1. WHAT IS SYMBOLS.COM AND SYMBOLS '98 ENCYCLOPEDIA?

Provided by HME Media, this site is an online version of Carl G Liungman's Thought Signs, an encyclopedia of graphic symbols. Here, you can find more than 2,500 Western signs, arranged into 54 groups according to their graphic characteristics. For more information on SYMBOLS.com, click here.

SYMBOLS '98 Encyclopedia is the enchanced offline version, with features like cut and paste, word search, and much more. The SYMBOLS '98 Encyclopedia is available for downloading or ordering from this site.

2. FUNCTIONS

2.1. To perform a graphic search---to find signs' meanings

2.1.1. To use the Easy Graphic Search page

1. Click Graphic Index in the SYMBOLS Button bar.
   
2. In the Easy Graphic Search table, answer the questions 1--4 and click "Search". This takes you to a Group Overview page, with signs that share the graphic characteristics you have specified.
   
3. On the Group overview page, click the article name next to the sign you are looking for. Links in bold type points to articles about the sign, other links point to articles where the sign is mentioned. If you can't find the sign, return to step 1, and verify that you have chosen the right graphic category. See Explanations of Graphic Categories for details on the different categories in the Graphic Index table.

2.1.2. To use the Advanced Graphic Search page

1. Click Graphic Index in the SYMBOLS Button bar.
   
2. Choose Advanced Graphic Search.
   
3. In the Advanced Graphic Search table, point to the link that is in the cell that best matches the graphic characteristics of the sign you are looking for. This takes you to a Group Overview page, with signs that share the graphic characteristics you have specified.
   
4. On the Group overview page, click the article name next to the sign you are looking for. Links in bold type points to articles about the sign, other links point to articles where the sign is mentioned. If you can't find the sign, return to step 1, and verify that you have chosen the right graphic category. See Explanations of Graphic Categories for details on the different categories in the Graphic Index table.

2.1.3. Explanations of graphic categories

2.1.3.1. Symmetry

• Single-axis symmetry.
  If the sign is drawn on a piece of paper, it can be folded once along the middle of the sign so that all the lines on one half of the sign will coincide with all the lines on the other half. Examples:
  
  
  
  
• Multi-axes symmetry.
  One can fold the paper along at least two different axes, and still have the lines on one half of the sign coinciding with the lines on the other half. Examples:
  
  
  
  
• Asymmetry.
  The lines never coincide however one folds the paper on which an asymmetrical sign is drawn. Examples:
  
  
  
  
  

2.1.3.2. Open/closed

• Open signs. Examples:
  
• Closed signs. Examples:
  
• Both open and closed signs. Examples:
  

2.1.3.3. Straight-lined/soft elements

• Straight-lined signs. Examples:
  
• Soft signs. Examples:
  
• Both straight-lined and soft signs. Examples:
  

2.1.3.4. Crossing lines

• Signs with crossing lines. Examples:
  
• Signs without crossing lines. Examples:
  

2.2. To perform a word search---to find signs for meanings

2.2.1. To use the Word Index page

1. Click Word Index in the SYMBOLS Button bar.
2. Click the letter that the word you want to find begins with.
3. Scroll the page until you find the word, then click it.
   Tip: At point 3, use the Find text dialog box in you browser to find the word faster.

2.3. To download SYMBOLS '98 Encyclopedia