Using Unicode Tibetan Fonts in Windows Systems

In computer terms, Tibetan script is considered to be a complex script because the Tibetan letters can stack vertically. To properly render a complex script in Windows systems two components are required. First, one needs an OpenType Unicode font, such as Tibetan Machine Uni, which contains the necessary rendering instructions. Secondly, the system must have a rendering engine that can read and interpret these instructions, resulting in the correct display of the script. The font can be downloaded and installed simply as any other font. However, the rendering engine is another matter.

Windows (2000+) systems display complex Unicode fonts, such as Tibetan, through a system library commonly known as Uniscribe. Only the latest versions of Uniscribe (version 1.0471.4030.0 and higher) contain necessary routines for rendering Tibetan scripts. This version of Uniscribe is only available to the general public with Office 2003. The name of the Uniscribe file is USP10.dll. If one has installed Office 2003, it is found in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11 folder. From that location it is only available for Office programs such as Word, Excell, and so forth. Hence, only these programs will properly render Tibetan script.

There are two ways to get other programs to recognize and use a version of Uniscribe (USP10.dll). To make it available to an individual program, the USP10.dll file must be copied from its folder (C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE11) into the folder where the program's .exe file resides. For Internet Explorer, this is C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer. Then, the application must be launched directly from that folder by double clicking the .exe file. If one launches the program using a desktop shortcut, the program will use the system version of Uniscribe, which does not have the Tibetan rendering routines.

The other option is to make the USP10.dll available on a system-wide level by installing it directly into the system32 folder. However, Windows has a security feature, which recognizes when a system file is replaced and automatically reverts it back to the previous version. Therefore, one must install the USP10.dll in the system32 folder using the Command Console. This is a complicated and possibly dangerous procedure that is only recommended for those using Tibetan intensively. The instructions on how to install the USP10.dll with the Command Console can be found at Updating Uniscribe to a Version with Tibetan support. However, it is recommended that one first read Instructions for using OpenType fonts for Tibetan in the MS Windows Operating System first.

An later updated version of Uniscribe is also available with the VOLT software. VOLT stands for Visual Opentype Layout Tool, and is a program supplied by Microsoft for adding OpenType tables to a font. Access to the program and its files is restricted to font creators and to obtain the VOLT files one must apply to join the VOLT Community at: http://groups.msn.com/MicrosoftVOLTuserscommunity/homepage.msnw?pgmarket=en-us.

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