Creating brand-new text characters

[Agent E-45]

Hello all.

I'm using Word XP with Windows XP. I'm re-writing into Word, stuff from a textbook for a technical course I'm taking, to sort of re-arrange how it's presented so that it makes more sense to me.. it's how I study stuff.

It's a math-based course, and has many text characters that you don't see too often. I'm picky, and want to get the letters exactly as they're presented. Most of the time, you just go to "Insert Symbol" and for the most part, you'll eventually find the special character you're looking for. But what happens when you can't? I'm trying to find a way to just create-from-scratch my own text characters, or something to that effect. Is this at all possible?



Among others, I want the capital letter S with a macron (as seen below with letter a), and the small letter b with a circumflex (also seen below with letter a). I don't see "S" or "b" with the respective "special" additions listed below anywhere in Microsoft Word, even in the special characters section. I'm going crazy here, when Microsoft doesn't give you the character you want, is it possible to simply create your own from scratch somehow?

Thanks all.

ā (with macron) [I need a "S" with a macron!]
â (with circumflex) [I need a "b" with a circumflex!]

[Ulodesk]

If your font includes the characters with the relevant accents, you will find them in the Symbols tab of the Special Characters dialogue by selecting your font in the font box at the top, which porbably defaults to Wingdings but actually includes all your installed fonts.

There are also shortcuts for many accents, including the one's you need, but I don't have my list handy at the moment. For example, the accute accent is Ctrl+apostrophe, followed by typing the letter.

[Agent E-45]

None of the fonts have those letters combined with the various special accents and stuff... and it looks like I can't do the Ctrl+stuff either, at least not the one you mentioned. Could be because I'm using an older MS Word than you. In any event, I'm done copying the last chapter, and I can make do without. Thanks for the info though!