If the Tamil Documents, eMails and instant Chat messages generated by me using Azhagi have to be read/seen in Tamil at the recipient end, should the recipients have a Tamil font at their end?

If the Tamil Documents, eMails and instant Chat messages generated by me using Azhagi have to be read/seen in Tamil at the recipient end, should the recipients have a Tamil font at their end?

[If in case your actual query was to know how to send email in Tamil, then click here]
NO. Most of your recipients need not have any Tamil font installed at their end if you type and mail your Tamil text in UNICODE Tamil. If you send your email in non-unicode Tamil, they require a font. The following helps to understand this clearly.

1) Mails sent in Non-Unicode Tamil (usually in Azhagi's core font 'SaiIndira'):
If you type and send your Tamil text in non-unicode format (usually in Azhagi's core font SaiIndira which is Tscii encoded), the Tamil Documents, eMails and instant Chat messages generated by you using Azhagi will be readable/seen in Tamil at the recipient end just if your recipients can install a small Tamil font (SaiIndra) at their end. They need to install this font only once. So, ask ALL your recipients to download and install SaiIndra Tamil font from the 'Free font download page' at http://azhagi.com/free1.html. Note here that if your recipient chooses to download and install Azhagi itself, then the above-mentioned free font is automatically installed, along with a few other FREE fonts.

SaiIndira Font Installer Download (click here to download it as a zip).

Note-1: You can feel free to pass on the SaiIndira font or the above 'font installer files' (via email or floppy or CD-ROM) to any of your friends/contacts, enabling them to install SaiIndira font in their systems.

Note-2: If your recipients are not able to see your Tamil text even after installing SaiIndira font, then click here to see the simple settings they have to effect.

2) Mails sent in UNICODE Tamil (usually in Microsoft's unicode fonts - 'Latha' or 'Arial Unicode MS'):
If you type and send your Tamil text in UNICODE Tamil, no font is required to read your text in Tamil at the recipient end if they use Windows XP or 2K (** see footnote on Win98 recipients). Following tips will help in this regard however, if your recipients are unable to view your unicode Tamil.

Recipients using Google's services:
If your recipients use Gmail or Google groups, then your mails will be readily readable in Unicode Tamil. They need not do anything.

Recipients using Yahoo!'s services:
If your recipients use Yahoo! mail or groups and in case they are unable to view your mails in Tamil, then they have to just do this simple setting - "In Internet Explorer, go to the menu 'View'. Under that menu, move to the menu item 'Encoding->'. Many encodings would get listed. Select the encoding 'Unicode (UTF-8)'." That is all to it. All your text will appear in Tamil. [Note: If 'Encoding->' does not list 'Unicode (UTF-8), look for the same in 'Encoding- >More'].

Recipients using Outlook Express:
See the picture below and make the required change in settings. You get to the screens below by clicking 'Tools->Options' (in Outlook Express) and then clicking on 'Read' tab and then on 'Fonts'. First select 'Unicode' under 'Font settings' and then change the other details ('Proportional font' etc). Click on 'Set as Default' finally. Click 'OK' to come out of these screens. Both you and your recipients have to make these settings.

Recipients unable to view Unicode Tamil at all:In case your recipients are not able to view unicode Tamil characters at all, even after trying the above settings, then it is an operating system related issue and has nothing to do with Azhagi. They can resolve this issue by enabling unicode in their system. For the same, click here.

** It is possible for your Win9X/ME recipients also to read your unicode Tamil but we dont want to go into those technical details here. If you wish to know the same, click here.

Document version 5.3