Instructions for Preparing Thesis in Indian Languages Using LibreOffice and Unicode Fonts

Many Indian language theses submitted in PDF format often face font encoding issues, especially when non-Unicode or legacy fonts are used. This results in garbled text when copying from the PDF or while indexing for institutional repositories. To avoid such issues, researchers are instructed to follow the guidelines below:

1. Install LibreOffice (Free and Open Source Word Processor)

LibreOffice is a powerful free office suite compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.

For GNU/Linux: Use your package manager or Dowload and install
For Windows Download from: https://www.libreoffice.org/download
Install the latest stable version.

2. Use Unicode-Compliant Fonts for Indian Languages

Using Unicode fonts ensures that the text can be copied, indexed, and searched properly in digital repositories.

Recommended Unicode Fonts for Indian Languages:

Language	Recommended Unicode Fonts
Malayalam	RIT-Rachana
Hindi	Lohit Devanagari, Noto Sans Devanagari, Mangal
Sanskrit	Noto Sans Devanagari, Mangal
Tamil	Latha, Noto Sans Tamil
Kannada	Tunga, Noto Sans Kannada

Install Fonts:

For Linux: Use your package manager or Dowload and install
For Windows/macOS: Download from https://rachana.org.in/ or https://smc.org.in/fonts for Malayalam fonts like RIT-Rachana.

3. Enable Complex Text Layout (CTL) Support in LibreOffice

Open LibreOffice Writer.
Go to Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages.
Enable Complex Text Layout (CTL) and set the correct language (e.g., Malayalam).
Click OK to apply settings.

4. Typing in Indian Languages

Use standard keyboard layouts or Input Tools:

Linux: Use Ibus, Google Input Tools or fcitx with Indic keyboard layouts.
Windows: Use Google Input Tools, Microsoft Indic Language Input Tool,
macOS: Add the respective Indian language keyboard via system preferences.

Always type directly in Unicode, not in legacy font encodings (e.g., ML-TT-Karthika, Kruti Dev, etc.).

5. Formatting Guidelines

Use LibreOffice Writer styles for headings, captions, references, etc.
Choose Unicode fonts from the formatting toolbar. Example: Set default font to "RIT Rachana".
Maintain consistent formatting throughout the document.

6. Saving and Exporting the Document

Save the working file:

Save regularly in .odt format (default for LibreOffice Writer).

Export to PDF (with embedded fonts):

Go to File > Export As > Export as PDF.
In the PDF Options dialog:
- Under General, enable “Tagged PDF” and “Export bookmarks”.
- Under “General > Archive (PDF/A)”, choose PDF/A-1a or PDF/A-2b for long-term archiving.
- Under “Fonts”, ensure “Embed standard fonts” is checked.

This will ensure all fonts are embedded and readable on any system.

7. Verifying Output

After exporting:

Open the PDF in a PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Acrobat or Okular).
Try copying some text and pasting into a text editor (like LibreOffice Writer or Notepad).
If the pasted text is readable and correct, the font encoding is proper.

❌ Avoid the Following:

Do not use non-Unicode fonts like ML-TT, Shree Lipi, Kruti Dev, etc.
Do not scan and insert text as images.
Avoid using proprietary fonts that require commercial licenses.

8. Additional Tips

Regularly backup your .odt files.
Keep a copy of all fonts used during thesis preparation.
Submit PDF version for archiving.

📌 Summary

Step	Action
Word Processor	Use LibreOffice Writer
Font Type	Only Unicode fonts
Language Input	Use Unicode-enabled keyboard/input tool
PDF Export	Use PDF/A with embedded fonts
Test Copy-Paste	Confirm readability from exported PDF

📞 Support

If you face any issues, contact the digital repository team or IT support for language input help.

Email. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone 04942407383