Combine the speed of AI with the rigour of human translators
Request a Free QuoteMachine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) is a service that combines neural machine translation (NMT) with professional human review and correction. The result is translation quality close to fully human translation, delivered faster and at a lower cost. It is the ideal solution for companies that need to translate large volumes of technical or repetitive content without compromising accuracy. Explore all our translation services to find the approach that best fits your project.
M21Global is one of the few companies in Portugal with ISO 18587 certification — the international standard that defines the requirements for machine translation post-editing. This certification guarantees that our MTPE process is audited, documented and reproducible, with defined competencies for each post-editor and measurable quality criteria. Learn more about ISO 18587 certification and what it means for your projects.
When does it make sense to use MTPE instead of full human translation? For content with standardised technical language, user manuals, product documentation, catalogues and repetitive texts, MTPE offers the best balance between cost, speed and quality. For creative, marketing or binding legal content, full human translation remains the right choice. In both cases, M21Global holds the ISO certifications that guarantee controlled processes and predictable results.
The MTPE process at M21Global follows four rigorous phases, each designed to maximise quality and minimise cost. In Phase 1 — Pre-processing, files are prepared and segmented, existing translation memory is applied to leverage previous translations, and the content is analysed to determine the most suitable NMT engine for the language pair and project domain.
In Phase 2 — Machine translation, the content is processed by the selected neural translation engine. We use private, specialised engines — never generic public tools — which ensures your data remains confidential and that the raw output quality is optimised for the content type in question.
Phase 3 — Human post-editing is the step that transforms machine translation into publishable content. A professional translator with experience in the specific domain reviews each segment, correcting errors of meaning, validating technical terminology and ensuring natural fluency in the target language. This step radically distinguishes professional MTPE from simply using machine translation.
Finally, Phase 4 — Quality control applies automated checks (tag integrity, numbers, formatting) and a final review before delivery. ISO 18587 defines two levels: light post-editing (basic fluency and accuracy) and full post-editing (quality equivalent to fully human translation). M21Global implements both according to project requirements. Learn more about our continuous improvement approach.
Cost reduction of 30 to 50% compared to full human translation — the exact value depends on the language pair, domain and content repetitiveness. For technical content with standardised terminology, savings are consistently above 40%. Translation memories accumulated from previous projects increase efficiency with each delivery.
Speed 2 to 3 times faster than conventional human translation. The NMT engine processes thousands of words per minute, leaving the post-editor only the work of refinement and validation. In projects with tight deadlines or simultaneous multi-market launches, this speed difference can be decisive.
Terminological consistency across large volumes. The NMT engine maintains terminology uniformity throughout the entire project, eliminating the natural variations that occur when multiple translators work in parallel. Combined with client-approved glossaries and translation memories, it ensures the same concept is always translated the same way.
Unprecedented scalability: projects of 100,000 words or more are handled efficiently without sacrificing quality. The combination of automated processing and human review allows volume to scale without proportionally multiplying the translator team, while maintaining quality control across all segments. Check our competitive prices for MTPE projects.
MTPE is ideal for content with repetitive and technical language: user manuals, product documentation, installation guides, technical data sheets, support and helpdesk content, e-commerce catalogues, software documentation (UI strings, changelogs, knowledge bases), internal standards and procedures, and corporate training content. In these scenarios, the NMT engine achieves a high baseline quality that the post-editor refines quickly.
Full human translation is preferable when the text requires creativity, cultural adaptation or absolute legal precision: marketing and advertising campaigns, brand and branding content, binding legal texts (contracts, patents, regulations), sensitive corporate communications, regulatory materials subject to formal approval, and literary or editorial content. In these cases, human intervention from the outset ensures nuances that machine translation does not yet capture. See our technical translation for MTPE projects and business translation for strategic content.
Many projects benefit from a hybrid approach: MTPE for the technical and repetitive components, human translation for the creative and marketing elements. M21Global assesses each project individually and recommends the combination that optimises quality, cost and timeline. Request a free quote with a personalised analysis of your content.
The ISO 18587:2017 standard defines the requirements for the machine translation post-editing process, establishing a professional framework that distinguishes certified MTPE from the simple use of machine translation. The certification covers three fundamental areas: post-editor competencies, process requirements and output quality criteria.
Regarding post-editor competencies, the standard requires native or equivalent linguistic proficiency in the target language, competence in the source language, domain-specific knowledge, training in machine translation post-editing, and the ability to use CAT tools and NMT engines. At M21Global, all post-editors meet these requirements and are continuously assessed.
The documented process requires that every stage is recorded and auditable: NMT engine selection, materials preparation, assignment to the qualified post-editor, definition of the post-editing level (light or full), and final verification. This documentation enables consistent, reproducible results and rapid identification of improvement areas.
The difference between ISO 18587 and ISO 17100 (full human translation) is complementary: ISO 17100 regulates the process when translation is done entirely by humans, while ISO 18587 regulates the process when machine translation is the starting point. M21Global holds both certifications, offering full flexibility to choose or combine approaches as the project requires. Visit our page on ISO 18587 certification and the overview of ISO certification.
Data security is a legitimate concern when it comes to machine translation. At M21Global, we exclusively use private NMT engines — never public machine translation tools such as Google Translate or the free version of DeepL. Your texts are processed in controlled environments and are never used to train third-party models.
GDPR compliance is ensured at every stage of the process. Data is transmitted through encrypted connections, stored in infrastructure with restricted access and deleted after agreed retention periods. For particularly sensitive projects, we offer processing in isolated and on-premise environments.
Each project can be covered by specific Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) that extend to all personnel involved — from project managers to post-editors and reviewers. Client translation memories and glossaries are treated as intellectual property and stored separately from other clients.
Our commitment to quality and security is documented and audited. Visit our Zero Errors, Total Satisfaction page to learn about the standards we apply to all projects, including MTPE.
1. Initial briefing — We analyse the content, identify the language pair, technical domain and translation objective. We assess the suitability of MTPE versus full human translation and recommend the most efficient approach. At this stage, we define the post-editing level (light or full), glossaries to apply and acceptance criteria.
2. Pilot test — For projects of significant volume, we process a representative sample to validate the NMT engine quality with the specific content type. This sample allows us to calibrate expectations, define guidelines for the post-editor and accurately estimate the timeline and cost of the complete project.
3. Production — The content is processed by the selected NMT engine, and the output is assigned to the qualified post-editor. During post-editing, the translator corrects errors, validates terminology, ensures fluency and applies the guidelines defined in the pilot test. Automated quality control checks tag integrity, numbers, formatting and terminological consistency.
4. Delivery and report — The translated content is delivered in the original format, accompanied by a quality report that includes productivity metrics, types of errors corrected and recommendations for future projects. Client feedback is incorporated into translation memory and glossaries for continuous improvement. Request a free quote for your next MTPE project.
MTPE stands for Machine Translation Post-Editing — machine translation followed by human review and correction. The process consists of using a neural machine translation (NMT) engine to generate an initial version of the translation, which is then reviewed and corrected by a professional human translator. The ISO 18587 standard defines the international requirements for this process, ensuring post-editor competencies, process documentation and measurable quality criteria. At M21Global, we apply ISO 18587 certified MTPE to maximise efficiency without compromising output quality.
MTPE enables cost reductions of 30 to 50% compared to full human translation, depending on the language pair, technical domain and level of content repetitiveness. Standardised technical content (manuals, data sheets, software documentation) tends towards the higher end of savings, while content with greater linguistic variability is closer to 30%. The exact cost is determined after content analysis — request a free quote with an MTPE vs human translation comparison.
For technical and repetitive content, MTPE with full post-editing (ISO 18587) produces results of quality equivalent to human translation. Current NMT engines achieve very high baseline quality in language pairs with large training data volumes (English-Spanish, English-French, English-German, English-Portuguese), and the post-editor refines the output to publishable quality. For creative, marketing or culturally charged content, full human translation remains preferable.
MTPE is most efficient for content with standardised and repetitive language: user manuals, technical product documentation, installation and maintenance guides, data sheets, support and helpdesk content, e-commerce catalogues, software documentation (UI, changelogs, APIs), internal standards and procedures, and training content. The more standardised and repetitive the content, the greater the savings and the faster the delivery.
At M21Global, yes. We exclusively use private NMT engines, not free public tools. Your texts are never used to train third-party models. All processing complies with GDPR: encrypted transmission, storage in infrastructure with restricted access and deletion after agreed periods. We offer per-project NDAs and, for particularly sensitive data, processing in isolated environments. Read more about our commitment to security at Zero Errors, Total Satisfaction.
We offer MTPE for all major European and international language pairs: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Romanian, among others. Output quality varies by language pair — pairs with large training data volumes (such as English-Spanish or English-French) show higher baseline quality. For less common pairs, we conduct a pilot test to validate MTPE suitability before starting the project.
ISO 18587 defines two levels: light post-editing ensures the translation is comprehensible and factually correct, without necessarily achieving stylistic quality — ideal for internal content, quick-reference documentation or short-lived texts. Full post-editing requires quality equivalent to full human translation — linguistically fluent, terminologically precise and stylistically appropriate for the target audience. M21Global recommends the appropriate level based on the final use of the content.
Yes. M21Global is one of the few companies in Portugal with ISO 18587 certification, the international standard that regulates machine translation post-editing. This certification guarantees that our post-editors have documented competencies, that the process is audited and reproducible, and that results meet measurable quality criteria. We also hold ISO 17100 for full human translation, offering complete flexibility in choosing the right approach. Visit the ISO 18587 certification page for more details.
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