How to make text symbols
How to enter alt symbol codes
-
Enable NUM LOCK.
Hold Alt key.
while holding Alt key
type
Alt code
on Num Pad (numbers on right side of keyboard).
Release alt key.
Example
Enable Num Lock. Hold ALT key and press (while holding) 3 on Num Pad. You have inputted heart symbol ♥. If not - try holding the other Alt key and do the same. 3 - is the heart symbol's alt code.
Alternative
Of course you can just quote these characters- copy-paste them to where you want. But probably you'll respect yourself more if you type symbols using keyboard ^.^Nevertheless, don't forget to bookmark our alt key codes page so you don't have to remember all the alt key code combinations.
Laptops
Most laptops have the Function key (FN). Some of your keys have what ends up representing a NumPad on them (look at image). To input special characters enable Num Lock (FN+ScrLck), hold Alt and then hit those keys. If it doesn't work try FN+Alt instead or read laptop alt codes article.
Put a symbol on Web site
You can convert characters using my free simple symbol to html entity tool.
Cool symbols for social networks (Myspace, facebook, etc.)
Take a look at my cool facebook symbols.
Details
For first part of characters rules are simple. If you'll try to input characters with code 01 - 0127 you'll get same as if you've inputted symbols 1 - 127.Though, characters with code 128 - 255 are language-specific: when I try to make a character with alt code 158 on my russian-language Windows I get "Ю", meanwhile some people get "₧".
Symbols 0128 - 0255 are international and if you'll try to put into a web page, for example a character È or È, you'll get a symbol with alt code 0200 in both cases.
If you'll try to input a character by alt code K > 256 (0256) you'll get the same symbol as the one with alt code K modulo 256. For example symbol with alt code 0444=0256+0188 is "¼" and is equal to the one with alt code 0188 "?".
Note: Alt key character codes work only under Windows! You can stop trying to input if you are running Linux, Unix, etc. Just quote (copy-paste) symbols you want.