Sign & notice translator

How it works

1. 1 Pick what the sign says: start from a ready-made sign, or find a line by typing it the way you'd say it, in any of the 17 languages. “Back at 2” finds the line and puts in the time.
2. 2 Choose up to six languages and their order. Each card shows your headline already in that language, and times, dates and money are written the way its readers write them.
3. 3 Pick the paper, a style and a colour. The words are sized to fill the sign, then print it from your browser: a full page, two half sheets to cut, or a table tent to fold.

Free, with no account. Everything happens on this page: nothing you pick or type is sent anywhere, and the sign is kept on this device only if you tick Remember.

Good to know

Is this machine translation?

No. Every line in the phrasebook was written for signs like these, in each of the 17 languages, so a line says the same thing in all of them. That's why you pick lines rather than type sentences: a short line from the phrasebook prints exactly as written. If you write a line of your own, it only appears in the languages someone wrote it in.

Should someone check it?

Yes, if you can. The lines are short and plain, but a sign is public, and a regular customer who reads the language will spot anything odd in a moment. Ask them to read the printed sign before it goes up.

What about signs in Quebec?

Quebec's Charter of the French language asks for French on commercial signs, and where other languages appear, for French to be markedly predominant, which is commonly read as about twice the size (verify). Tick “This sign goes up in Quebec” and French goes first, at twice the size of the others.

Will Punjabi, Arabic or Chinese print properly?

Yes. The sign is printed by your browser, which draws every script with the fonts on your computer, joining Arabic and Urdu letters and stacking Punjabi, Hindi and Tamil marks the way they should be. Urdu prints in nastaliq where your computer has it.

Can I use it for a required notice?

Use it for everyday signs: hours, payment, washrooms, welcome. Notices the law requires, like health inspection results, workplace posters or a card surcharge, often have set wording and size. Check what applies to you, and use the official version where there is one. The checks point out the ones they know about.

Can I put a card fee on a sign?

Yes, there's a line for it, but surcharging credit cards comes with rules: never on debit or prepaid cards, not in Quebec, and a cap set by the card brands (verify). The Card fee checker works out what you can charge.

Is anything sent or stored?

No. The lines, the languages and the sign stay in this tab. Printing goes straight from your browser to your printer. Remember keeps your choices only in this browser, and you can untick it to forget them.