Tipword
Most ways to translate a PDF mean copying text into a website or uploading the whole file. That breaks the layout, and for a contract or a medical letter you may not want the file on someone else’s server. Here are the options on a Mac.
1. Use the built-in Translate in Preview
In Preview, select a few words, Control-click and choose Translate. macOS shows the translation in a small window. It works well when the text can be selected. On a scanned page, Live Text can often pick the text out of the image first.
2. Point at the word with Tipword
Hold ⌥ Option and point at any word on the page. Its meaning appears right beside it, in Preview, Acrobat, your browser or any app that shows the PDF. Nothing to select first, and with Screen Recording on it reads scanned pages too.
3. Translate the whole document
When you need every sentence in your language, for example before signing a contract, use a document translator and keep the original next to it. For reading and checking a few words, pointing is faster.
Questions
Does it work with scanned PDFs?
Yes. Turn on Screen Recording and Tipword reads words in scans and images.
Which PDF apps does it support?
Any app that shows the page: Preview, Acrobat, Safari, Chrome and more.