Unicode is the universal character encoding standard that assigns a unique code point to every character in every writing system. It covers 154,998 characters across 168 scripts as of version 16.0. When you copy a character from this tool, you're copying the actual Unicode character, not an image or font-dependent glyph.

Do special characters work in all fonts?

Most commonly used symbols (arrows, math, currency) are supported by major system fonts and Google Fonts. Obscure characters like musical notation or ancient scripts may require specific fonts. If a character renders as a box or question mark, the current font doesn't include that glyph.

How do I type special characters with a keyboard?

On Mac, use the Character Viewer (Ctrl+Cmd+Space). On Windows, use Win+. or the Character Map app. In HTML, use named entities (→ for →) or numeric entities (→). In CSS, use Unicode escapes in the content property (\2192). Or just use this tool to copy-paste directly.

Special Characters & Symbols Cheat Sheet for Designers (2026)

Try Special Character Picker

Free, no signup →