How to retain the original format after Excel translation

Key points of this article

Check the table structure before translating. The more cells, formulas and conditional formatting you merge, the more you need to check them one by one after downloading.
Upload the original .xlsx file directly. Do not copy the content into text first and then translate it, otherwise the cell structure and style will be easily lost.
Select translation only when sending a form to others for use, and select bilingual comparison when proofreading by yourself or a team.
After downloading, read the layout first, then the text; check the table header, merged cells, numbers and formula results.
Machine translation may have terminological deviations, and the numbers, terms and professional terms in the table require manual review.

Many people have encountered the same problem when translating Excel tables: the text has been changed into the target language, but the background color of the table header is gone, the merged cells are misplaced, the decimal places of the amounts have also changed, and the table cannot be sent directly to colleagues or customers. Budget sheets, report cards, and product parameter sheets are all prone to this situation.

This article is written for people who need to translate .xlsx tables and want to retain the original format. We will explain how to upload on OmniDoc, how to choose the output method, and how to check whether the format is deviated after downloading. After reading this, you will have a process that you can follow.

How to preserve the format in Excel translation? One sentence conclusion

Let me talk about the conclusion first: Upload the original .xlsx file, select the output method according to the purpose, and check according to the list after downloading. The format can basically be preserved. Do not copy table contents into text before translating, otherwise the structure and style of the cells will be lost.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
The form should be sent directly to others for use.	Select translation output only	The layout is cleaner and there is no original text to interfere with reading.
Need to proofread by yourself or a team	Select bilingual comparison output	Compare the original text and the translated text to easily find errors
There are a lot of formulas and cell references in the table	After translation, focus on checking the formula results	Just because the text is translated correctly does not mean that the calculation results have not changed.
The table is large and there are many merged cells	Test the layout with a small sample first	Check the effect first and then deal with it as a whole, which can reduce rework.

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Confirm the file format. OmniDoc supports .xlsx files. If you have an earlier .xls or other table format, it is recommended to save it as .xlsx in desktop office software before uploading, so that the structural information will be more complete.
Keep an unmodified original copy. After downloading the translation, you need to compare it item by item with the original. The original is the basis for judging "whether the format has changed", so make a backup before proceeding.
Sort out the table structure. Take note of what merged cells, spanning column headers, conditional formatting, and drop-down options are available. The more elements there are, the more important it is to check them one by one during verification.
Prepare a list of key terms. Contents such as personal names, product models, codes, and unit symbols may be changed during translation. Make a list in advance and check it after translation to quickly identify problems.
Clear the purpose of the form. Is it used for reading, submitting to others, or for subsequent calculation? The purpose determines the output method and verification focus.

Steps to translate Excel tables in OmniDoc and preserve formatting

Open omnidoc.top and enter the document translation function.
Upload the original .xlsx file. Upload the file directly, do not copy and paste the table content first, this will preserve the cell structure.
Select the original language and the target language, and make sure they are not inverted.
Choose the output method according to the purpose: if you want to show it to others, choose translation only, and if you want to proofread it yourself, choose bilingual comparison.
If the form belongs to the fields of finance, law, medical, technology or business, and the interface provides corresponding writing style options, select it to make the professional vocabulary closer to industry habits.
Start the translation and wait until it is completed to download the result file.
Use spreadsheet software to open the translation. Don’t rush to read the text. First, look at the overall layout, and then check it item by item (see the next section).

Check each item after completion

After getting the translation, it is recommended to check it one by one according to the following list. Many formatting issues are difficult to spot at a glance, and you need to click on the details to see them.

Check items	How to see	What if there's a problem?
Meter head and background color	Check against the original to see if the color, frame and bold are still there.	Write down the location and manually fill in the style
Merge cells	Check whether the headings across rows and columns are still merged and whether the position is offset.	Remerge or use centered cross-column display instead
Number and date	Spot check amount, percentage, date format and decimal places	Change it back according to the original format and make sure that the value has not been changed.
Formula result	Click on several formulas to see if the citation range and calculation results are consistent with the original table.	Modify the citation range, recalculate and then compare with the original
Column width and line wrapping	After the translation becomes longer, see if the cell has been truncated.	Adjust the column width and turn on automatic line wrapping
Terms and proper nouns	Compare the list of terms to see if the name, model and code are unified.	Confirm the scope before batch replacement to avoid miscorrecting other content

It is inevitable that there are errors in machine translation. The figures, contract terms and technical terms in the form should be reviewed by people who know the business before they are used for external use.

# frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. What if the background color of the cell is missing after translation?

First compare the original to identify which areas are missing. A small amount of loss can manually fill in the background and frame in the translation; when a large area is lost, check whether the original file is in .xlsx format and upload it again.

2. Can I use a free online tool for form translation?

When selecting, you can look at four points: file size limit, whether the output is watermarked, whether the privacy policy is clear, and whether the translation retains the layout. Forms that contain personal information or undisclosed data should not be uploaded to tools from unknown sources.

3. Is there a keyboard shortcut that preserves the format?

There is no special shortcut key in the translation process itself, and the format is retained mainly by uploading the original file and checking after download. When adjusting the format of the translation unit, you can use the formatting function that comes with the desktop office software.

4. Can the screenshots or scanned parts of the form be translated?

The scanned version of PDF can upload translations directly. If you only have screenshots, it is recommended to organize them into .xlsx or PDF before processing, and carefully check the identified numbers, because the recognition process may be wrong.

5. Do you want to keep the original for comparison?

The version shown to others is translated only, and your own proofreading is bilingual. Keep both, which is more convenient than matching when something goes wrong.

# Summary

For Excel translation to retain the format, the key is to upload the original .xlsx file directly, choose the output mode according to the purpose, and then use the list to check the header, merged cells, numbers and formula results. After the completion of the translation, first look at the layout, and then look at the content, the format problems can be found and corrected in time.

Open OmniDoc, upload the document and start translation.