Figure 1 The euro symbol (glyph)
On 2001-01-01 twelve member states of the European Union replaced their national currencies with a single European currency called the euro. The European Commission, the EU's primary executive body, has created a symbol for the new currency. It is used to designate the euro in the same way as dollar, pound, and yen symbols are used. Because the euro symbol (or glyph) is not a part of the character sets used by computers and printers around the world, equipment manufacturers must revise or update their products to accommodate the new symbol's use.
Apple introduced support for the euro glyph in Mac OS 8.5. This, and future versions of the OS, including localizations for nations that are not part of the euro zone, support the euro glyph as well as any existing currency characters.
Question 1: How do I type the euro symbol?
Answer: See technical document 61586: "Mac OS: How to Type the Euro Glyph (€)".
Question 2: What character does it replace in the character set?
Answer: The international currency symbol. (See Figure 2 below.)
Figure 2: The international currency symbol.
Question 3: Which fonts have the euro glyph?
Answer: Under Mac OS 8.5:
- Apple Chancery
- Capitals
- Charcoal
- Chicago
- Courier
- Gadget
- Geneva
- Helvetica
- Hoefler Text
- Monaco
- New York
- Palatino
- Sand
- Skia
- Symbol
- Techno
- Textile
- Times
Question 4: How do I print the euro glyph?
Answer: When an application prints using the euro glyph in a given font, LaserWriter 8.6 switches to the Symbol font and prints the glyph in that font. PostScript Level 3 printers have the euro glyph in the Symbol font, and therefore present no special problems.
Printers having interpreters prior to Level 3 do not contain the euro glyph and to compensate, LaserWriter 8.6 downloads a euro glyph character and maps it into the resident Symbol font.
In either case, LaserWriter driver 8.6 (part of Mac OS 8.5) is required to print the euro glyph.
Question 5: How is it encoded?
Answer: The euro character is encoded in the Unicode Standard as U+20AC EURO SIGN, MacRoman Encoding decimal 219, hex 0xDB. For Symbol, the glyph has been added at Option-t (MacRoman Encoding decimal 160, hex 0xA0, previously unused).
Question 6: Where can I find more detailed, in-depth information?
Answer: For detailed and in-depth information about Apple's support for the euro, see Tech Notes 1140 and 1143. The following document can help you find the Tech Notes mentioned here: 24493: "Apple Tech Notes: What They Are, Where To Find Them"
For more information about the euro, consult the European Union's Web site at: http://europa.eu.int/euro/.