SBL Biblical Fonts FAQ
updated 4/21/08
Hebrew - Windows
I downloaded the font. What do I have to do now?
Please refer to the manual for installation procedures for Microsoft Windows.
I installed the font, but it just types in English.
Because this is a Unicode font that also includes the Latin character set, you have to tell your computer that you want to type in Hebrew. The best way to do this is to install at least on of the keyboards that comes with the font (SIL is recommended for users not familiar with the standard Israeli keyboard). Install the keyboard(s) according to the directions in the respective keyboard manual (not the manual for the font). After they are installed, they must be activated using the Regional and Language Option, located in the Control panel. When in MS Word, select the SBL Hebrew font from the font menu. Then select “HE” in the language bar. You should now be able to type in Hebrew.
When I go to add Hebrew to the language bar, it’s not there!
Support for complex (i.e. right-to-left) font must be installed and enabled. In the Regional and Language Options control panel, select the Languages tab. Check the box to “Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages (including Thai).” Please note that this installation may require your Windows CD. You will also need to restart you computer afterwards. When the computer reboots, you should now be able to add Hebrew as a language.
How do I know what key will produce what character?
You can find this information one of two ways. Please note that depending on the Hebrew keyboard you are using (SIL or Tiro), different keys will produce different letters. A character map of the keyboards can be found in their respective manuals. If you be using the fonts to input Hebrew quite a bit, it is recommended that you print out these character maps. You may notice that there are several maps in each manual. Please pay particular attention to the state at the top of the page. For a normal state you only need to push the key. For all other states, other keys (like Shift or Alt) must also be held down to produce the character.
A second method it to use the on-screen keyboard. The can be found by selecting All Programs from the Start Menu, then navigating Accessories>Accessibility>On-Screen Keyboard. When returning to the program in which you with to enter Hebrew, please be mindful of the language selection in the language bar.
When I type a holem, it is too far to the left of the word.
There is a particular issue in Microsoft Word wherein the font reverts back to Times New Roman, which does not contain the complex scripts that the SBL Hebrew font uses. When this happens, it will appear like this:
Make sure that the font selected in the font menu is in fact SBL Hebrew. It should appear like this:
I am having other spacing issues when inputting diacritical characters. What can I do about this?
Make sure that the active font is SBL Hebrew. Please be sure to consult the manual about how the font orders its marks. The manual also describes a number of specific issues. If your issue is not here, please refer to the SBL Font Forum for support.
When I try to add some of the alternate state characters (those that require keys like Ctrl or AltGr), Word does something else entirely.
Microsoft Word uses a number of keyboard shortcuts for many of its functions, like Ctrl-S to save a document. These shortcuts are often the same as the commands to input special characters with the Hebrew font. There is unfortunately no way to disable the keyboard shortcuts in Word. To avoid these conflicts, type any text containing special characters in Notepad and copy the text into Word.
When inputting characters in Microsoft Word, it displays a the right character at first, but it changes when I go to type the next word.
This often has to do with the Auto-correction features in MS Word. It is advisable to disable this feature when typing with the SBL Hebrew fonts. More information about this can be found in the SBL Hebrew manual.
Hebrew - Mac
How do I install the font in Mac OS X?
Double click the icon of the downloaded font. A preview window of the font will be displayed. Click the “Install Font” button at the bottom of the window. Please read the section about Macintosh compatibility in the font manual.
How do I install the font in Mac OS 9?
OS 9 is not a supported operating system. It may be possible to install the font with the help of other software, and users are free to do so. However, this is not supported by SBL or Tiro Typeworks.
When I try to use the font in Microsoft Word for Mac OS X the font does not show up or the text does not display correctly.
Microsoft Office 2008 does not support right-to-left languages. At this time, Microsoft has not announced that any support will be forthcoming. As such, neither Office 2008 nor Office 2004 is a viable option for using the SBL Hebrew font. At this time, NeoOffice does not support the type of complex script layout that SBL Hebrew uses. As a result, consonants will display properly but vowels and other diacritics will not. There are several word processors, such as Mellel, which do support the proper complex script layouts, and these are currently the best option. Additionally, users of Leopard (10.5) can edit text in Hebrew by using the SBL Hebrew font in TextEdit. For a more detailed explanation of using SBL Hebrew in OS X, please refer to the font manual.
Why can’t I use the SBL Hebrew with any application in OS X?
This has to do with how the fonts are handled by both the operating system and individual applications. Support for OpenType fonts with complex scripts was not available at the level of the operating system as late as Tiger. While support seems to have improved in Leopard, this is still being tested. On the other hand, some applications, like Mellel, support the font at the application level and provide better compatibility. Such applications are therefore currently the best option for using SBL Hebrew in OS X.
Where can I get a Biblical Hebrew keyboard for OS X?
Keyboards designed for using Biblical Hebrew in OS X are now available for download. Please click here and download the file. Double click the downloaded file, then run the installer package. After the files have been installed, you must log off or restart your computer. Afterwards, two Biblical Hebrew keyboards will be available in the Input Menu tab of the International panel in the System Preferences. The SIL and Tiro keyboards follow the same layouts as their Windows counterparts. For charts of the layouts, please refer to the manuals for each keyboard.
I am using the Mac keyboards, but the modifier keys (like Ctrl and Alt) seem to work differently!
This has to do with a confusing difference between Windows and Mac keyboards. Even though both keyboards have Ctrl keys, the Mac key that corresponds to the functionality of the Windows Ctrl key is the Command (Apple) key. In order to conform to normal Mac User Interface standards, keystrokes represented by the Ctrl key in Windows are mapped to the Command (Apple) key on the Mac. For example, in order to access the same keys that are accessed by holding down Ctrl+Alt on Windows, Command+Alt must be held down on the Mac. The Alt and Shift keys behave the same on both platforms. For quick help finding a key, launch the Keyboard Viewer from the input menu of the menu bar.
Hebrew - Linux
Can I use this font with Linux?
SBL Hebrew is compatible with Linux. Users are free to install and use the fonts on these platforms. However, neither SBL or Tiro Typeworks provides support for Linux installation or usage. Please refer to the SBL Font Forum for help with the SBL fonts in Linux.
Greek
Where is the SBL Greek font?
The SBL Greek font is currently under development. Please continue to monitor the SBL website as well as the SBL Font Forum for news about this font.
Latin
Where is the SBL Latin font?
The SBL Latin font is currently under development. Please continue to monitor the SBL website as well as the SBL Font Forum for news about this font.