Keyboard Mastery

A 7-part platform guide for typing any special character on Mac, Windows, and Linux, plus deep dives into IME, dead keys, and alt codes.

1. 1

   How to Type Special Characters on Mac: The Complete Guide

   Master typing special characters on macOS — Option key shortcuts, Character Viewer, Unicode Hex Input, dead keys, and emoji picker.

2. 2

   How to Type Special Characters on Windows: Alt Codes and Beyond

   Type any special character on Windows — Alt codes, Win+. emoji panel, Character Map, Unicode hex input, and third-party tools like WinCompose.

3. 3

   How to Type Special Characters on Linux: Compose Key and Unicode Input

   Type special characters on Linux — Compose key sequences, Ctrl+Shift+U Unicode input, IBus/Fcitx input methods, and custom .XCompose files.

4. 4

   Input Method Editors (IME): How CJK Text Input Works

   Understand how Input Method Editors work — Japanese IME workflow, Chinese pinyin input, Korean hangul composition, and web form compatibility.

5. 5

   Dead Keys: How to Type Accented Characters Without a Special Keyboard

   Master dead keys for typing accented characters — how they work on US International, UK Extended, and other keyboard layouts across all platforms.

6. 6

   Unicode Hex Input on macOS: Type Any Character by Code Point

   Enable and use the Unicode Hex Input keyboard on macOS — type any Unicode character by holding Option and typing its hex code point.

7. 7

   Windows Alt Codes: Complete Reference for Special Characters

   The complete Windows Alt code reference — how Alt codes work, the most useful codes for common symbols, and alternatives for modern Windows.