Three navy magazine covers side by side on a white table, each with the word for light in gold: English, Hebrew and Chinese.

One Catalogue, Three Scripts: A Multilingual DTP Sample

Sample project · Multilingual DTP

A two-page product catalogue for a fictional skincare brand, typeset in English, Hebrew and Simplified Chinese from one layout system. The grid, style sheet and images stay the same. Direction, line breaking, punctuation and type change with each script.

  • 3scripts: Latin, right-to-left and CJK
  • 6pages, two per language
  • 1shared layout and style sheet

View the pages in each language

Select a language. Each page opens at full size in a new tab.

The same page, mirrored for Hebrew

Right-to-left is more than right-aligned text. The whole page reads from the other side, so the order of elements flips with it.

English page 2, marked at the first product card, the start of the chart bars, the percentages and the first price
Hebrew page 2, marked at the same four elements in their mirrored positions
  • The first product card moves to the right edge.
  • Chart bars grow from the right.
  • Percentages move to the left side.
  • Prices follow Hebrew order: 68.00 €.

What changes with each script

English (Latin)

  • Source layout and style sheet
  • Hierarchy set once in paragraph styles
  • Room planned for longer and shorter text

Hebrew (right-to-left)

  • Paragraph and layout direction reversed
  • Hyphenation off, words never split
  • Latin names kept in the right order inside Hebrew lines

Chinese (CJK)

  • Full-width punctuation
  • Line breaks without word spaces, no punctuation at line start
  • Latin product names set inside CJK headings

Checked before export

  • Overset text in every frame after the translated text flowed in
  • Wrong or corrupted characters, and Traditional characters in Simplified Chinese text
  • Line breaks, hyphenation and punctuation rules per script
  • Footnote markers, numbers and prices in the right order
  • Hidden strokes and gaps at page edges that only show in the export

How the sample was produced

  1. Prepare the sourceStyles only, no local overrides
  2. Import the textTranslated text placed per language
  3. Set each scriptDirection, fonts and composer
  4. Fit and fixLine breaks, overset, mirroring
  5. Check and exportVisual check of every page

Fictional brand, product data and claims. Created by DTP Services Berlin as a layout sample; the text in each language serves to demonstrate typesetting.

Planning a catalogue in several languages?

Send the source files and the target languages. DTP Services Berlin reviews them and replies with a free assessment.

Request a free assessment See multilingual DTP