The Scribes of the XI^th to the XVIII^th Dynasties
have been united with Twenty-first Century technology!

Summary: LaserHieroglyphics provides over 1000 characters with both left- and right-facing glyphs in 16 TrueType and Type 1 fonts designed for Egyptologists and students of hieroglyphics. The fonts contain all the signs in Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar³ with many additions, all with both left- and right-facing glyphs. They are designed after the standard sign list of Gardiner and contain 234 overstrike keys for composite hieroglyphs. Included are eight "lacuna" keys for showing erasures (six with overstriking capability). Also included is a Times-style DiacriticsLS font for transliteration. The character keystroke charts follow Gardiner's order and a keyboard layout chart is included for the DiacriticsLS font. Now you can type papers with hieroglyphics included without having to leave spaces for later insertion!

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Background: The accompanying font files are a spin-off from an ongoing 18 year multivolume bibliographic project of An Index to English Periodical Literature on the Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. Volumes 1 through 4 have now been published by Scarecrow Press, Inc., Metuchen, NJ. It was necessary to complete these fonts in order to properly transcribe a large number of periodical titles containing hieroglyphics. These hieroglyphic fonts were produced specifically as a tool for professional Egyptologists and students alike. This is not a novelty item, but an attempt at "state of the art" fonts which are designed to faithfully reproduce standardized Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Scholars will have the ability to insert original Egyptian Hieroglyphic text into professional papers without having to leave blank spaces in their proofs for later manual insertion of handwritten glyphs.

The sign lists found in the outstanding classic work of Sir Alan H. Gardiner's Egyptian Grammar: Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphics³ have been followed for these fonts. This has been methodically scrutinized for variant forms. The Catalogue of Egyptian Hieroglyphic Printing Type From Matrices Owned and Controlled by Dr. Alan H. Gardiner has also been consulted for additional characters not listed in the grammar. Finally, more modern articles found in American Journal of Archaeology; Journal of Egyptian Archaeology; Annales du service des antiquités de l'Égypt; Revue d'Égyptologie; Zietschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde and other journals on Egyptology were searched for characters which were not contained in either of Gardiner's works. These include some archaic glyphs as well as some from the Ptolemaic period. Each glyph has been meticulously duplicated with as much accuracy and detail as possible within the constraints of the computer and software available while at the same time attempting to keep the proportions between characters as close as possible to the printed text of Gardiner. As a result over 1000 characters are included in these fonts!

These fonts contain the ability to handle a large number of overstrikes and the capability for the first time of creating cartouches. Also provided in a separate font are diacritical characters for transliteration, compatible with the Times New Roman font standard in Windows and the Times font standard in Macintosh computers.

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LaserHieroglyphics for Windows

The fonts install into Microsoft® Windows XP, 2000, NT, Me, 98, 95, or 3.1x, and work with all Windows XP-, 2000-, NT-, Me-, 98-, 95- and 3.1x-compatible applications that allow the user to select fonts from a font menu. The Type 1 fonts require Adobe Type Manager® in Windows Me/98/95/3.1. The product includes a User's Manual, keyboard layout chart(s), and Character Code Tables showing every character in the font(s). The included Keyboard Switcher (keyboard driver) allows access to four characters per key (instead of the normal two) and alternate keyboard layouts. The fonts alone (without Keyboard Switcher) will install into Linux, but Linux users must provide alternate keyboard input for characters in the extended character set. These fonts will print to any printer at the highest quality allowed by your printer.

There are three input methods for the hieroglyphs. Two methods are supported in any text editor. The user looks up the glyph in the included User's Manual and enters it with the keystrokes shown in the manual. The third input method, which follows Gardiner's Grammar, requires Microsoft Word for Windows. For scholars who know Gardiner's Grammar, this is the easiest and fastest method of input; it does not require you to look up the signs in the included sign list. You simply type the code assigned by Gardiner and press F3. For example, to enter the "seated man" you type a1 and press F3.  Transliteration can be entered with the included DiacriticsLS font.

Cost: US$ 149.95 Order

(Note: Additional shipping charges apply for LaserHieroglyphics for Windows. You will be charged 2 shipping or email units.)

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LaserHieroglyphics for Macintosh

The fonts work with any Macintosh using System 6.0.7 or newer (including OS X), and uses the US keyboard. The fonts work with any Macintosh application that allows the user to select fonts from a font menu. The fonts come with polished screen bitmaps in 21 and 42point sizes, and will work with any Macintosh printer. (The Type 1 fonts require a PostScript® printer or Adobe Type Manager, or the bitmaps will be printed.) The product includes a User's Manual and a keyboard layout chart.

There are two input methods. The first works in any text editor. The user looks up the sign in the included sign list, chooses the correct font, and types following the keyboard chart. The second input method requires Microsoft Word for Macintosh. For scholars who know Gardiner's Grammar, this is the easiest and fastest method of input; it does not require you to look up the signs in the included sign list. You simply type the code assigned by Gardiner and press command-option-v. For example, to enter the "seated man" you type a1 and press command-option-v, and the sign is entered into your Word file. Transliteration can be entered with the included DiacriticsLS font.

Cost: US$ 149.95 Order

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LaserHieroglyphics Samples

With LaserHieroglyphics you can create a cartouche, type left-facing hieroglyphs, right-facing hieroglyphs, and transliterate Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Cartouche development capability:

Some of the more than 1000 hieroglyphs in the 8 left-facing fonts in the product. All glyphs are duplicated in right-facing forms in an additional 8 fonts.

All glyphs are duplicated in right-facing forms in an additional 8 fonts. Here is a small sample of these right-facing glyphs

The DiacriticsLS font provides characters for transliteration of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

DiacriticsLS special diacritics

The font is provided in plain, bold, italic, and bold-italic weights.

The font includes the full Latin alphabet.

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Semitic Transliterator

Here's what others are saying about LaserHieroglyphics:

"Just a word of thanks, and to let you know the program is working excellently. I wish I'd known about you years ago!"
John Thomas Fuhler , Elkhorn, WI, USA

"I am delighted with my LaserHieroglyphics fonts."
Michael Glasby, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

"I bought a Hieroglyphics programme for Macintosh from you which has been very useful, as I teach a course in Egyptology every second year. I am very impressed by the range of products you have developed over the years, you must be on constant lookout for fancy alphabets!
Professor Carl Widstrand,Carleton university, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

"You always furnish excellent products."
Professor Anson F. Rainey, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel