Black Right Pointing Index

It points readers directly to something worth noticing. ☛ is a typographic pointing hand designed to steer attention toward an important note, heading, or link. While scholars today call this mark a manicule, early printers frequently termed it a fist or an index.

Between the 12th and 18th centuries, readers routinely drew small hands in the margins of handwritten books to mark key arguments, objections, or memorable lines.

When printing with movable type took hold, printers cast pointing hands in metal type. They quickly became popular in advertisements, posters, and public notices to guide the reader’s eye across the page.

Why does ☛ look different across screens and fonts?

☛ is a plain text character drawn by whichever font is active on your device, not a fixed graphic. Some typefaces draw a blunt, heavy silhouette, while others add cuffs, fingernails, or tapered fingers.

Because it is rendered by local fonts rather than defined as a standardized platform emoji, its shape and weight vary from screen to screen, but its directional role remains the same.