Installing Fonts and Keyboard Layouts

In order to type in South Asian languages, you need to setup a keyboard. Use the following instructions to activate a keyboard. Most contemporary operating systems come with fonts that can display South Asian languages. If you would like to add other fonts, use the "Installing Fonts" instructions below. If you are just learning how to type in a South Asian language, you may want to activate an on-screen keyboard.

Enabling South Asian Language Support

Windows XP:
1. Navigate to: Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options
2. Select the "Languages" tab
3. Check "Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages (including Thai) and click "Ok." Windows may require you to insert the original installation CD to complete the installation.
4. Reboot the computer.

Activating Keyboard Layouts:

Windows XP:
1. Complete "Enabling South Asian Language Support" above.
2. Navigate to: Start > Control Panel > Language and Regional Options
3. In the dialog window, select the "Languages" tab.
4. Click on "Details" under the "Text Services and Input Languages" header.
5. Under the "Installed Services" menu, select "Add." This will take you to a dialog window which will allow you to add language input services, including assorted keyboard layouts for South Asian languages. Select the language under "Input language." Press "OK."
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to add additional languages. Click "OK" and then "OK" again.
7. At the bottom of your screen you will see a Language bar, which probably says "EN" for English. Click it to change the input language. You can also move between languages by pressing "Alt-Left Shift"

Installing Fonts:

Windows 2000/XP:
1. Download font (or .zip file containing font) to a temporary location (e.g., the desktop).
2. Open the 'Fonts' folder (Windows 2000: Start > Control Panel > Fonts; Windows XP: Start > Control Panel > Appearances and Themes > Fonts).
3. Drag font file (not the .zip file) into Fonts folder. Applications need to be restarted in order to recognize the font.

Mac OSX:
1. Download font (or .zip file containing font) to a temporary location (e.g., the desktop).
2. Launch the font file with Font Book.
3. Click on "Install Font."

Displaying On-Screen Keyboard

Windows XP:

1. Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility Options > On-Screen Keyboard

Typing Tip

When typing left-to-right Brahmi-derived languages, you need to type the "virama/halant" character of the script in order to join letters together. For example, if you were to write "kyaa" in Hindi, you would type the "k" character then the "virama" character then the "y" then the "aa." If you do not type the virama, you will get "kayaa." There are no "half" or "secondary form" characters.