Online Encyclopedia of Western Signs and Ideograms HME Publishing

Help

Reference

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

To use the Easy Graphic Search page

  1. Click Graphic Index.
  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.

To use the Advanced Graphic Search page

  1. Click Graphic Index.
  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.

Explanations of graphic categories

Symmetry

Open/closed

Straight-lined/curved elements

Crossing lines

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

To use the Word Index page

  1. Click Word Index.
  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.