How to use The Character Map utility that comes with Windows

Accessories: Character Map for Dingbats & Foreign Characters Window 95, 98 & NT	\| Directory \| Disclaimer \|
Location: "C:\Windows\Charmap.exe"

Dingbats, Dings, Sorts are printer Terms for characters that are not normal to a Type Font but are necessary in some printing and contained in a collection Font.
These are often included in a font that is like your regular Type Fonts but under a different name. The dingbat is associated with a key stroke for that font. Large collection of dingbats exceed the normal 101 keys associated with your key board and require a combination of key strokes to install that dingbat in your document. Note: When you select the dingbat

and hold your mouse down, it will enlarge, giving you a better view of the actual sort and highlight normally with blue background. To get the dingbat I selected here will require that I be in "ZapfDingbats BT" font and keystroke: Hold "Alt" key down plus add the number "0251" as indicated in the red box lower right hand corner. Most of these characters are associated with a single keystroke like a Capital "A" or a Lowercase "a". These are case sensitive and the case will be displayed in the same location on the form in the red box lower right corner. Notice whether it is a capital or lowercase key to use to create the character that you want.

Foreign Characters
Many Type Fonts have foreign characters. The font you are currently using can be viewed with this character map to determine if the font is complete with foreign characters and if so, which keystroke is associated with this character. This is a little pain in the rear to use but beats the alternative of pressing all the keys to see if the character you want even exists let alone the keystroke it's associated with.

Use Dingbats and foreign characters;
Suggest you add a shortcut on you Desktop Toolbar and possibly create a additional new Toolbar just for accessories or if you have room add to the main toolbar for easy access rather than going through the Task bar selection: Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Character Map. Click here for instructions to add to Desktop Toolbar.

Select, Copy and Paste.
By Selecting, and copying here will put the character on the clipboard. Now go to your document and place the cursor where you want to paste the character and then paste. This may not work perfectly all the time but normally the keystroke is pasted. In your document. Select whatever is pasted, and then select the font it comes from like "ZapfDingbats BT" as in this case and enter. Should change to the wanted dingbat. Alternative: Remember the font name and the keystroke associated with the dingbat, go to your document, set cursor where you want the dingbat, select font and then the keystroke associated with the dingbat. Need same dingbat on the document. Suggest copying the dingbat on your document and pasting where you want it to save some time. Click Here if you need to understand copy, cut and paste with instructions. Need a better file understanding, Click Here to start take our "teach yourself 15 minute lessons".

Note: Electronic data transmission of your document requires the recipient have the same font on their machine to view any dingbats or foreign characters that are included in your file. If not, their cpu will substitute with a default font that probably will change the effect you wanted into something unexpected and probably ugly. Confirm recipient's Font Names if necessary to email file to avoid looking incompetent or seek an alternative that would suffice.

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