Translating the text inside pictures

Awaken The World · Translation verification · "Images" panel

Many pictures on awakentheworld.com have English words painted onto them (titles, film posters, banners). The site translates its pages automatically, but it cannot translate words inside a picture. So you decide exactly what each picture should say in your language, and we redraw the picture for you with the same look, colours and style.

This guide explains how to do it, what to watch for, and how to tell Alex about anything unusual.

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1. Where to find it

1. Open your personal verification link and choose your language.
2. Click Images (top of the page). A panel opens on the right with every picture that needs your wording.
3. The progress bar at the top shows how many lines you have written ("12 of 84 lines written").

Everything you type is saved automatically a moment after you stop typing. You will see saving… and then saved next to the line. You can stop and continue another day.

If the page says "This page is an old copy", press Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + R (Mac) to load the current version.

2. How a picture is shown

Each picture has:

• The picture itself. Red numbered circles may appear on it. They show which line of text is which. Line ① in the list below is the text next to circle ①.
• A list of lines. Each line shows the English text, a tag (Emphasis, Normal or Small — how prominent the text is in the picture), and a box where you type your wording.
• A counter such as 12 / 30. The second number is how many letters fit comfortably at the size used in the picture.
• A "Layout guide" at the bottom of each picture, showing your lines as you type them.
• The size button ("Pictures: small / large / hidden") at the top of the panel. Click it to make the pictures bigger or smaller, or to hide them while you type. Click a picture to enlarge it.

3. How to write each line

Write the final wording you want readers to see, as you would on the website. Any machine translation shown is only a hint; do not copy it unless it is right.

• Write normally, with correct capital letters and accents. If the original is in capitals, we set yours in capitals too (ÁÉÍÓÚ keep their accents). You do not need to type in capitals.
• Quotes and apostrophes can be typed the usual way. We will convert them to proper typographic quotes (“ ” ‘ ’).
• Keep it short. Pictures have limited space. See section 4.
• Check spelling, accents and punctuation twice. What you write is exactly what will be printed. A typo in a picture cannot be fixed by the site's translation tools.

Special options on each line

Leaving a line empty means not done yet. It is different from Leave out.

4. When your text is longer than the limit

Languages differ in length. The counter turns red when your line is longer than the limit.

What happens in the final picture:

• A little over (up to about 15%). We make the letters slightly smaller. Usually nobody notices.
• Quite a bit over. The letters become noticeably smaller than in the other pictures, or the text no longer fits well.
• Far over (more than about 40%). We cannot make it look good. Alex will ask you for a shorter version.

What to do when the counter is red

1. Look for a shorter word or phrase with the same meaning. Titles and banners usually read better short.
2. Remove words that are not essential (articles, "the", "of the", etc.) if your language allows it.
3. If a line can only be said in a long way, split the idea over two lines only if the picture has two lines for it.
4. If you really cannot make it shorter, leave it as it is and report it (section 6). Alex will decide.

Tip: limits are given for the full-size text; the "Layout guide" under each picture shows which lines are over (they appear marked).

5. Situations that need your attention

Languages work differently from English. These are the cases where a picture may need a change in position, not just in wording. Please treat these as normal — and report them (section 6) — rather than forcing the text into the wrong place.

1. Word order is different. For example, in English the picture says THE · I AM · PROJECT (three words, the middle one big). In Spanish the natural order is PROYECTO I AM. Write the words in the lines that make sense, tick Leave out on the line you do not need, and report the order you want (for example "PROYECTO above I AM").
2. A line is not needed in your language (for example THE or PART in a language that has no such word). Tick Leave out.
3. A single word becomes several words, or the other way round. Use the lines as they are and report if the result will look crowded.
4. Text runs right-to-left or uses another script (Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Hindi, …). Write it normally. Please report that your language is right-to-left or uses a different script so Alex can decide the best layout and font for the picture (for right-to-left languages the picture's arrangement may need to be mirrored).
5. A line has a very different length and would look unbalanced next to the others. Report it with your preferred arrangement.
6. Something is not clear (a number placed on the wrong word, a note you do not understand, text that seems cut off in the picture). Report it; do not guess.

6. How to report a layout change or a problem

Send Alex an email to alex@awakentheworld.com with the subject:

IMAGE LAYOUT – [your language] – [picture name]

and include, for each case:

1. Picture name (as shown above the picture, e.g. The I AM Project).
2. Line number(s) involved (the number in the red circle).
3. What you need, in a sentence or a tiny sketch. For example:
4. "Line 1 (PROYECTO) should go above line 2 (I AM), centred."
5. "Line 3 left out: my language does not need PROJECT."
6. "My language is written right to left; please mirror the layout."
7. "The wording is much longer than the limit; I could not shorten it because …"
8. If possible, a screenshot with an arrow or a circle.

Alex keeps a tracking list of every layout request (picture, language, line, request, status), so nothing gets lost. You will get a reply when it is done or when he needs something from you.

You do not need to wait for an answer to continue with other pictures.

7. Seeing and approving the final pictures

When you have finished all lines:

1. Tell Alex you are done (email or message). He will download your wording and have the pictures drawn.
2. You will receive a .zip with all pictures in your language (file names start with your language code, for example ES-Daily-Self-Inquiry-Dyads.jpg). Unzip it and look at each picture on a large screen, not on a phone.
3. For each picture, check:
4. Spelling, accents and punctuation — read every word.
5. Nothing is cut off at the edges, and nothing overlaps faces, products or other text.
6. The text is easy to read (not too small, not lost in the background).
7. The order and the layout feel natural in your language.
8. Anything you left out or kept as in English really is as you intended.
9. Reply to Alex with either:
10. "APPROVED – [language]" if everything is right, or

11. a list of changes, one per line, in this format:

    Picture name – line number – what is wrong – what it should say / do

    Example: Wall Prints – line 2 – too small – use "Impresiones en lienzo y metal" shorter? 5. If your change is only a wording change, you can also fix it yourself in the Images panel (type the new wording) and tell Alex which pictures changed. He will redraw just those.

You may be asked to check again after the corrections. Only when you answer APPROVED do the pictures go onto the website.

8. Good to know

• The colours, fonts and shadows are matched to the original picture as closely as possible, but they are recreated, so tiny differences are normal.
• Film posters: only the most important text (titles, subtitles, key phrases) appears in the list. Small print such as credits stays in English.
• Pictures can be added or retired over time; new ones will appear at the bottom of your list. Anything you have already written is never lost.
• If the same picture exists in several languages, each language is checked by its own translator.

9. Quick checklist

• ☐ Every line has wording, Same as English, or Leave out.
• ☐ No counter is red (or I have reported it).
• ☐ I checked spelling and accents.
• ☐ I reported every position change or unusual layout.
• ☐ I told Alex I am done.

Thank you — your work makes the whole website feel like home in your language.