---
title: AI Image Translator - Fast Localization at Scale | Smartcat
description: Translate the text inside images into 280+ languages. AI detects, translates, and rebuilds text in your layout. Edit before download. Free 15-day trial.
canonical: https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/
language: en
updated: 2026-08-20
---

# AI Image Translator - Fast Localization at Scale | Smartcat

## Image Translator: Translate the Text Inside Any Image

OCR finds every piece of text in your image, AI translates it into any of 280+ languages, and the translated text goes back into your layout — editable before you download.

- [Book a demo](https://www.smartcat.com/book-a-demo/?n-upl)

- [Sign up free](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?n-upl)

## How does an AI image translator work?

An image translator is software that finds the text inside an image file, translates it, and renders the translated text back into the image in place of the original.

Smartcat's image translator works in **three stages**. First, **optical character recognition (OCR)** detects each text region in the file — headlines, labels, captions, and text inside diagrams.

Second, each region is **translated into any of 280+ languages**, applying your translation memory and glossary so brand names and recurring terms stay consistent across every image.

Third, the background is removed and the translated text is **re-inserted into the original layout**, set in Smartcat's documented set of supported fonts and matched to the original as closely as that set allows.

Because translations often run longer than the source, **every text box stays editable in the browser**: adjust a line break or font size before you download the finished image in its original format.

### How to translate an image in five steps

### Upload your images — drag them into the browser, one or many at a time. JPG/JPEG/JFIF, PNG, TIF/TIFF, BMP, GIF, DCX/PCX, JP2/JPC, DJVU/DJV, JB2, image-only PDF, and AI files are read by OCR, up to 30 MB per image.

### Pick your languages — one source, as many targets as you need, from 280+.

### Translate — Smartcat detects every text region, removes the background behind it, and re-inserts the translated text into your original layout as editable text blocks.

### Review and adjust — click any text box to reword or resize it, or hand the file to an internal expert or a Marketplace reviewer if the content warrants one.

### Download — the same image, same layout, new language. There is no limit on how many files go into one project: batch uploads of hundreds of images work the same way on every plan.

Translate an image free

- [Translate an image free](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?main-7-image-translator)

## What teams ship with it

We love having total visibility over our entire translation lifecycle on our Smartcat workspace due to the centralized nature of the platform and being able to gather all the linguistic assets we need, including translation memories and glossaries.

Barbara Fedorowicz

Translation department manager, Smith+Nephew

- [Read the case study →](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/smith-nephew/)

### 280+

### Languages

Any supported language pairs with any other, so a picture with Japanese, Arabic, or Hebrew text translates to English the same way English translates out.

### 30 MB

### Per image for OCR

The constraint is per-file size, not file count — there is no cap on how many images go into one project, and it does not vary by plan. Scans need at least 300 DPI.

### 1,000

### Smartwords per image

Image translation is metered at a flat 1,000 Smartwords per image rather than per word, so a dense infographic costs the same as a headline banner.

## Why translating an image is harder than translating text

Text in an image can't be selected, so most people fall into the same loop: retype the words out of the JPG into a translator, paste the result into a design tool, and rebuild the graphic by hand — once per language. Annoying for one banner. For forty product images in six languages it is a week of work that produces its own errors.

The other failure modes are quieter. A screenshot “translated” by a free app gives you an overlay you can read but no file you can publish. Translated text runs longer than the original and overflows the button it lived in. And when different people translate different images, the same product name comes back three different ways across one catalog.

### Scans & photos

### Screenshots, Phone Photos, Scans, and Image-Only PDFs Are Covered Too

The same OCR pipeline reads [scanned documents](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-scanned-document/), with script-specific handling for [scanned Chinese documents](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-scanned-chinese-document/) and [scanned Arabic documents](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-scanned-arabic-document/). Phone snaps use the [photo translator](https://www.smartcat.com/photo-translator/); the [GIF translator](https://www.smartcat.com/gif-translator/) handles animated GIFs, first frame only. PDFs keep multi-page structure in the [PDF translator](https://www.smartcat.com/pdf-translator/).

![Screenshots, phone photos, scans, and image-only PDFs](https://gqucouwbfxremfdhdosu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/sc-store/1718697935613tab-placeholder.png)

- [Translate an image free](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?main-2-image-translator)

### Batch

### Translate Hundreds of Images in One Job, Not One Tab at a Time

A campaign's worth of banners or a catalog's worth of product images uploads as one batch and comes back as one batch. The only ceiling is 30 MB per image. See [translate multiple images at once](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-multiple-images-at-once/) for batch mechanics and limits.

![Translate hundreds of images in one job](https://gqucouwbfxremfdhdosu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/sc-store/1718697935613tab-placeholder.png)

- [Translate a batch free](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?main-3-image-translator)

### Consistency

### Brand Terms Stay Identical Across Every Image

Add product names and approved terminology to a [glossary](https://www.smartcat.com/blog/making-the-perfect-glossary/) once and it is enforced across the whole image set — no more terms drifting three ways across a catalog. Translation memory remembers repeated text, so you never pay to translate the same tagline twice.

![Brand terms stay identical across every image](https://gqucouwbfxremfdhdosu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/sc-store/1718697935613tab-placeholder.png)

- [Set up a glossary](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?main-4-image-translator)

### Expert review

### Send Any Image to a Human Reviewer Before It Publishes

A free app gives you an overlay and no reviewer. Here, review happens in the same workspace as the translation: invite your own linguists, or match with vetted reviewers through [Smartcat Marketplace](https://www.smartcat.com/marketplace/) by industry and language pair. Their edits feed back into your translation memory.

![Human review before publishing, in the same workspace](https://gqucouwbfxremfdhdosu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/sc-store/1718697935613tab-placeholder.png)

- [Hire expert reviewers](https://www.smartcat.com/marketplace/?main-5-image-translator)

## Trusted by Global Enterprises for Image Translation

### 9.6/10

for ease of setup

### 9.3/10

for ease of use

### 1,000+

enterprise brands

### 4.6/5

average rating on G2

Try it on your own images

Free for 15 days with 15,000 Smartwords and full access to translation capabilities, no credit card — then a paid plan, with no free-forever tier. Details on the [pricing page](https://www.smartcat.com/pricing/). If your need is one image, once, a free consumer app will serve you fine.

- [Book a demo](https://www.smartcat.com/book-a-demo/?main-6-image-translator)

## The go-to solution for enterprise image translation

### 10 days → 2–3 days

### Faster Turnaround

Smith+Nephew cut eLearning translation turnaround from an average of 10 days with their previous providers to two to three days for the same course length.

- [Read Case Study](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/smith-nephew)

### Up to 70%

### Cost Savings

See how Stanley Black & Decker reduced spend while raising quality.

- [Read Case Study](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/stanley-black-and-decker/)

### 31 hours

### Saved Monthly

Babbel's marketing and L&D teams reclaimed 31 hours a month.

- [Read Case Study](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/babbel/)

Every image, every language, same layout

Upload the images, pick the languages, download files you can publish — same format, layout intact, every text box still editable. Free for 15 days with 15,000 Smartwords, no credit card.

- [Translate an image free](https://smartcat.com/sign-up?main-f-image-translator)

## More on image and document translation

### The Do's And Don'ts Of Using AI Agents For Localization In Global Marketing Campaigns

Learn how to use AI agents to create content once and effectively launch it across multiple regions.

Read More

### Smartcat Debuts End-to-End SCORM Translation: All Assets, One Workflow, Zero Manual Work

Automate the entire translation lifecycle for SCORM courses, the standard format for online training content used in corporate learning systems.

Read More

### Translation Glossary Guide: a Route to Consistency & Client Trust

How to easily create and maintain a glossary to ensure a consistent brand voice wherever your company operates.

Read More

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What image formats can I translate?

JPG/JPEG/JFIF, PNG, TIF/TIFF, BMP, GIF, DCX/PCX, JP2/JPC, DJVU/DJV, JB2, image-only PDF, and AI (Adobe Illustrator) are all processed via OCR. Animated GIFs are read first frame only. Each image can be up to 30 MB. HEIC and WebP are not on the supported list. If your text lives in a PDF — even a scanned one — use the [PDF translator](https://www.smartcat.com/pdf-translator/) instead; it keeps multi-page structure.

### Can I translate a picture to English from any language?

Yes — any supported language pairs with any other, 280+ in total, so a picture with Japanese, Arabic, or Hebrew text translates to English the same way English translates out.

### Can I edit the translated text inside the image?

Yes, on the OCR pipeline. Each detected text region becomes a **bounding box** in the browser editor, and the formatting toolbar changes **font type, size, colour, and alignment**; you can also select text such as a logo and use **Hide** to keep it out of the translation.

One limit: the **generative pipeline has no layer-editing tools** (Move, Resize, Font Select), so choose the OCR pipeline when you need to move things.

### Does it translate text in software screenshots?

Yes, and screenshots are a strong use case: add your UI terms to a glossary so button labels and feature names translate identically across every screenshot in your docs.

### What if my image is low quality?

OCR accuracy falls with resolution. Sharp, straight-on images translate reliably; blurry or heavily compressed ones lose characters. Scans should be at least 300 DPI. See [translate scanned documents](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-scanned-document/) for what scan quality changes.

### How many images can I translate at once?

No limit on how many files go into one project. Batch uploads of hundreds of images are supported; the constraint is per-file size (30 MB per image for OCR), not file count, and it does not vary by plan. See [translate multiple images at once](https://www.smartcat.com/image-translator/translate-multiple-images-at-once/).

### How is image translation priced?

Image translation is metered at a flat 1,000 Smartwords per image, not per word — so a dense infographic and a short headline banner cost the same. Full details on the [pricing page](https://www.smartcat.com/pricing/).

### Is it free?

For 15 days, yes — 15,000 Smartwords with full access to translation capabilities, no credit card, and no free-forever plan afterwards. After the trial it is a paid plan.

### Will the translated text fit my design?

Not always on the first pass — many languages run longer than English, and a text box sized for the source can overflow. That is why the output stays editable: adjust the line break or font size in the browser rather than reopening a design tool.

### What fonts does the translated text use?

Translated text is re-inserted using Smartcat's documented set of supported fonts, matched to the original as closely as that set allows. The list lives in the product documentation and can change, so check there if a specific typeface matters. Custom font uploads are not part of the documented set today.

### Is my image confidential?

Smartcat is SOC 2 Type II compliant. Files are encrypted in transit and at rest, workspaces are isolated, and access is role-based. Details on the [security page](https://www.smartcat.com/security/).

### Where does it fall short?

**Two honest limits.**

- **Busy photographic backgrounds and stylised logotypes** — text there is detected but rarely re-rendered perfectly. Plan on manual touch-up, and for heavily designed artwork you will usually get a better result re-creating the text layer in the source design file.
- **Handwriting** — read only by the image-based OCR pipeline (the AI PDF workflow does not support it at all), with accuracy tracking input quality. Treat any handwriting result as a draft to check, not a translation to publish.

### Can you translate an animated GIF?

Only the first frame is processed — an animated GIF is handled as a still image, so you get one translated frame rather than a rebuilt animation. See the [GIF translator](https://www.smartcat.com/gif-translator/) page for what that means in practice.

### What about photos taken on a phone?

They run through the same OCR pipeline, and results track image quality: hold the camera straight on, fill the frame with the text, and avoid glare. The [photo translator](https://www.smartcat.com/photo-translator/) page covers camera photos specifically.

### Image translator or Google Lens — which should I use?

If you need to *read* one sign, menu, or screenshot right now, a **free app such as Google Lens is faster** and it is the right tool.

Use Smartcat when you need the **translated image file back**. Lens gives you an overlay, one image at a time, with no glossary and no reviewer. Smartcat returns the **same format with the layout intact**, runs a batch as one job, enforces your terminology, and keeps review in the same workspace.

### Question not answered here?

[Book a demo](https://www.smartcat.com/book-a-demo/) — a 1:1 walkthrough with a specialist, no commitment.

## Sources

1. Smartcat customer case study, Smith+Nephew. [https://www.smartcat.com/cases/smith-nephew/](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/smith-nephew/).

2. Smartcat customer case study, Stanley Black & Decker. [https://www.smartcat.com/cases/stanley-black-and-decker/](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/stanley-black-and-decker/).

3. Smartcat customer case study, Babbel. [https://www.smartcat.com/cases/babbel/](https://www.smartcat.com/cases/babbel/).