HTML/CSS Photoshop Tutorials: How to Make Symbols Using the Alt Key

The Uses and Possibilities of The Alt Key

Have you ever wondered how bloggers, article writers, facebook and friendster users place ♥, ☻, ☺, ♠, ◘, •, ♣, ♦, copyright, trademark, pound, French characters, these kinds of symbols on their web posts, in forums, and even in their profile names? It is true that most ergonomic keyboards are only equipped with the English alphabet keys, numbers and some punctuation marks. So just how did they do it? Can you do it too?

Every character representation in a computer has some unique binary or hex value equivalent that the computer processor use to properly display the character to the screen. This binary or hex value representation or ASCIIequivalent is an established International Standards that computer manufacturers of processors, and peripherals must adhere to. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. Yes, you guessed it right. You can enter these special characters by entering its ASCII Code!

Before we start, understand that we need to use your keypad buttons here for the combinations. For laptops which does not have keypad, notice that your keyboard comes with keys labeled and arrange just like the keypad. Usually its the keys 'U', 'I', 'O' , 'J ', 'K', 'L', 'M' that is labeled with number keys and it can be activated usually by activating Num Lock, or by pressing a special key associated with the special case of those keys. So, about the ASCII codes, I'll post here most of the examples, here's how:
NOTE: On how to actually enter the ASCII Code for the special characters, here's an example. For example for Ellipsis, the instruction says Alt, 0, 1, 3, 3. So what you will do is press and hold the Alt key then press numpad keys 0, 1 , 3, 3 pressing these keys in succession. After you accomplished these, release the Alt key, then the ellipsis is displayed.

Also note that not font styles vary in the special characters they give support to. Imagine if you're a font artist, and you would have to give all possible characters equivalent representation in your own font!
Also, some special characters may not be visible in Firefox and visible in Internet Explorer, or the reverse.

Ellipsis (...) is Alt, 0, 1, 3, 3
"EN" Dash (–) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 0
"EM" Dash (—) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 1
Pound (£) is Alt 0, 1, 6, 3
Cents (¢) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 2
One-half (½) is Alt, 0, 1, 8, 9
Copyright (©) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 9
Trademark (™) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 3
Registered (®) is Alt, 0, 1, 7, 4
Bullet (•) is Alt, 0, 1, 4, 9
French accent (à) is Alt, 0, 2, 2, 4
French accent (ç) is Alt, 0, 2, 3, 1
French accent (è) is Alt, 0, 2, 3, 2
French accent (é) is Alt, 0, 2, 3, 3
French accent (ê) is Alt, 0, 2, 3, 4
German accent (ü) is Alt, 0, 2, 5, 2
Spanish accent (ñ) is Alt, 0, 2, 4, 1
miley face☺ is Alt, 1
Heart ♥ is Alt, 3
Diamond ♦ is Alt, 4
Club ♣ is Alt, 5
Spade ♠ is Alt, 6
Bullet • is Alt, 7
Bullet ◘ is Alt, 8
Music Notes ♫ is Alt, 1, 4
Sun ☼ is Alt, 1, 5
Pencil ( ! ) is Alt, 0, 3, 3
Scissors ( " ) is Alt, 0, 3, 4
Envelope ( * ) is Alt, 0, 4, 4
Smiley face ( J) is Alt, 0, 7, 4
Yin-Yang ( [ ) is Alt, 0, 9, 1
Check box ( o) is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 1
Bullet ( v) is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 8
Small bullet ( w ) is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 9
Divider ( –) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 0
Divider ( —) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 1
Bullet ( Ÿ ) is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 9
Bullet ( § ) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 7
Astrological Symbols:
from ^ to i (Alt 9, 4 to Alt 1, 0, 5)
Heart symbol (¤) is Alt 0, 1, 6, 4
Heart symbol (ª) is Alt 0, 1, 7, 0
Divider heart symbol ( ¦ ) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 6
Divider heart symbol (§) is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 7
Scissors symbol ( " ) is Alt, 0, 3, 4 (for coupon cutting)
Checkmark symbol ( 4 ) is Alt, 0, 5, 2
X Checkmark Symbol ( 8 ) is Alt, 0, 0, 5, 6
Star Symbol ( H ) is Alt, 0, 7, 2
Check Box Symbol ( o ) is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 1
Arrow Symbol ( Ü ) is Alt, 0, 2, 2, 0
Another Cool Bullet ( u ) is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 7
¿ - 0191
À - 0192
Á - 0193
Â - 0194
Ã - 0195
Ä - 0196
Å - 0197
Æ - 0198
Ç - 0199
È - 0200
É - 0201
Ê - 0202
Ë - 0203
Ì - 0204
Í - 0205
Î - 0206
Ï - 0207
Ð - 0208
Ñ - 0209
Ò - 0210
Ó - 0211
Ô - 0212
Õ - 0213
Ö - 0214
Ø - 0216
Ù - 0217
Ú - 0218
Û - 0219
Ü - 0220
Ý - 0221
Þ - 0222
ß - 0223
à - 0224
á - 0225
â - 0226
ã - 0227
ä - 0228
å - 0229
æ - 0230
ç - 0231
è - 0232
é - 0233
ê - 0234
ë - 0235
ì - 0236
í - 0237
î - 0238
ï - 0239
ð - 0240
ñ - 0241
ò - 0242
ó - 0243
ô - 0244
õ - 0245
ö - 0246
ù - 0249
ú - 0250
û - 0251
ü - 0252
ý - 0253
þ - 0254
ÿ - 0255
Pencil is Alt, 0, 3, 3
Scissors is Alt, 0, 3, 4
Envelope is Alt, 0, 4, 4
Hand writing is Alt, 0, 6, 3
Smiley face is Alt, 0, 7, 4
Yin-Yang is Alt, 0, 9, 1
Ampersand is Alt, 0, 1, 0, 7
Check box is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 1
Bullet is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 8
Small bullet is Alt, 0, 1, 1, 9
Divider is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 0
Divider is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 1
Divider is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 2
Divider is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 3
Bullet is Alt, 0, 1, 5, 9
Bullet is Alt, 0, 1, 6, 7

Yahoo Messenger Hidden Emoticons

(You dont have to use the Alt key here, just enter the equivalent combinations and press enter)

	`:o3`	puppy dog eyes
	`:-??`	I don't know
	`%-(`	not listening
	`:@)`	pig
	`3:-O`	cow
	`:(\|)`	monkey
	`~:>`	chicken
	`@};-`	rose
	`%%-`	good luck
	`**==`	flag
	`(~~)`	pumpkin
	`~O)`	coffee
	`*-:)`	idea

	`8-X`	skull
	`=:)`	bug
	`>-)`	alien
	`:-L`	frustrated
	`[-O<`	praying
	`$-)`	money eyes
	`:-"`	whistling
	`b-(`	feeling beat up
	`:)>-`	peace sign
	`[-X`	shame on you
	`\:D/`	dancing