Using Trados Studio (also known as SDL Trados Studio) involves several key steps for translating documents using Translation Memory (TM) and other productivity-enhancing features. Here’s a beginner-friendly overview to get started:
🧩 What is Trados Studio?
Trados Studio is a Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tool widely used by professional translators. It allows you to:
- Translate documents with the help of Translation Memories (TMs)
- Use Terminology Databases (Termbases)
- Work with bilingual files (.sdlxliff)
- Automate repetitive tasks
🛠️ Step-by-Step: How to Use Trados Studio
🔹 1. Create or Open a Project
A project includes source files, TMs, termbases, and settings.
✅ Steps:
- Open Trados Studio.
- Click “New Project” > “Create project”.
- Set the project name and location.
- Select the source language and target language(s).
- Add your source files (e.g., DOCX, PPTX, PDF).
- Add a Translation Memory (TM) or create a new one.
- (Optional) Add a Termbase for consistent terminology.
- Click Finish – the project will be created and files prepared.
🔹 2. Translate the File
Trados splits the content into segments.
✅ Steps:
- Open the file from the Files view or Editor view.
- Each segment (usually a sentence) is shown in two columns:
- Left: Source text
- Right: Target text (your translation)
- Use AutoSuggest, TM matches, and MT (if enabled) for suggestions.
- Press Ctrl + Enter to confirm a segment and move to the next.
- Repeat until done.
🔹 3. Use Translation Memory
Trados auto-suggests translations from your TM.
- 100% Match – exact previous translation
- Fuzzy Match – similar but not exact
- No Match – new segment
You can edit and save all translations into the TM for future reuse.
🔹 4. Check for Errors
Use the built-in Quality Assurance (QA) checker:
- Spelling
- Consistency
- Number mismatches
- Tags and formatting issues
Click “Review” > “Verify” to run checks.
🔹 5. Export the Final Document
When you’re done:
- Go to “Project” > “Batch Tasks” > “Finalize”
- This generates the translated document in its original format (e.g., .docx, .pptx).
- Find the output in the “Target Language” folder inside your project.
🧠 Tips for Beginners
- Use Ctrl + Enter to confirm segments.
- Use F3 to insert a TM match.
- Save often!
- Customize your AutoSuggest dictionary for faster typing.
- Learn Trados shortcuts to speed up work.
📚 Want to Learn More?
Here are a few resources:
- YouTube tutorials (search: “Trados Studio beginner tutorial”)
- RWS Community forums
- Official SDL Trados Studio Help: https://docs.rws.com
Would you like a guided example using a specific file format like Word or Excel? Or maybe help setting up your first TM or Termbase?
