Unicode vs Old Marathi Fonts
Why does old Marathi text sometimes turn into strange English letters? Learn why this happens and how to fix it.
Have you ever copied Marathi text from an old PDF, PageMaker file, CorelDRAW file, or printing document, only to see strange English letters or symbols on your phone?
Your file may not be damaged. The problem may be the old font used to create the text. Older Marathi and Devanagari fonts used different character systems. Modern Marathi text normally uses Unicode.
Two Different Font Systems
Computers store text as numbers. Modern Unicode gives each character its own unique code.
Unicode Marathi Fonts
Fonts such as Noto Sans Devanagari, Noto Serif Devanagari, Mukta, and Tiro Devanagari Marathi can display Unicode Marathi text.
Unicode text can be copied and shared between phones, websites, browsers, and many apps without losing its form.
Old Marathi and Devanagari Fonts
Older fonts used special character layouts. The text may look like Marathi when the correct font is installed, but it may look like English letters or symbols when that font is missing.
For example, an old DTP file may contain characters that only look like Marathi when the original font is selected. This is why old Marathi text may not look correct when copied to WhatsApp or a website.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Modern Unicode | Old Font Text |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp and Instagram | Works well | May show wrong text |
| Google Search | Can be searched | Usually not searchable as Marathi |
| Websites | Works well | May need conversion |
| Mobile phones | Works well | May need the original font |
| Modern apps | Usually supported | May not work correctly |
| Old DTP files | May work | Commonly used |
Why Does Old Marathi Text Look Wrong?
The old text depends on the font that was used when the document was created.
If that font is not installed on your phone or computer, the stored characters may appear as English letters, symbols, or other incorrect text. Installing the same old font may make the text look correct again.
However, if you want to use the text on a modern website or social media app, converting it to Unicode is usually more useful.
Convert Old Marathi Text to Unicode
If you have Marathi text from an old DTP file, you can use a Marathi Unicode converter to change it into modern Unicode Marathi. After conversion, the text can be copied and used on websites, WhatsApp, social media, and other modern apps.