Create Custom Symbol Characters You Can Use in Word

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Design your own symbol characters that you can use in Word
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This wikiHow teaches you how to create your own symbols and add them to Microsoft Word. Creating and installing symbols is different than inserting pre-installed symbols into your document. You can create and install symbols on Windows by using a hidden program called "Private Character Editor", while Mac users can create and install their own font with customized symbols by using the Calligraphr template.

How do you make custom font symbols in Word?

  • Use Private Character Editor (eudcedit) for Windows to draw symbols, then use Character Map to use them in Word.
  • On a Mac, download and edit the Calligraphr template, then upload your template to redownload it as a font.
  • Any custom symbols you make will not display on any platform that doesn't have your symbols installed.
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Windows

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  1. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  2. This is the code you'll need to locate Private Character Editor since the program doesn't have a built-in shortcut.
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  3. It's at the top of the menu. This will open the Private Character Editor program. [1]
  4. Click one of the grid squares in the window.
    • Your selected space will correspond to Character Map later (for example, if you pick the upper-left corner box, the symbol will be in that box when you open Character Map later).
  5. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so confirms your space and opens the symbol editor window.
  6. Click and drag your mouse around the window to draw. This part is largely up to you, though keep in mind that the bottom of the window represents the bottom of a text line; if you create a symbol that starts above the bottom of the window, it will be higher than the rest of the text in the line.
    • You can select different drawing tools in the left-hand side of the window to change the drawing style.
    • If you make a mistake, you can undo it by pressing Ctrl + Z , or by using the eraser tool in the bottom-left side of the window.
    • You can use an existing symbol as your base by clicking Edit , clicking Copy Character... , selecting a character, and clicking OK .
  7. Click the Edit menu item in the upper-left side of the window, then click Save Character . The symbol is now installed on your system.
  8. Click Start
    Windows Start
    , type in character map , and click Character Map at the top of the Start menu.
    • The Character Map program keeps track of all available symbols on your system.
  9. It's at the top of the Character Map window. A drop-down menu of different font names will appear.
  10. This option is near the top of the drop-down menu. Doing so will display a list of your created symbols.
    • You may have to scroll up to see this option.
  11. If you want to place the symbol in a Word document, click the symbol to select it, click Select , click Copy , and then open the Microsoft Word document and paste in the symbol by pressing Ctrl + V .
    • Your symbol may not be large enough or bold enough to be easily visible in Word. You can change that by selecting the symbol and raising the font size to the appropriate level.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Mac

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  1. Download the Calligraphr template . Calligraphr is a free service which allows you to create your own font. In order to download the font creation form, you'll need to create an account on Calligraphr's website, which is at https://www.calligraphr.com .
    • Follow How to Create a Font for more detailed steps on how to create an account, log in, and download a template.
  2. Open the template file's download folder, then click the template file to select it.
  3. It's at the top of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  4. You'll see this near the top of the File window. Selecting it prompts a pop-out menu.
  5. It's in the pop-out menu. Doing so opens the Calligraphr template in your Mac's Preview program.
  6. This option is at the top of the Preview window.
    • On some versions of macOS, the "Markup" icon resembles a bag instead.
  7. It's in the Markup toolbar. This will allow you to draw by clicking and dragging your mouse.
  8. Whatever you draw on top of a letter (e.g., A ) is what will be typed when you press that letter's key.
    • You can repeat this process for multiple symbols in order to bind them to letters (e.g., A-Z).
    • Keep in mind that capital letters and lower-case letters have their own distinct bindings.
  9. Press ⌘ Command + S to do so. This will save the changes you've made to the Preview template, which will allow you to create your own font by uploading the template back to Calligraphr and then downloading the resulting font file.
  10. Go back to https://www.calligraphr.com in your computer's web browser, then do the following:
    • Click START APP
    • Click MY FONTS
    • Click Upload Template
    • Click Choose File
    • Select your template file, then click Open
    • Click UPLOAD TEMPLATE
  11. It's near the bottom of the page. A window will open.
  12. Click Build Font at the top of the page, enter a name for your font, and click BUILD .
    • The name that you select for your font is the name that will display for the font when you select it in Microsoft Word.
  13. Click the font file that ends in .ttf to download it onto your Mac, then double-click the font file and click Install at the bottom of the window.
  14. If you want to type your symbol into Word, open a Word document, then select your custom font on the Home tab and type the symbol's corresponding letter. You should see the symbol appear.
    • You'll have to switch to another font to type actual letters.
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      Tips

      • If you have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription on a Windows computer, you can insert Windows icons into your document by clicking the Insert tab, clicking Icons in the "Illustrations" section of the toolbar, and selecting an icon. This will not work on the Mac version of Word. [2]
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      Warnings

      • Since custom symbols are only available for Word documents on your computer, other people will not be able to view your symbols if you share the document with them. You can get around this limitation by printing the document or saving it as a PDF.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/windows-xp-in/0596002491/re150.html
      2. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/insert-icons-in-office-2016-e2459f17-3996-4795-996e-b9a13486fa79

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