The most difficult aspect of the Shree Dev Keyboard Chart is typing conjuncts (half-letters).
Example: Typing 'เคเฅเคท' (Ksha) In Unicode, this is often one character or a combination of 'Ka' + 'Halant' + 'Sha'. In Shree Dev, however, specific conjuncts were sometimes hard-coded to specific keys to save space, or required using the "Halant" key specifically.
The consonants are mapped phonetically to the English keyboard. This makes Shree Dev relatively easier to learn for English speakers compared to InScript.
Unshifted
เคฏ เค เค เค เค เค เค เค
Shift+
เคฏเคผ เคเคผ เคเคผ เคเคผ เคเคผ เคเคผ เคเคผ
(Adjust as per actual Shree Dev font mapping โ some versions differ slightly for conjuncts.)
| Key | Character | Key | Character | Key | Character | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | A | เคธ | S | เคฌ | D | เคซ | | F | เค | G | เคน | H | เค | | J | เค | K | เคฒ | L | เค | | ; | เฅ (II sign) | ' | เฅ (U sign) | | |
The Shree Dev Font Keyboard Chart provides users with an interactive or static visual reference for typing in the Shree Dev 071 font (commonly used for Sanskrit, Nepali, and Hindi typing). It maps standard Latin keyboard keys to their corresponding Devanagari characters and special ligatures.
Introduction: Why Shree Dev Remains the King of Nepali Fonts
In the digital landscape of Nepal, one name has dominated the typography scene for over two decades: Shree Dev. Before the widespread adoption of Unicode fonts like Preeti or Kantipur, Shree Dev was the gold standard for professional Nepali typing in newspapers, government offices, and publishing houses. Even today, thousands of users search for a reliable Shree Dev font keyboard chart to transition from Preeti or to complete legacy projects.
But hereโs the challenge: Shree Dev is a non-Unicode (ASCII-based) font. Unlike modern Unicode fonts where typing "k" gives you "เค," Shree Dev follows a unique, often frustrating, keyboard layout. Without a proper chart, typing even a simple word like "Nepal" (เคจเฅเคชเคพเคฒ) becomes a guessing game.
This article provides the most comprehensive Shree Dev font keyboard chart, typing tips, and a comparison with Unicode fonts. Whether you are a student, a journalist, or a DTP operator, this guide is for you.
| Key | Character | Key | Character | Key | Character | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Z | เค | X | เคญ | C | เคฃ | | V | เคฅ | B | เค | N | เค | | M | เคข | , | < (Less than) | . | > (Greater than) | | / | ? | | | | |
Shree Dev is a legacy Devanagari font (non-Unicode) that was widely used in India before the adoption of Unicode standards. The "Keyboard Chart" is a map showing which keys on a QWERTY keyboard correspond to which Marathi/Hindi characters. It typically follows a phonetic layout, where English keys map to their phonetic Devanagari equivalents (e.g., pressing 'k' produces 'เค').
