How to Use Ligatures in Open Type Font with Windows Character Map

There are a lot of fun fonts out there with ligatures, but not every program has the capacity to use them. This is an easy tutorial that shows how to insert those ligatures into pretty much any Windows program.  Launch the Windows Character Map. If you are using and earlier version of Windows you can just find it from the start menu. If you are using Windows 8 just type in Character Map in the windows search field. We are using one of LD's Smart Fonts,  ZP Mother Interlock.

Find ZP Mother Interlock in the list of fonts:

Next click advanced view:

Now set the subrange to "Private Use Characters." 

Select the ligature you would like to use by clicking on it and pressing the "Select" button. Now highlight the character and press "Control + C" to copy the ligature. Do no use the copy button as it does not work in all programs.

Now go to the program you want to use it in, we will show 3 different ones.

Silhouette Design Studio:

Open up Design Studio and Use the Text Style tool. First select the font you are using, then if you are using additional letters in front of the ligature go ahead and start typing them in, then when you are ready for the ligature press "Control + V" to paste the ligature in place as shown:

Make-The Cut:

Open up Make-The-Cut and select the Text and Fonts on the far right of the screen. Select your font and click on the text box to begin typing. The when you are ready for your ligature press "Control + V" to paste the ligature in place.

Office Libre (much like Word):

Open your document and select your font. Begin typing then press "control + V" to paste the ligature into place.

Shop for Smart Fonts on LD.