Egyptian
Hieroglyphics
In order to be
able to read and write hieroglyphics with your computer it is necessary to have
a hieroglyphic font installed on your computer. A suitable Windows™ font has
been located at Dr. Berlin's
Foreign Font Archive. There is no charge to download the font and it is
assumed that it is freeware or public domain. The font is designated as
Gardiner or GARD, apparently because it's organization is correlated with
the Gardiner system, including code numbers. This font and the sign tables
which come with it can facilitate understanding of hieroglyphics if used in
connection with the reference materials in the book Egyptian
Grammar: Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphs by Alan
Gardiner, and various other books which include the Gardiner codes. There
are also many web sites which contain helpful information, including Terry's Egyptian Page.
The GARD font
includes five sets or font files (A-E, F-M, M-S, S-Z, unassigned) presumably
because it takes that many font sets to contain the hieroglyphic
characters. This five set font has been unzipped and listed below in the
left column so that each set can be individually downloaded from here. To
download the font just left-click on each of the font files listed below. Note
the folder to which the font is downloaded and use the control panel font
function to install each of the font sets. All five ttf font files must be
downloaded and installed. The whole process can be done in less than five
minutes.
Once the
entire font is installed you will be able to read anything written with any of
the sets. You will also be able to use the font to write hieroglyphics. Use the
sign tables to select the symbol to be typed. It is necessary to change the
font to the correct set whenever the symbol to be typed is in a different set.
Then press and hold down the Alt key while you use the number pad to enter the
Alt key number (#) given on the table. Additional writing instructions are
given below.
The sign
tables are listed in three formats, htm, doc, and pdf. Each format contains the
same information. To download any of the sign tables, right-click on the link
below, then left-click on Save Target As, choose the download folder, and
proceed. If you want to use the htm or doc files, you can download the ones you
want and use your word processor to display or print as needed. To see it all
on one page select view, and then display as print layout. Each font set should
print on one page in five columns. If you choose to print direct from the htm
on the web, each font set will probably print as one column on five pages. If
you want to read and print (not write) pdf documents you need to use the Adobe
Acrobat Reader™.
Font Files
HTM Sign Tables DOC
Sign Tables PDF
Sign Tables
GARDAE__.TTF GardSignTable1.htm GardSignTable1.doc Gardiner ae.pdf
GARDFM__.TTF GardSignTable2.htm GardSignTable2.doc Gardiner fm.pdf
GARDMSL_.TTF GardSignTable3.htm GardSignTable3.doc Gardiner ms.pdf
GARDSZ__.TTF GardSignTable4.htm GardSignTable4.doc Gardiner sz.pdf
GARDU___.TTF GardSignTable5.htm GardSignTable5.doc Gardiner unclassified.pdf
In order to
write hieroglyphics it is sometimes necessary to combine font symbols with one
on top of another. This can be done with various page layout programs, such as
Macromedia FreeHand™, Serif PagePlus™, Adobe PageMaker™, and MS Publisher™. For
these hieroglyphics to display correctly on the web it will probably be
necessary to convert them to graphic or pdf files.
It is also
possible to combine font symbols with one on top of another using MS Word™.
Using Word 2000 you must first select tools, options, general, web options, and
then make sure the box which says "disable features not supported by"
is unchecked, and select OK. Then set the font size to 26 and type the two
symbols with the one that is to go on top placed second. Then block the second
symbol and select format, font, character spacing, position, raised, and set at
10 to 15 points. Then block the first symbol and select format, font, character
spacing, condensed, and set at about 25 points. Remember that these features
are not supported by the web, which means that characters will not remain on
top when viewed via web browsers using standard html. However, you may be
able to get them to display correctly on the web by using the Alt+PrintScreen
capture function to convert them to a graphic.
If you want to
read or write the letters and words which are the modern transliteration of
ancient hieroglyphic symbols it is also necessary to have an Egyptian transliteration
font installed on your computer. A satisfactory version of this font has been
located at CCER. This Windows™ font has been
unzipped and listed below so that it can be downloaded and installed the same as
those above. Some instructions on how to use this font, and many other helpful
things, are available at various web sites including Terry's Egyptian Page.
Egyptian Transliteration Font (GLYPH_I.TTF)
