Hindi Typing - Different Fonts and Keyboard Layouts

Understanding different fonts and keyboard layouts in the context of Hindi typing is crucial for both beginners and experienced typists. Here, I'll explain these concepts in detail:

Fonts in Hindi Typing:

Fonts play a significant role in Hindi typing as they determine the visual appearance of the text. In Hindi typing, two commonly used fonts are Mangal and Kruti Dev:

Mangal Font:

Mangal is a Unicode-based font that is widely used for Hindi and other Indian language typing. Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that ensures text can be displayed and exchanged across different devices and platforms.

Mangal font supports all the characters of the Hindi script (Devanagari) and is the default font for Hindi text on most modern systems.

It's versatile and compatible with various applications, making it suitable for everyday use, including word processing, web content, and printing.

Kruti Dev Font:

Kruti Dev is a legacy non-Unicode font that was widely used before the adoption of Unicode fonts like Mangal. It is still used in some legacy systems, and some people prefer it for its aesthetic appeal.

Kruti Dev fonts come in multiple variations, such as Kruti Dev 010, Kruti Dev 016, and more. Each variation may have different character mappings.

One limitation of Kruti Dev fonts is that they are not universally compatible, and text may not display correctly on systems that don't have the specific Kruti Dev font installed.

Keyboard Layouts in Hindi Typing:

Keyboard layouts determine the physical arrangement of keys on a keyboard and how they correspond to the characters of a particular script. In Hindi typing, there are two primary keyboard layouts:

QWERTY Keyboard Layout:

The QWERTY layout is the most common keyboard layout used globally. It's the default layout on most computers and devices.

To type in Hindi using a QWERTY keyboard, you can install software that maps the Roman alphabet to Hindi characters. This is known as transliteration. For example, typing "k" on the keyboard might produce "क" on the screen.

The QWERTY layout is user-friendly for those already familiar with it, but it can be less efficient for typing in Hindi compared to Inscript.

Inscript Keyboard Layout:

The Inscript layout is an official and standardized Hindi keyboard layout in India. It is part of the Indian Language Input tool in most operating systems.

In Inscript, each key corresponds to a specific Hindi character, and you type directly in Hindi script. For example, pressing the "क" key on the keyboard produces the character "क" on the screen.

Inscript is more efficient and accurate for Hindi typing, particularly for individuals who frequently type in Hindi.

Choosing Between Fonts and Keyboard Layouts:

For modern systems and compatibility, it's generally recommended to use Unicode-based fonts like Mangal for Hindi typing. Unicode ensures that your text will be readable across various platforms and devices.

When it comes to keyboard layouts, Inscript is the preferred choice for Hindi typing, especially in government exams and professional settings where accuracy and consistency are crucial. It is specifically designed for typing in Hindi and offers a one-to-one correspondence between keys and characters.

If you are more comfortable with a QWERTY keyboard and are transitioning to Hindi typing, transliteration software can be a suitable choice. However, it may not be as efficient as Inscript for experienced typists.