PDF Translator

A simple Python web app to translate PDF files while preserving their format using Azure OpenAI GPT-4.

Requirements

• Python 3.12 (Python 3.13 not yet supported by PyMuPDF)
• Cross-platform compatible (works on Windows, macOS, Linux)

Setup

Quick Setup (Windows)

Run the PowerShell script:

.\install.ps1

Manual Setup

1. Create a virtual environment with Python 3.12:

   python3.12 -m venv venv

2. Activate the virtual environment:

   # On macOS/Linux:
   source venv/bin/activate
   
   # On Windows:
   venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Set up environment variables. Create a .env file with:

   AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your_api_key
   AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT=your_endpoint
   AZURE_OPENAI_API_VERSION=2024-10-21
   AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt4
   

5. Run the app:

   python app.py

6. Open http://127.0.0.1:5000 in your browser.

Usage

1. Select a PDF file by dragging and dropping or clicking the upload area.
2. Choose the target language from the dropdown.
3. Download the translated PDF.

Limitations and Intended Use

• Internal use only. This tool is intended for non-production, internal workflows (review, drafts, enablement). Do not use for customer-facing deliverables without manual QA.
• No OCR. Scanned/image-only PDFs are not translated because text cannot be extracted. Use OCR first to convert to selectable text.
• Layout fidelity. The app tries to preserve layout, but some text may be slightly re-positioned or appear with background patches. Long lines may be auto-shrunk to fit.
• Images and graphics. Images are preserved; complex vector elements behind text can cause minor artifacts in some slides.
• Fonts and glyphs. The app embeds a Unicode font (DejaVu Sans) for overlays. Rare glyphs may still render differently from the original.
• Performance and size. Very large PDFs or pages with many images will take longer and may increase output size slightly.
• Privacy & data. Do not upload confidential or regulated data. Content is sent to Azure OpenAI according to your Azure subscription/data policies.
• Copyright. Ensure you have the right to translate the PDF content.

Note: This project is provided as-is without warranty. Validate all outputs before sharing externally.

pdfTranslator