Unicode vs Non-Unicode Marathi Fonts — Complete Guide
The single most important concept in Marathi typography: Unicode vs non-Unicode. This guide explains why it matters, how to tell them apart, and which to use when.
What is Unicode?
Unicode is a universal character encoding standard — it assigns a unique numeric code point to every character in every writing system in the world. Devanagari (used for Marathi) has codes U+0900 through U+097F. This means Marathi text encoded in Unicode can be read by any device in the world without requiring a specific font.
What is Non-Unicode?
Non-Unicode (legacy) Marathi fonts map Devanagari glyphs onto ASCII English letter codes. So the character "क" might internally be stored as "k". This means:
- The text only displays correctly when the reader has the exact same font installed.
- Without the font, the text shows up as random English letters.
- Kruti Dev, Shree Lipi, AMS, Devlys, Shusha and Walkman Chanakya are all non-Unicode.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Aspect | Unicode | Non-Unicode |
| Internal storage | Unique Devanagari codes | Remapped English letters |
| Works without specific font | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Searchable (Google, Ctrl+F) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (searches as English) |
| Works on WhatsApp / social media | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Font examples | Mangal, Tiro, Noto, Mukta | Kruti Dev, Shree Lipi, AMS, Devlys |
| Future-proof | ✅ Industry standard | ❌ Legacy / declining |
When Should You Use Each?
- Use Unicode for: websites, apps, social media, email, modern MS Office documents, e-books, and anything shared digitally.
- Use Non-Unicode only for: legacy print workflows (older PageMaker, CorelDRAW 9), government offices still using old DTP, or compatibility with decades-old archives.
How to Convert Non-Unicode to Unicode
Use our free converters:
- Kruti Dev → Unicode (most common legacy format)
- Shree Lipi → Unicode
- AMS → Unicode
- Devlys → Unicode
All conversions run in your browser — no uploads, no sign-ups.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if a Marathi font is Unicode?
Try copy-pasting text typed in that font into WhatsApp or Google. If it displays correctly, it's Unicode. If it looks like random English letters, it's non-Unicode.
Is Mangal Unicode?
Yes. Mangal is the default Unicode Marathi font on Microsoft Windows.
Is Kruti Dev Unicode?
No. Kruti Dev is a legacy non-Unicode font despite being extremely common. Convert to Unicode before sharing digitally.
Why do publishers still use Kruti Dev?
Two reasons: (1) decades of existing Kruti Dev-typed archives, (2) legacy DTP software that doesn't support Unicode well. This is gradually changing.
Can I mix Unicode and non-Unicode in one document?
Technically yes, but strongly discouraged — it creates maintenance nightmares and breaks search / copy-paste.
Does Google search index non-Unicode fonts?
No. Google only indexes text content, not glyph shapes. Non-Unicode Marathi pages often appear as gibberish in Google's index.