Questions tagged [symbols]

Questions about symbols; marks or characters used as conventional representations of objects, functions, or processes. Ask anything related to the design of symbols.

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25 votes
2 answers
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Can I stylize the trademark symbol to match logo design?

I need to know if the trademark (™) symbol has to remain fairly generic in styling, or can it by made to match the style of a logo?
Argent Branding's user avatar
21 votes
7 answers
6k views

Why do so many graphic designers suck at making gears?

Disclaimer: Post contains rantish tone, possibly even sarcasm! Lazy designers or those with feelings that bruise easily may take offense. 🤣 I see it all over the place. Like 9 out of 10 gear icons (...
Mentalist's user avatar
  • 1,511
21 votes
3 answers
11k views

Why do most of the well known currency symbols have strikeouts in their symbols?

We encounter currency symbols every day as shorthand for a currency’s name, especially in reference to amounts of money. Most, like these common currency symbols, have strikeouts in their sign. Even ...
elegent's user avatar
  • 1,855
21 votes
2 answers
11k views

Scaling a symbol in Sketch scales all instances of that symbol

Title pretty much says it all, but the problem is simple. Say I have a logo imported from illustrator or whatever. I make it a symbol, and then I use it in one place in my design. Looks great. But ...
TomorrowPlusX's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the name of this heart-like decorative symbol?

I occasionally come across a symbol that looks like this: It looks to me like some sort of stylized heart, or maybe some kind of fruit on a branch. It is often used to separate blocks of text, for ...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
4k views

What are some obscure/rare/endangered/extinct typographic symbols?

Just discovered the "asterism" today: ⁂ Super cool. I had never heard of it or seen it before. Wikipedia has more about it. What other typographic symbols are out there that were never all ...
Brendan's user avatar
  • 16.4k
11 votes
3 answers
843 views

Simple icon to represent 'presets'?

For my concept I have a task bar that has 3 functions. 'Save' 'Load Preset' and 'Help'. Save and Help both have simple icons that don't require text. Which is great, because I would like to leave as ...
Summer's user avatar
  • 2,696
11 votes
5 answers
26k views

Sketch: Object moves relative to another object/text in symbol

How do I make an object automatically move when I change the text preceeding/"attached to" it? I'm trying to figure out how this default symbol works (gif included below) and replicate it. When I ...
jess's user avatar
  • 186
9 votes
5 answers
57k views

Illustrator: Change the colors of a symbol

Is it possible to change the colors of a symbol in a document without breaking the link with its original shape. Eg.: I have a square a symbol. I have two I races of them in my document. I want on ...
gregseth's user avatar
  • 477
9 votes
3 answers
4k views

Does a symbol like this or a similar thing already exsist and has its meaning or not?

I have this symbol sketch: Does it have an existing meaning?
Vepir's user avatar
  • 201
9 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to find existing names or associations a symbol has?

I saw a symbol like this, and didn't know what it was called or what existing associations it might have: It seems like a pretty easy question to answer by looking in a symbol dictionary or an online ...
HostileFork says dont trust SE's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
6k views

What is the name or Unicode for this symbol (similar to ₰, Dutch, called Krul)

This is the symbol I mean, I think it is named a 'Krul': I found this symbol (U+20B0, ₰, German Penny Sign) but it is not the one I am looking for. In the Netherlands it is generally used to ...
Roos's user avatar
  • 101
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

What symbols have been used to represent planets (in the solar system, or other)

The Wikipedia page on gender states that the male and female symbols are symbols for the planets Venus and Mars. I wonder whether other planets in the solar system or other also have planet symbols. ...
Joselin Jocklingson's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

How to represent silver, platinum and diamond?

Most websites uses a scheme of bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and maybe even diamond to rank service plans they may provide. In my website design, I want to the users to have a dot next to the ...
dayuloli's user avatar
  • 183
8 votes
5 answers
5k views

Is there any internationally-recognisable icon or symbol for police?

I'm looking for something non-nationality-specific to visually represent police and policing. Everything I can find, however, and everything I can think of myself, is based on imagery specific to one ...
user56reinstatemonica8's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
662 views

What's the centered fluffy art piece called in an article?

I know this, but I can't recollect at all. What is this thing called? They are usually centered in a book or writing and I'm certain they have a name but I can't remember for the life of me. They ...
randomblink's user avatar
7 votes
5 answers
7k views

Unicode character that conveys 'synchronization'?

In current common usage, is there a Unicode character consisting of two arrows in a circle, or similar character that could convey 'synchronization'? For instance something like: I browsed the ...
Nicolas Raoul's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
513 views

How to produce difficult variant of Taegeuk symbol? (see images)

The Republic of Korea (or, "South Korea") has a Taegeuk at the centre (essentially, a blue and red yin and yang symbol). This design is derived from the flag of the Korean Empire (used between 1882 ...
dw0391's user avatar
  • 181
7 votes
1 answer
961 views

Automatically apply different fonts based on text/symbol

I'm working on layout for a 300-page trilingual “coffee table” style textbook, and one of the languages uses a glottal stop symbol which the chosen body text font can't handle. This means that for ...
BESW's user avatar
  • 522
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

Icon to represent "usable offline"

I have two versions of my application: online: Requires Internet connection to function properly offline: Can be used offline, for instance in the plane QUESTION: How to represent the fact that an ...
Nicolas Raoul's user avatar
6 votes
4 answers
8k views

Helvetica character for an empty checkbox

Does Helvetica font have a character for an empty checkbox? Ie. simply a rectangle or square? If it does, do you know the character number?
sazr's user avatar
  • 179
6 votes
4 answers
2k views

Can a logo have two symbols?

I’ve just made this logo for a client. I hit on the idea of making the dd of “saddle” a bicycle. But the client also liked the mock up of the saddle with call out sign (to the right of Swag). Now the ...
Ahmed's user avatar
  • 795
6 votes
2 answers
370 views

Unable to draw logo with correct strokes and shadow

I am trying to design a logo for my company. However I have tried for 12 hours now making the design below, but I have huge problems getting what I want. I want the road to be crossing the other one ...
Andreas's user avatar
  • 261
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

What unicode character should I use to represent the fill bucket?

I'm designing a mockup paint editor for the web and I'm using unicode characters to represent all of the different tools. I ran into a problem when I got to the fill bucket - I can't find anything ...
Scratchifier's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
747 views

How can I avoid icons with double meanings?

I am currently trying to make an icon that indicates a bike shop sells bike accessories. This icon will be displayed along with other icons, such as the bike types the shop sells and if the shop ...
Summer's user avatar
  • 2,696
6 votes
1 answer
3k views

Sketch: As a symbol, adding text will resize the text block height

I have an article block as a symbol in sketch. It contains an image, headline and paragraph. When using the symbol in my canvas, I'd like to change the title, but once it drops to two lines, it will ...
FlawlessFuzz's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
4k views

How to ignore objects outside clipping masks in symbols in Adobe Illustrator

I have created an illustration of a box out of 3 simple shapes in Adobe Illustrator CC. They are actually 3 clipping masks that clip 3 different embedded raster textures. I then turned the whole group ...
cockypup's user avatar
  • 8,158
5 votes
3 answers
14k views

Is there a way to 'unsymbol' an artboard in sketch?

I'm working in versions and I just created a duplicate of my symbols page and renamed it 'Symbols v1'. I now have a page called 'Symbols' and 'Symbols v1'. The problem I'm having is that I want to ...
Roux Martin's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
756 views

How to make a line in illustrator with $ signs

The behavior I'm looking for is similar to how one can make a path line dashed. Except, instead of being dashes, I'd love to make it show $ signs. Thanks for your help!
epan's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

how to efficiently make a tab bar in Sketch?

So Sketch has symbols. These are great if every instance of the symbol across your various artboards is exactly the same. But what if say you had a tab bar, and on different screens, you wanted to ...
rjtkoh's user avatar
  • 467
5 votes
5 answers
24k views

How do I import a set of symbols in Sketch 3?

How do I import symbols from one project into another. For instance, I've downloaded the Bootstrap 3 resource, and I want to bring the symbols into another project I'm working on without copying and ...
Walker D's user avatar
  • 153
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can I Illustrator Symbols with editable text that does not update all instances?

I was wondering if it's possible to create Symbols with editable text elements in Illustrator CS6, i.e. when using form elements in wire framing. I'm seeking to use live text in symbols but not have ...
Comfort Eagle's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

What size, spacing and baseline shift for tm and numerals in superscript?

Is there a set formula / ratio for creating a trademark symbol (TM) or adjusting numerals such as 2nd or 3rd to create the proper visual effect on the superscript? Currently I always just eyeball it ...
Ryan's user avatar
  • 23k
5 votes
1 answer
142 views

What is the name of this extinct type symbol?

This text is from a facsimile of a 1949 manuscript of that quotes Psalm 106 (107), and the quoted passage is from verse 26. The word is that uses the symbol is "usque" Latin for "...
Benjamin Godfrey's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
224 views

Technical name of a particular fountain pen font

Kind users, I've been trying for two hours to identify a font using the various online tools that can be used in LaTeX but I failed. I don't know if it's even a commercial font. The k that I ...
Sebastiano's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

Have any Unicode symbols reached archetype status for indicating good, bad, and neutral or winner, loser, and tie?

I am looking for a way, preferably with symbols, to denote a winner, loser, or tie—or, thought of another way—good, bad, or neutral. For instance, in a table of features, to indicate that the feature ...
Jason D.'s user avatar
  • 185
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

How do you make a multiplication sign in Illustrator?

It looks like an "x" but not quite. I am using Adobe Illustrator 2023 on a Mac, if that matters.
user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
254 views

How do you indicate visually that a shower is for women?

When you see toilet signs, they look more or less like this: It is clear who can enter either of them. Now, say you are designing the signs for showers and you want to distinguish between the ones ...
fedorqui's user avatar
  • 151
4 votes
4 answers
9k views

Image gets squished when overriding in a symbol in Sketch App

I have symbol that contains a profile photo that is masked into a circle shape. And to create a list of them, I would use the Override Image feature. However, if the image is not of the same aspect ...
Masturah Maidin's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
953 views

How can I make Symbols in Illustrator like I would in Flash?

I have a quite complex draw in Illustrator (let's say, lots of vectors and that), and I have to make a mosaic for printing a hole page of them. It's complex enough to be memory-heavy, so when I try ...
mgarciaisaia's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
1k views

How would you represent i/o as an icon?

This has caused me to lose sleep and not get my weekly pat in the back from my boss. We have a web hosting related product that consists of database, bandwidth and I/O sub-products. To represent the ...
Ace's user avatar
  • 233
4 votes
2 answers
6k views

Is there a generally accepted symbol for "accountant"?

I have been informed (by an accountant) that the international symbol for an accountant is this: Whilst a search on Google retrieves a few similar symbols, they are not of sufficient quantity or ...
7caifyi's user avatar
  • 165
4 votes
3 answers
4k views

Where to find a list of overlapping characters?

In the character map, after selecting some very large fonts, sometimes I find some characters which, if typed after another character, will appear above or below the first character. What is the ...
Village's user avatar
  • 633
4 votes
2 answers
8k views

Adobe Illustrator - How do I add the Indian Rupee Symbol?

I can add a rupee symbol anywhere using the shortcut ₹ (CTRL+ALT+4) after selecting the Indian English Keyboard. However, I am unable to do that in Adobe Illustrator. How do I insert the Rupee ...
Shiva's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
3 answers
6k views

How can I move multiple objects towards a central point in Illustrator?

I want to move a set of objects towards a central point. Think moving objects that are outlining a circle towards the middle. I know you can do this through the bounding box, but that results in the ...
marianne0109's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
2k views

How can an Icon symbolize "Search Relevance"?

What's a relatively simple image that could be used as an icon to symbolize "Relevance", such as Search Relevance? I really can't think of anything that would be instantly recognizable, or even that ...
Brian Lacy's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can I make a symbol's bounding box match its clipping mask?

I have a symbol which is clipped. When I place the symbol into document, I can't adjust the size of clipped object. In fact transform shows me unclipped bounding box. Above on the left side ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 538
4 votes
0 answers
154 views

Flatten transparency of derivative colors [closed]

I'm creating an illustration in Ai CS3 heavily using symbols. I need to create derivative symbols, out of other symbols, with lighter colors. The transparency tool is for color seek, but as soon as I ...
Artur's user avatar
  • 171
3 votes
4 answers
34k views

How to denote time? Is it ok to use degree and prime symbols?

I'm aware that there is an international standard on how to display date-time, ISO 8601 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601). But we all know that it's not that common. Maybe it is in engineering, ...
kr85's user avatar
  • 133
3 votes
3 answers
822 views

Typography/Character ID; Semicircle with bracket

I'm in the process of converting the short story "The Region Between" by Harlan Ellison (part of the collection Five Fates), and among the many formatting nightmares, including a page ...
Vanguard3000's user avatar