Yolŋu Font

NOTE: The difference between the Yolŋu keyboard and the Yolŋu font:

Using the Yolŋu Keyboard allows everyone to see the special Yolŋu characters, even when posting online to the Yolŋu Study Groups or to Livestream. 
The Yolŋu Font has less verastility. When used, the special Yolŋu characters can only be seen by others who have previously downloaded the Yolŋu font onto their computer.

If, however, you are unable to successfully install  the Yolŋu Keyboard, or are having difficulties with it, then download and install the Yolŋu Font instead.

Yolŋu languages are written using special characters: ŋ ä ḏ ṉ ḻ ṯ and ' (glottal stop).

The extra characters required for writing Yolŋu languages are highlighted on the image above. Note: The 'long a' (ä) is located with shift 6 keystroke, while the capital 'long a' (Ä) is on the shift 5 keystroke.

Download the Yolŋu font

This special cross platform font has been developed for working in Yolŋu languages. It can be downloaded from this site free of charge. It is called AYolnguNTU.

Installing YM fonts

To read some instructions on how to install fonts on your computer, look under the operating system of your computer below:

Windows

Installing Truetype Yolŋu font on your Windows computer

1. Right click on the font link AYolNTU.ttf.
2. Select 'Save Target as' (for Internet Explorer users) or 'Save Link as' (for Netscape users).
3. Locate your fonts folder. It should be under "c:\ windows\fonts".
4. Click Save.
5. Restart your computer.

Macintosh

Installing Truetype Yolŋu font on your Mac

1. Click on this link AYolNTU.ttf you should be asked if you want to save the file. Click Save. It will then appear as a downloaded file.
2. Open Font Book.
3. Click 'Add Font' then click 'Open'.
4. Restart your computer.

Another option.

1. Control click the file AYolNTU.ttf when the options appear, choose 'save link as'.
2. Choose a location where you wish to save the font file.
3. Open Font Book.
4. Click 'Add Font' then click 'Open'.
5. Restart your computer.

Working with the Yolŋu Matha font

Cross Platform Compatibility

The Yolŋu Matha font is designed to be completely cross-platform compatible ie documents saved on Macintosh and transferred to Windows (& vice versa) will display and print identically. For general use of the font the following notes can ignored.

Performance

For the font to work exactly as designed, the kerning feature in applications must be ON. Applications such as FreeHand, Illustrator, Quark, Corel, PageMaker etc have Kerning turned ON by default. Microsoft Word is the exception and kerning must be turned ON manually.

In Microsoft Word, Go to Format/Font/Character Spacing...and make sure "kerning for fonts" is turned ON. Also type the number 1 in the "points and above". Click OK.

Note

You must turn kerning on EVERY TIME you open or re-open a file.
Even when turned on, it is our observation that kerning does not appear to be as accurate in Microsoft word as in dedicated graphics programs.