review option. A preparation checklist does not replace confirmation of the actual files, count and final total.
Your final check before uploading
- I know the recipient and the documents it requested.
- I have included the relevant pages and reverse sides with content.
- Names, dates, stamps and notes are readable.
- My files fit the selected source and target languages.
- I have added any recipient-specific instructions.
- I will check the count and final total before payment.
Ready to proceed? Upload your documents, review the language pair and total, and use the pricing guide if you need to understand how pages are assessed. Digital delivery and a signed certification statement are included with certified document orders.