AI Zhiyi · Technical translation guide
How to translate Chinese tech packs and CAD-exported PDFs into English
The difficult part of manufacturing-document translation is not converting isolated sentences. A usable result must keep each English label connected to the correct table row, callout, component, drawing view, or revision note. This guide explains a practical workflow for Chinese apparel tech packs, specifications, BOMs, and exported engineering drawings.
Quick answer
Start with the original file, preserve its page and table structure, translate only meaningful language, keep technical values traceable, and choose an output mode based on page density. Same-page bilingual output works well for labels and callouts; dense prose needs more room. Always review production-critical values against the source.
1. Prepare the source before translation
Use the client or engineering team's original PDF, DOCX, or XLSX rather than a screenshot forwarded through a messaging app. Better source quality improves text extraction, OCR, reading order, and placement. Confirm the document identity before translating: style or project number, revision, issue date, total pages, and included attachments.
- For native CAD files, export or plot the required sheets to PDF at the intended paper size.
- Preserve vector text and selectable text layers where the CAD software allows it.
- Collect the buyer's approved glossary, abbreviation list, and previous accepted translation.
- Keep the untouched source file as the reference copy.
2. Translate structure, not just text
A tech pack combines headings, construction notes, measurement tables, materials, sketches, and arrows. A drawing combines a title block, notes, leaders, views, and identifiers. Plain-text output loses these relationships. Layout-aware processing records the location of text before translation so the English can remain associated with the right visual element.
Translate
Headings, construction instructions, material descriptions, warnings, process notes, table labels, and natural-language callouts.
Protect and verify
Dimensions, tolerances, units, model and part numbers, standards, drawing references, dates, currencies, formulas, and revision identifiers.
3. Choose same-page or paged bilingual output
Same-page output is most useful when the reader must follow an arrow, compare a measurement row, or identify a component. It should not be treated as a promise to force two languages into every available gap. When a two-column paper or full-page requirement sheet has no safe readable space, preserving the source page and appending indexed translation pages is clearer than overlapping the original or shrinking the translation until it is unreadable.
- Same page: callouts, measurement tables, BOM labels, title blocks, and illustrated instructions.
- Paged bilingual: long requirements, reports, contracts, academic papers, and dense prose.
- Translated only: convenient internal reading after terminology and critical values have been checked.
4. Review by production risk
Do not spend equal review time on every sentence. Start with information that can change cost, fit, manufacturing, installation, compliance, or safety. OCR can confuse characters such as 0/O, 1/I, decimal points, and unit marks, even when the translated prose reads naturally.
- Confirm the project, style, drawing, and revision identity.
- Compare all dimensions, tolerances, quantities, units, and material grades.
- Follow every leader line or callout to verify the English belongs to the correct feature.
- Search repeated technical terms and make their wording consistent.
- Check warnings, negative instructions, conditional statements, and change notes.
- Record the reviewer and keep the source, bilingual output, glossary, and final approved version together.
Where AI Zhiyi fits
AI Zhiyi (AI智译) is a browser-based service for Chinese-to-English and supported-language-to-Chinese document translation. It processes PDF, Word, Excel, and common image formats, attempts OCR for image text, supports team terminology, and provides same-page, paged bilingual, and translated-only outputs. It does not edit native CAD layers or guarantee pixel-identical results for every file.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest way to translate a Chinese tech pack into English?
Use the original PDF, DOCX, or XLSX, translate labels in their visual context, keep numbers and identifiers traceable to the source, and review dimensions, tolerances, materials, revision notes, and approved terminology before production use.
Can a Chinese CAD drawing be translated directly from DWG or DXF?
AI Zhiyi currently works with CAD-exported or plotted PDF pages and common image formats, not native editable DWG or DXF entities. Export the drawing at its intended paper size and preserve vector text where possible.
Should every translation be forced onto the same page?
No. Same-page translation is useful when labels, callouts, and table cells have safe readable space. Dense two-column text or full-page requirements are clearer when the original page is preserved and indexed translation pages are added.
Which values should remain unchanged during technical translation?
Dimensions, tolerances, units, part and model numbers, drawing references, material grades, standards, dates, and revision identifiers should remain traceable and be checked independently of the prose translation.
Does technical document translation still need human review?
Yes. Automatic translation and layout recovery reduce manual work, but documents used for production, quotation, construction, compliance, or safety decisions require review by the responsible technical or business owner.
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