How to Translate PDFs Online Free

Need to read a PDF in another language? Papr can translate PDF text into 15+ languages directly in your browser using Mozilla's Bergamot neural machine translation engine (WASM). No uploads, no subscriptions — your documents stay private.

Why Translate with Papr?

Most translation services require uploading your document to a remote server, which can be a concern for confidential or sensitive content. Papr runs Mozilla's Bergamot neural translation engine entirely in your browser — your files never leave your device.

• Complete Privacy: Documents stay on your device — no server uploads
• Offline Capable: Translation models are cached locally after first download (~20 MB per language pair)
• 30 Language Pairs: English to/from German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Czech, Estonian, Bulgarian, Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Persian, Ukrainian, and more
• Completely Free: No subscriptions, no watermarks, no hidden fees

Step-by-Step: Translating a PDF in Papr

Step 1: Open Your PDF

Launch the Papr editor and load your PDF by clicking the "Open file" button in the top toolbar or dragging the file onto the page.

Step 2: Run OCR (If Needed)

Translation requires text content. If your PDF is a scanned document or image-based, you'll need to run OCR first. Open the Tools dropdown and select OCR / Extract Text to recognize the text before translating.

Step 3: Open the Translate Tool

Open the Tools dropdown in the toolbar and select Translate. You can also access it via the Command Palette (Ctrl/Cmd + K) by typing "Translate."

Step 4: Select Source and Target Languages

Choose the source language (the language your PDF is written in) and the target language (the language you want to translate to). On first use, the translation model for the selected pair will download automatically (~20 MB). After that, it's cached locally for instant offline use.

Step 5: Choose Page Range and Style Options

Select which pages to translate: All pages, Current page, or a Custom range. You can also configure style options such as matching the original font, color, and size adjustment to preserve the look of your document.

Step 6: Enable Split View (Optional)

For side-by-side comparison of the original and translated text, enable Split View before translating. This opens a second pane so you can compare the original document with the translated version in real time.

Step 7: Translate

Click Translate to start. Progress is shown per page as the neural translation engine processes your document. Once complete, you'll see the translated text overlaid on the PDF.

Step 8: Review and Export

Review the translated text and export your PDF using the Export button in the toolbar. The translated text is embedded in the exported file.

Translate Selected Text

You don't have to translate the entire document. If you only need a specific passage, right-click on selected OCR text and choose "Translate Selection" from the context menu for a quick partial translation.

Tips for Better Translations

• Run OCR first: Translation needs text content — if your PDF is image-based, run OCR before translating.
• Models are cached: After the first download, translation works offline with no delay.
• Use Split View: Compare original and translated text side by side for easier review.
• Undo is available: If you're not happy with the translation, use Ctrl/Cmd + Z to undo.

Common Use Cases

• Reading legal documents and contracts in foreign languages
• Translating academic papers and research articles
• Understanding business correspondence from international partners
• Translating government forms and official documents
• Reviewing multilingual reports and presentations

Related Guides

• How to OCR a PDF
• How to Use the Edit Text Tool
• How to Use Split View