How to Make Copyright, Cent Sign, and Other Symbols

Have you ever been reading something online and wondered how people made the little symbols you see? By symbols I mean things like ©, ¢, ½, and §. Well, it's actually quite easy once you know how. I will teach you how to easily include these, and a few more, symbols into your typing. This simple step can come in very handy when listing items for sale on eBay.

You may want to use some of these symbols for fun. But there are symbols that you SHOULD use.

Why Should I use Symbols?

There are a number of reasons why you should use symbols. I will list some reasons for you and give examples.

1. Save time - You can save time by typing © as opposed to typing the word "copyright." It takes me 4 keystrokes to type the symbol compared to 9 keystrokes to type the actual word.
2. Save space - Anyone who lists items for sale on eBay knows that you are limited to 55 characters in your item title. If I can type © instead of "copyright," I save 8 spaces. This can be crucial when trying to use as many keywords in a title as possible.
3. It is required - When you are typing any word or phrase that is the legal property of a company, you should identify it as such. For example, the word "Zip" in Zip Code is trademarked. Therefore, you should actually type it as follows: Zip™ Code. Another example is the word Pepsi. It is registered. Therefore, you should type it as Pepsi®.
4. Aesthetic reasons - It can often be cumbersome, confusing, or ugly to type 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 when you are discussing measurement, for example. It is so much nicer to see 3 ¾", 2 ¼", or 6¼".

So, now that I have told you why you should use symbols, let me tell you how.

Making Symbols

The first thing you need to know is the following: To make every one of these symbols, you must start with one simple step. You must hold down the "Alt" key on your keyboard the entire time you are typing in the numbers I show you. Do not be discouraged that you do not see anything happening on your screen when you are going through the process. It is not until you let go of the "Alt" key that your symbol will appear.

Pressing and holding "Alt" is your way of telling your computer to hold on a moment... to wait until you have given it all the information it needs before it responds. Releasing the "Alt" key is your way of saying... "go ahead and do what I told you to do now."

So, let's begin.

1. Copyright sign - © - Alt+0169
2. Registered sign - ® - Alt+0174
3. Trademark sign - ™ - Alt+0153
4. Cent sign - ¢ - Alt+0162
5. Section sign - § - Alt+0167
6. One fourth sign - ¼ - Alt+0188
7. One half sign - ½ - Alt+0189
8. Three fourths sign - ¾ - Alt+0190
9. Pound (monetary) sign - £ - Alt+0163
10. Plus or minus sign - ± - Alt+0177
11. Superscript 2 sign or squared sign - ² - Alt+0178
12. Superscript 3 sign or cubed sign - ³ - Alt+0179
13. Superscript one sign - ¹ - Alt_0185
14. Degree sign - ° - Alt+0176
15. Multiplication sign - × - Alt+0215
16. Middle dot sign or alternate multiplication sign - · - Alt+0183
17. Per mile sign - ‰ - Alt+0137
18. Inverted question mark sign - ¿ - Alt+0191
19. Inverted exclamation mark sign - ¡ - Alt+0161
20. Euro mark sign - € - Alt+0128
21. Yen mark sign - ¥ - Alt+0165

These are just a few symbols that are available to you. These are probably the most commonly used. This list should be enough to get you on your way. Have fun!!

I reserve the right to be human and err. Nothing here was written to intentionally misinform or otherwise mislead.
© 2006 Trina Hoaks