Unicode in Photoshop CS3 Text Layer – doable ?

HM
Posted By
Henrik Meier
Aug 17, 2008
Views
1697
Replies
12
Status
Closed
Hi. How can i use unicode characters within a Photoshop CS3 text layer? An example: In Word, i can type
261A
followed by
[Alt-key] C
then i see an unicode character in Word (the „left-pointing hand“).

This does not work in Photoshop. I also cannot copy-paste the unicode character from Word to Photoshop.

What i can do of course:
– do a screenshot of the character
– „print“ the character to PDF and import it hi-res to Photoshop

But is it not possible to type in unicode directly. On the net, i didn’t find a compact solution.

Is there a way to insert unicode smoothly to a PS text layer?

Btw, I’d like unicode not so much for foreign languages, more for symbols (I know there are symbol font sets like Dingbats that don’t require unicode). To look up unicode, i use decodeunicode.org and unicode.org. What else do you recommend to find interesting unicode symbols, web sites or freeware (for Windows)?

Thanks!

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P
paul
Aug 18, 2008
On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:39:03 -0700 (PDT), Henrik Meier
wrote:

Is there a way to insert unicode smoothly to a PS text layer?

Use charmap. It comes with Windows.

Start->run->charmap [OK]

Pick the font you want to use. Doubleclick on the character you want, then [Copy} to copy it to the clipboard. Go back to Photoshop and ctrl-V to paste it. (Have the same font selected in Photoshop.)

This is cumbersome if you have a lot of special characters to type. In that case, look for some other solution.

Paul Hartman/Dirty Linen
The Magazine of Folk and World Music
www.dirtylinen.com
Remove "SpamBeGone" to reply.
HM
Henrik Meier
Aug 18, 2008
Paul, thanks, that sounds reasonable for a few symbols.
D
Dave
Aug 18, 2008
On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:21:44 -0400, Paul Hartman/Dirty Linen wrote:

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 03:39:03 -0700 (PDT), Henrik Meier
wrote:

Is there a way to insert unicode smoothly to a PS text layer?

Use charmap. It comes with Windows.

Start->run->charmap [OK]

Pick the font you want to use. Doubleclick on the character you want, then [Copy} to copy it to the clipboard. Go back to Photoshop and ctrl-V to paste it. (Have the same font selected in Photoshop.)
This is cumbersome if you have a lot of special characters to type. In that case, look for some other solution.

It’s not. Simply select all those needed and have them displayed in the ‘Characters to copy’ space, copy it and paste them where needed. Paste, delete, move etc.

Better still, learn the alt codes ie alt136=ê alt130=é alt138=è alt141=ì alt149=ò etc. etc. etc.

I never use charmap although I use the characters quite often in my language. I know which alt codes display those I (mostly) use.

Dave
K
KatWoman
Aug 18, 2008
"Henrik Meier" wrote in message
Hi. How can i use unicode characters within a Photoshop CS3 text layer? An example: In Word, i can type
261A
followed by
[Alt-key] C
then i see an unicode character in Word (the
P
paul
Aug 18, 2008
On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:45:49 +0200, Dave wrote:

It’s not. Simply select all those needed and have them displayed in the ‘Characters to copy’ space, copy it and paste them where needed. Paste, delete, move etc.

Better still, learn the alt codes ie alt136=ê alt130=é alt138=è alt141=ì alt149=ò etc. etc. etc.

Still a lot of extra effort or memorization required. I would be happy if Adobe added the Glyph menu from InDesign to Photoshop. Then no cut/paste to clipboard and no alt-code memorization would be needed. —
Paul Hartman/Dirty Linen
The Magazine of Folk and World Music
www.dirtylinen.com
Remove "SpamBeGone" to reply.
HM
Henrik Meier
Aug 19, 2008
Hi Paul and KatWoman, thanks for your ideas! Inserting the copyright sign through num block works fine here as described. Copy-pasting through character map works too, if i use same fonts in map and photoshop.
Still i’d like to know: pages like decodeunicode.org always give a code like
U+0278
I can use this code in Word as described (type 0278, then Alt-C. But can i use this code for Photoshop?
The character map shows the font Arial Unicode MS. Why is this font visible in Word, but not in Photoshop? Thanks a lot!
D
Dave
Aug 19, 2008
On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:33:48 -0400, Paul Hartman/Dirty Linen wrote:

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:45:49 +0200, Dave wrote:

It’s not. Simply select all those needed and have them displayed in the ‘Characters to copy’ space, copy it and paste them where needed. Paste, delete, move etc.

Better still, learn the alt codes ie alt136=ê alt130=é alt138=è alt141=ì alt149=ò etc. etc. etc.

Still a lot of extra effort or memorization required. I would be happy if Adobe added the Glyph menu from InDesign to Photoshop. Then no cut/paste to clipboard and no alt-code memorization would be needed.

Yeah, you are right. Can somebody become to lazy even to press a button..!! At a stage a mother stop holding her baby’s spoon. Then they should be able to do it themselves.
J
Joe
Aug 20, 2008
Henrik Meier wrote:

Hi. How can i use unicode characters within a Photoshop CS3 text layer? An example: In Word, i can type
261A
followed by
[Alt-key] C
then i see an unicode character in Word (the „left-pointing hand“).
This does not work in Photoshop. I also cannot copy-paste the unicode character from Word to Photoshop.

What i can do of course:
– do a screenshot of the character
– „print“ the character to PDF and import it hi-res to Photoshop
But is it not possible to type in unicode directly. On the net, i didn’t find a compact solution.

Is there a way to insert unicode smoothly to a PS text layer?
Btw, I’d like unicode not so much for foreign languages, more for symbols (I know there are symbol font sets like Dingbats that don’t require unicode). To look up unicode, i use decodeunicode.org and unicode.org. What else do you recommend to find interesting unicode symbols, web sites or freeware (for Windows)?

Thanks!

I haven’t tried Unicode with Photoshop, but I have been using 8-bit characters (non-English character) for almost 3 decades (way back to DOS) and have been using with Photoshop way back to v2.x or something like that without any problem.

So, if you need to type some hi-ASCII or 8-bit characters (special character requires more than 1 key-stroke) then you may need.

1. A special program and there should be available on internet somewhere. If it requres more than 1 key-stroke

2. A specific Font contains some specific character.
K
KatWoman
Aug 20, 2008
"Henrik Meier" wrote in message
Hi Paul and KatWoman, thanks for your ideas! Inserting the copyright sign through num block works fine here as described. Copy-pasting through character map works too, if i use same fonts in map and photoshop.
Still i’d like to know: pages like decodeunicode.org always give a code like
U+0278
I can use this code in Word as described (type 0278, then Alt-C. But can i use this code for Photoshop?
The character map shows the font Arial Unicode MS. Why is this font visible in Word, but not in Photoshop? Thanks a lot!

Henrik it is not something I ever need so I don’t know much

the keystrokes work but not the Unicode

what about a work around using a custom shapes palette??
HM
Henrik Meier
Aug 21, 2008
Kat, thanks again, sure i prefer the shapes palette. It would just be so nice if – when necessary – one could easily use all the many symbols available in unicode. Also i was a bit surprised that "Adobe Photoshop", that powerful software from that powerful graphic design software company, should not make unicode available? I thought i missed something, but now i guess it’s just not fully there.
CC
Chris Cox
Aug 25, 2008
Photoshop has supported Unicode for many, many years.
Just type in your characters (using an IME if necessary).

Chris

On 8/21/08 11:10 AM, in article
, "Henrik
Meier" wrote:

Kat, thanks again, sure i prefer the shapes palette. It would just be so nice if – when necessary – one could easily use all the many symbols available in unicode. Also i was a bit surprised that "Adobe Photoshop", that powerful software from that powerful graphic design software company, should not make unicode available? I thought i missed something, but now i guess it’s just not fully there.
J
Joe
Aug 28, 2008
Henrik Meier wrote:

Kat, thanks again, sure i prefer the shapes palette. It would just be so nice if – when necessary – one could easily use all the many symbols available in unicode. Also i was a bit surprised that "Adobe Photoshop", that powerful software from that powerful graphic design software company, should not make unicode available? I thought i missed something, but now i guess it’s just not fully there.

And I have no problem using all available symbols of whatever the font has to offer.

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