Anyone who is in business knows how important having a trademark is. By getting a trademark for your business or brand, you distinguish it from the others and also benefit from trademark protection accorded by intellectual property laws. We will teach you how to type the trademark symbol on your computer or mobile phone, whether you are enforcing your rights as the registered trademark owner or simply indicating a trademark for another company.
A trademark, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is “a sign capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one enterprise from those of other enterprises, and is protected by intellectual property rights.” Trademarks can be obtained by filing an application with the trademark office in your country and paying the required fees.
After obtaining the trademark, the owner or registrant is granted an exclusive right to the usage of the registered trademark for a definite period of time. It can be renewed indefinitely upon payment of renewal fees.
Once you have obtained the trademark for your business or brand, the next thing you can do is to attach the trademark symbol to your company or brand name. There are actually two kinds of trademark symbols: the TM sign (™) and the registered trademark sign (®). The former is frequently used to indicate that a trademark exists for your company or brand, regardless of its registration status. The latter can only be used when you have officially registered the trademark with the national trademark office.
Both trademark symbols (™ and ®) are usually absent from standard QWERTY keyboards, and can only be typed by using a combination of keys (also known as a keyboard shortcut) or by using an application like the Character Map. Those who don’t have the patience to learn keyboard shortcuts can insert the trademark sign through the good old “copy and paste” method.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to use the trademark symbol a lot, continue reading this article to learn how to type the symbol using keyboard shortcuts as well as how to insert it in a Microsoft Word and Google Docs document. We’ll also teach you how to type the trademark sign in your Android smartphone and iPhone.
Type the Trademark Symbol on the Windows Keyboard
Just like other symbols such as the copyright sign, you can easily type the trademark symbol using a keyboard shortcut. Make sure that your Windows computer keyboard has a numeric keypad or number pad, which can be found on the right-hand side of the keyboard.
Type the Trademark (™) Symbol on the Windows Keyboard
The keyboard shortcut for the trademark (™) symbol is Alt + 0153. Here’s how to type the trademark symbol using the keyboard shortcut:
- Activate the number pad by pressing Num Lock (although sometimes this is not necessary).
- In your document or application, place the blinking cursor where you want the symbol to appear.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- While holding down the Alt key, type 0153 on the number pad in quick succession.
- The trademark (™) sign is now inserted into your document.
Type the Registered Trademark (®) Symbol on the Windows Keyboard
The keyboard shortcut for the registered trademark (®) symbol is Alt + 0174. Follow these steps to type the registered trademark sign on your computer keyboard:
- Activate the number pad by tapping the Num Lock key.
- In your document or application, place the blinking cursor where you want to insert the symbol.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- While holding down the Alt key, type 0174 on the number pad in quick succession.
- The registered trademark (®) sign is now inserted into your document.
Type the Trademark Symbol on the Mac Keyboard
Mac computers have a few differences with Windows computers as far as their keyboards are concerned. Unlike the Windows PC keyboard, the Mac keyboard doesn’t have a numeric keypad. You will have to use a different set of keyboard shortcuts when typing the trademark symbol on your Mac computer.
Type the Trademark (™) Symbol on the Mac Keyboard
The keyboard shortcut for the trademark (™) symbol on the Mac keyboard is Option + 2. Simply press the Option and 2 keys at the same time to insert the trademark sign into your document or application.
Type the Registered Trademark (®) on the Mac Keyboard
The keyboard shortcut for the registered trademark (®) symbol is Option + R. To insert this symbol, press the Option and R keys on your Mac keyboard simultaneously.
Insert the Trademark Symbol in Microsoft Word
If you’re using Microsoft Word, you can type the trademark symbol using the keyboard shortcuts that we’ve mentioned previously. However, Word has its own shortcut keys that are far easier to memorize and learn by heart. Take note that these keyboard shortcuts only work in Word and cannot be used with other applications.
To type the trademark (™) symbol in Microsoft Word, use the shortcut keys Ctrl + Alt + T. Hold down both Ctrl and Alt keys and then press T to insert the symbol. You can also press all three keys simultaneously.
To type the registered trademark (®) sign, use the shortcut keys Ctrl + Alt + R. Hold down both Ctrl and Alt keys at the same time and then press R.
If you don’t want to use these shortcuts because you can’t memorize them or you find them too cumbersome, you can easily insert the symbol using Word’s built-in symbol insertion tool.
To type the trademark sign in Microsoft Word, first click the Insert tab.
Next, click the Symbol button on the rightmost portion of the menu.
You can now see the ™ and ® symbols on the dropdown menu. Click the symbol to insert it into your Word document.
If you can’t see the trademark symbols on the dropdown menu, click More Symbols.
On the “Symbol” dialog, you can find all sorts of symbols and special characters that can be inserted into your document. The trademark (™) symbol can be found by choosing “Letterlike Symbols” as the subset. You can find the registered trademark (®) symbol by selecting “Latin-1 Supplement” as the subset.
After selecting the trademark sign, click Insert to place it in your document.
Insert the Trademark Symbol in Google Docs
Google Docs is a free alternative to Microsoft Word that works on your web browser. Just like Word, Google Docs offers an easy way to insert symbols into your document.
To type the trademark symbol in Google Docs, first click Insert. On the dropdown menu, click Special characters.
The “Insert special characters” dialog will appear with all the symbols and special characters that you can insert into your document. You can quickly find the trademark (™) sign by typing “trade mark” in the search box on the right side. The trademark sign will then be shown on the left side. Just click the symbol to insert it into your Google Docs document.
To search for the registered trademark (®) sign, type “registered” in the search box. The symbol will appear on the left side, so click it to insert into your document.
If this method is too much work, you can always type the trademark symbol by using the Windows and Mac keyboard shortcuts that we’ve previously mentioned.
Insert the Trademark Sign Using the Character Map
Are you a laptop user and your keyboard doesn’t have a number pad? Don’t worry if you can’t use the keyboard shortcuts because you can insert the trademark symbol using the Character Map.
Character Map is a small application that lets you find and copy the characters and symbols that are available in Windows. It can also be used to view the characters in any installed font. If you can’t find a particular character in your keyboard, you can use the Character Map to copy it to your clipboard for pasting into a document.
To launch the Character Map application, click the Windows Start button on the bottom-left corner of the screen. On the list of applications, click Windows Accessories and then Character Map.
Once the Character Map is open, check the “Advanced view” box at the bottom. This will allow you to search for the trademark symbol.
To quickly find the trademark (™) sign, type “trade mark” in the “Search for” field and then click Search. Select the trademark sign to highlight it and then click Select. Finally, click Copy to copy the character to the clipboard. Go to your document and paste the symbol by right-clicking and selecting Paste, or by hitting Ctrl + V.
To search for the registered trademark (®) sign, type “registered” in the “Search for” field and click Search. Follow the same steps above to copy and paste the symbol.
Type the Trademark Symbol on an Android Smartphone
The default Android keyboard Gboard offers support for several special characters such as the trademark (™) and registered trademark (®) symbols.
Follow these steps to type the trademark sign on your Android smartphone:
- Place the insertion point or cursor where you want the symbol to be inserted.
- On the Android keyboard, tap the ?123 key.
- Next, tap the =\< key.
- Finally, tap the ™ or ® symbol to insert it.
Type the Trademark Symbol on the iPhone
Unlike Android, the iOS keyboard on the iPhone or the iPad doesn’t offer native support for the trademark symbol. However, you can still type this symbol by using an emoji in lieu of the text character.
- Place the insertion point or cursor where you want the symbol to be inserted.
- On the iOS keyboard, tap the emoji key just before the space bar.
- A bunch of emojis will be shown. On the “Search Emoji” field, type “trademark” or “registered.”
- The trademark (™) or the registered trademark (®) sign will appear on the keyboard. Tap the symbol to insert it.
Insert the Trademark Symbol as HTML
If you are a web developer or programmer, you can type the trademark symbol as an HTML code in your webpages.
The HTML code for the trademark (™) sign is ™ while the HTML code for the registered trademark (®) symbol is ®.
Trademark Symbol Copy and Paste
If you only have to use the trademark sign once, you can simply copy it from this page and insert it into your document or application. We have provided an easy way to copy the symbol; just click the trademark (™) or registered trademark (®) box below and the symbol will be automatically copied to the clipboard. Afterwards, paste the symbol to your document or application by right-clicking and selecting Paste or by pressing Ctrl + V. If you’re on mobile, just long-press and select Paste.
Copy and Paste the Trademark (™) Sign
Copy and Paste the Registered Trademark (®) Sign
It’s recommended to put the trademark (™) or the registered trademark (®) symbol immediately after the mark.
Final Thoughts
You’ve just learned how to type the trademark symbol on your computer or mobile phone. Take the time to memorize the keyboard shortcuts, and should your memory fail you, you can always copy and paste the symbol from this page. If you have any questions and clarifications, please feel free to leave a comment below.
