Anu7 vs Anu6: Understanding the Difference for Telugu Typography
If you have used Anufonts for Telugu DTP, you have probably noticed two common versions: Anu7 and Anu6. Most operators use them interchangeably without thinking about it — until a file produced with one font is opened on a system with the other, and suddenly every syllable with an i-kara is wrong. Here is a clear breakdown of what is actually different between these two font versions.
The Short Answer
Anu7 is the newer and more widely adopted version. If you are starting a fresh project or are unsure which version your print shop uses, choose Anu7. The differences between the two are primarily in the byte positions assigned to the short "i" vowel sign (ి) and its fused consonant forms.
The Critical Difference: i-kara Glyph Positions
The most significant technical difference between Anu7 and Anu6 lies in the byte values assigned to the i-kara matra (the short "i" vowel sign, ి) and the fused glyphs that combine each base consonant with i-kara into a single pre-composed shape.
| Element | Anu7 Byte | Anu6 Byte | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| i-kara matra (ి) | 0xA7 | 0xA6 | −1 |
| ii-kara matra (ీ) | 0xA8 | 0xA7 | −1 |
| Fused క+ి (కి) | 0xA9 | 0xA8 | −1 |
| Fused ఖ+ి (ఖి) | 0xAA | 0xA9 | −1 |
| Fused గ+ి (గి) | 0xAB | 0xAA | −1 |
| All other fused i forms | 0xAC–0xC9 | 0xAB–0xC8 | −1 |
| Base consonants (క, ఖ…) | Identical | Identical | None |
| All other matras (ా, ు, ూ…) | Identical | Identical | None |
| Vattu (conjunct) forms | Identical | Identical | None |
| Independent vowels | Identical | Identical | None |
In practical terms: every syllable that contains a short or long "i" vowel will be wrong if you use Anu7-encoded text with the Anu6 font, or vice versa. Every other syllable will be correct. This is why mixing the two versions produces documents where most text looks fine but i-kara words appear as wrong characters — a subtle error that can slip through proofreading if the reader is not looking carefully.
Which Version Is More Common?
Anu7 is the dominant version in current use, particularly in Andhra Pradesh. It is the default selection in most newer installations of Anu Script Manager. If you are receiving files from clients or print service providers and are unsure which version they use, Anu7 is the safer starting assumption.
Anu6 remains in use at some older print shops and in archived files from earlier periods. If you are working with legacy files or receiving content from a specific vendor, it is worth confirming directly which version they use before beginning conversion work.
Identifying Which Version You Have
If you are unsure which version is installed on your system, here is a simple test:
- Open Notepad and type the byte value for the Anu7 fused ka-i: create a small test file with AksharaTool using the word "కి" (ka + i-kara)
- Download the Anu7 version and the Anu6 version of the same text
- Open each file in Notepad, copy to Photoshop with your installed font — the version that renders correctly tells you which font you have
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