URDU on the MAC

The Mac OS X is capable of editing and word processing in Urdu. In a few simple steps, you can enable your Mac to handle Urdu documents. Before a detailed discussion of the choices, here's a quick start so you can play with Urdu editing right away. (I am assuming that you know how to download files from the Internet, keeping track of which folder they have been downloaded in, and also how to copy or move files from one folder to another.)

Installing Urdu keyboard layout

[Note that we're talking about an Urdu keyboard layout, not an Urdu keyboard. We'll use this layout in order to type Urdu characters using the standard English keyboard that came with your Mac. In the instructions below, by "click" we mean a single click.]

  1. Click here to download the Zip archive file UrduPhonetic.zip.
  2. Click on the downloaded Zip file to unzip it, getting the keyboard layout file UrduPhonetic.keylayout and the icon file UrduPhonetic.icns.
  3. Move both these files to the folder /Library/Keyboard Layouts.

Activating Urdu Input


  1. Pull down the Apple Menu in the menu bar (the apple icon on the top left of the screen), select System Preferences, then select International.
  2. Click on the Input Menu tab.
  3. A long list will appear, with the headings On, Name, Input Method, and Script. Scroll the list down to find the item with the name UrduPhonetic (with Input Method Keyboard and Script Unicode). Click the box to its left so it shows a check sign in it.
  4. Scroll down all the way. At the bottom of the list, there is an item Show input menu in menu bar. Click the box to its left so it shows a check sign in it.
  5. Scroll up all the way. Towards the top of the list, you'll see two items, one named Character Palette and another named Keyboard Viewer. Click the boxes on their left so each shows a check sign.
  6. Close International.

System Preference International

Keyboard Viewer
If a US flag was not previously visible at the top right of the screen (on the menu bar), it should now be displayed. This is the Keyboard menu. If you click on this flag, a menu will appear underneath it with various icons and names representing all the active keyboards. A keyboard named UrduPhonetic and an icon UrduPhonetic keyboard Icon UrduPhonetic Keyboard Icon somewhat like the flag of Pakistan should appear. If you click on it, then the keyboard icon on the top right of the screen will turn into the Pakistani flag, and any keys pressed on the Mac keyboard will produce Urdu characters. You can switch between keyboards by clicking on the flags (the keyboard icons).

Installing Urdu Fonts

On a Mac, it is best to use Naskh fonts (which are typically used in Sindhi, Arabic and Persian publications), not the Nastaliq font (which is used in Pakistani newspapers). Although Nastaliq fonts are available, only some commercial word processors can make use of them to compose Urdu documents.

Mac OS comes with only one font, Geeza Pro, which can be used for Urdu, but the characters don't look particularly nice. Two free fonts for preparing pleasant-looking Urdu documents can be downloaded from SIL International.

  1. Visit the Arabic Script Unicode Fonts page on the SIL International Web site by clicking here.
  2. Scroll down to the Downloads section.
  3. Download the two fonts Scheherazade Regular (AAT) and Lateef Regular (AAT). In addition to the AAT versions, also available are OpenType versions. Ignore these.
  4. The downloaded files have the suffix .zip. Click on each to unzip them, getting new files with the suffix .ttf.
  5. Move the two ttf file to /Library/Fonts.

SIL Fonts

Your Mac is now ready for handling documents in Urdu.

Preparing Simple Urdu Documents

The built-in application TextEdit is good enough for simple documents. TextEdit is an editor rather than a word processor. In Plain Text mode, it allows only a single font and paragraph justification style for the entire document. In Rich Text mode, you can mix various fonts, font sizes and styles, and justifications (e.g., centered text, justified at left or right or both, etc.)

To start a new Urdu document, select the menu item File | New, then Format | Text | Writing Direction | Right to Left. Set the Keyboard menu (Top Right) to Urdu Phonetic. Choose fonts, font styles, size, colors, etc. as usual with most word processors. The default formatting is Plain Text in which the settings for fonts, font sizes, justification, apply to the whole document. To switch to the Rich Text Format, do Format | Make Rich Text. Now you can apply a different justification to each paragraph, and a different formatting style to each selection.

TextEdit In Action

TextEdit in Action
OK.
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