What is "scanlation"

n. 1 (context comics chiefly manga English) The process of scan and translate foreign language comics (especially Japanese manga or Korean manhwa) into the translator's language, for free distribution over the Internet. 2 (context comics English) a comic that has been scanned, translated, and with translation overlaid onto the original text to produce a second language version of the comic; a scanlated comic

Scanlation (also scanslation) is the fan-made scanning, translation, and editing of comics from a language into another language. Scanlation is done as an amateur work and is nearly always done without express permission from the copyright holder. The word "scanlation" is a portmanteau of the words scan and translation. The term is mainly used for Japanese manga, although it also exists for other national traditions on a lesser scale. Scanlations may be viewed at websites or as sets of image files downloaded via the Internet.