You may need to use certain symbols frequently when preparing documentations. If you work with contracts, academic writing, religious texts, or official documentation, legal and document symbols save time and add precision. Here’s a list of such symbols and how to insert them on your documents using alt code shortcuts.
Alt Code for Legal and Document Symbols
Below is a summary table for the shortcuts:
| Symbol | Description | Alt Code | Option Code | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| § | Section sign | Alt + 0167 | Option + 00A7 | Used in legal citations and codes |
| ¶ | Pilcrow (paragraph mark) | Alt + 0182 | Option + 00B6 | Marks individual paragraphs |
| ※ | Reference mark | Alt + 8251 | Option + 203B | Used for footnote reference |
| † | Dagger (footnote symbol) | Alt + 0134 | Option + 0086 | Commonly used in footnotes |
| ‡ | Double dagger | Alt + 0135 | Option + 0087 | Secondary footnote symbol |
| © | Copyright | Alt + 0169 | Option + 00A9 | Intellectual property marker |
| ® | Registered trademark | Alt + 0174 | Option + 00AE | Indicates a registered trademark |
| ™ | Trademark | Alt + 0153 | Option + 0099 | Indicates an unregistered trademark |
| ‰ | Per mille (per thousand) | Alt + 0137 | Option + 0089 | Used in statistics, legal writing, finance |
| • | Bullet point | Alt + 0149 | Option + 0095 | For lists and formatting |
| « | Left Angle Quotes (guillemets) | Alt + 0171 | Option + 00AB | Common in European legal text formatting |
| » | Right Angle Quotes | Alt + 0187 | Option + 00BB | Common in European legal text formatting |
How to Use These Alt Codes?
- On Windows PC – Hold down the alt key and type the code using the numeric keypad (Num Lock must be ON). For example, Alt + 0167 will make the section § symbol.
- On Macintosh – First, change the input method to Unicode Hex Input. Now, hold the Option key and then type the four digits or characters.
Make sure to use four digits / characters in both Windows and Mac.
Quick Insertion with AutoCorrect in Office Documents
Problem with alt or option codes is that they may not work consistently in different applications (like Microsoft Word and Excel). So, you’ve an alternate option for frequent use to save these symbols as AutoCorrect entries. This works on all Office apps both in Windows and Mac. Here we explain with Word on Windows:
- Open Word app and go to “File > Options” to open Word Options dialog.
- Navigate to “Proofing” section and click “AutoCorrect Options…” button.
- Go to “AutoCorrect” tab, check “Replace text as you type” option.
- Below that option, type the short text in “Replace:” box and then the corresponding symbol in “With:” box.
- Click “Add” button to include the shortcut in the list and then click “OK” button to close the dialog box.
For example, you can replace :para: with the paragraph symbol ¶ automatically. Once added, you can type :para: and press space to insert the corresponding AutoCorrect symbol.
