translate-pdf▌
wshuyi/translate-pdf-skill · updated Apr 8, 2026
Translate PDF documents to any language while preserving layout, colors, and styling.
- ›Three-step workflow: extract text strings, create a JSON translation mapping, then apply translations with language-specific font selection
- ›Supports five font families covering Latin languages, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean
- ›CJK fonts automatically scale to 90% for optimal text fitting within original PDF boundaries
- ›Preserves all original formatting including colors
PDF Translation
Translate PDF text while preserving structure, colors, and background styling.
Workflow
Step 1: Extract texts
python {skill_path}/scripts/extract_texts.py <input.pdf>
Review output to see all unique text strings in the PDF.
Step 2: Create translation mapping
Translate each text to target language. Create JSON file:
{
"Original Text 1": "Translated 1",
"Original Text 2": "Translated 2"
}
Save as translations.json next to input PDF.
Step 3: Apply translations
python {skill_path}/scripts/translate_pdf.py <input.pdf> translations.json <output.pdf> --font <fontname>
Font options:
| Font | Language |
|---|---|
helv |
Latin (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, etc.) |
china-ss |
Simplified Chinese |
china-ts |
Traditional Chinese |
japan |
Japanese |
korea |
Korean |
Output naming
Append language suffix: filename_EN.pdf, filename_ZH.pdf, filename_JA.pdf
Tips
- Keep proper nouns, abbreviations, technical terms unchanged when appropriate
- CJK fonts auto-scale to 90% for better fit
- Use transparent fill to preserve original background colors
Ratings
4.5★★★★★10 reviews- ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Oct 10, 2024
translate-pdf is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Piyush G· Sep 9, 2024
Keeps context tight: translate-pdf is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Aug 8, 2024
Registry listing for translate-pdf matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Jul 7, 2024
translate-pdf reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Jun 6, 2024
I recommend translate-pdf for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· May 5, 2024
Useful defaults in translate-pdf — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Apr 4, 2024
translate-pdf has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Mar 3, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: translate-pdf is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Feb 2, 2024
We added translate-pdf from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Yash Thakker· Jan 1, 2024
translate-pdf fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.