As it currently is, `org-timestamp-translate` only respects
`org-timestamp-custom-formats` when `org-display-custom-times` is set.
The function `org-timestamp-translate` and the variable
`org-timestamp-custom-formats` are almost exclusively used by exporters,
and exporting the timestamp should be independent from how the timestamp
is displayed.
Both uses for `org-timestamp-custom-formats`, exporting and displaying,
make sense, but using it for exporting should be easily possible without
(by default) having the display overlays.
I personally would propose two options:
- org-timestamp-translate should always respect org-timestamp-custom-formats
- add an option to always use `org-timestamp-custom-formats` when set
when calling `org-timestamp-translate`
--
Zeremonienmeister Berber Aab
