Working in your language: translations and multi-language profiles

ArtHelper works in five languages, and your artwork can speak to international audiences even if you only write in one. This guide covers changing your display language, how translations work across your profile, your artwork, messages, and the community, and how to control whether auto-translation is enabled.

Languages we support

• English
• Español (Spanish)
• Français (French)
• Deutsch (German)
• Português (Portuguese)

When the site detects you’re somewhere it can serve in your local language, you’ll see a banner at the bottom: “We detected [language] — is that right?” Click Yes, use [language] to switch, or Change language to pick a different one.

How to change your display language

1. Go to your Settings.
2. Find the language selector — it shows your current language (e.g. English).
3. Pick the language you want from the list.
4. The site reloads in the new language. Menus, buttons, and on-screen text all switch.

Tip: Your language choice is saved to your profile, so you’ll stay in that language on any device you sign in from.

How translations work on your artwork

When you write a title or description for a piece of artwork, ArtHelper stores it in the language you wrote it in. Visitors who view your profile in another supported language see a translated version automatically.

• You write your titles and descriptions in your language — the one you’re comfortable in.
• A visitor browsing in Spanish or German sees your work in their language, without you having to translate anything manually.
• You can still write in multiple languages if you want a specific phrasing in another language. The translated version is a fallback when you haven’t.

How translations work in the community

The same applies to community posts and comments. Write in your language; community members from other countries see your post translated when they view it in their language. The original is always available too.

How translations work on your public profile

Your bio, artist statement, and profile fields work the same way. A visitor from Brazil viewing your profile in Portuguese sees your bio translated; a visitor from France sees the French version. Your original copy stays the canonical version.

How translations work in direct messages

When you receive a direct message written in a language different from your account language, ArtHelper now auto-translates it inline so you can read it immediately in your language. You’ll see the translated text by default.

• If you want to see what the sender actually wrote, click the Show original button that appears on the message. This toggles the message back to the sender’s language.
• Click Show original again to switch back to the translation.
• Messages you send are shown in the language you wrote them in to the recipient, who will see them auto-translated if their account language is different.

This auto-translation happens automatically — there’s no menu or manual action needed. The system detects the sender’s language and translates for you if it differs from your account language setting.

Turning off auto-translate for some or all languages

You can now disable auto-translation globally (no auto-translation for any language) or turn it off for specific languages. This is useful if you write in multiple languages yourself and don’t want ArtHelper’s translation overriding your own wording.

1. Go to your Settings.
2. Navigate to Notifications & Language.
3. Look for the Auto-translate controls.
4. To turn off auto-translation completely, toggle off the global setting.
5. To turn off auto-translation for specific languages only, use the individual language toggles (e.g., keep Spanish translation on but turn off French).

When you turn off auto-translate (globally or for specific languages), your posts and artwork descriptions will only appear in the language you wrote them in. Visitors who speak other languages won’t see a translation for those pieces — they’ll see your original text. If you write your own French descriptions, for example, you can turn off French auto-translate so your hand-written French version is never replaced by automatic translation.

Common questions

Will translations always be perfect?

No translation system is perfect. Automatic translation handles general meaning well — it occasionally misses nuance, idioms, or art-specific terminology. If a piece description matters a lot in a particular language, write that version yourself.

Can I write a different version of my bio for each language?

Yes. If you want a hand-tuned French bio, you can add one directly. When a French-speaking visitor lands on your profile, they’ll see what you wrote rather than the automatic translation.

Does changing my display language change what others see?

No. Other people see your profile in their language, not yours. Your display-language setting only affects what you see when using ArtHelper.

Will the Assistant chat with me in my language?

Yes. The Assistant responds in the language the site is set to.

Is the language banner permanent?

No. The banner only appears once, when we detect a language different from your current setting. After you click Yes, use [language] or Change language, it goes away.