I’ve been getting a lot of search enquiries about how to find an alternative dollar sign glyph. I’m not sure why, but I’m going to explain how to find one in this blog post. Right here, right now.
To find an alternative dollar sign glyph, select the $ in your text and open your design software’s Glyphs panel. If the font includes another version, you can choose it there.
Not every font has an alternative dollar sign. In fact, I’d expect very few to include one. If you’ve checked the full glyph set and there isn’t another version, that font doesn’t have one. You’ll have to use the existing dollar sign or choose a different font.
A glyph is the shape a font uses to display a character. In this case, the character is the dollar sign. An alternative glyph would give you a different drawing of that same symbol, rather than a different currency symbol altogether.
Finding the dollar sign in Adobe Illustrator
- Highlight the dollar sign with the Type tool.
- Go to Window > Type > Glyphs.
- Choose Alternates For Current Selection from the Show menu.
- If an alternative appears, double-click it to replace your selected dollar sign.
Finding the dollar sign in Adobe Photoshop
- Highlight the dollar sign in your text layer using the Type tool.
- Go to Window > Glyphs.
- Make sure the panel shows the font and style you’re using.
- Find the alternative you want and double-click it to replace the selected symbol.
Finding the dollar sign in Adobe InDesign
- Highlight the dollar sign with the Type tool.
- Go to Type > Glyphs.
- Choose Alternates for Selection from the Show menu.
- To inspect everything the font contains, choose Entire Font.
- If you find an alternative, double-click it to replace your selected dollar sign.
What if no alternative dollar sign appears?
As I said before, if no alternative dollar sign appears, it’s because the font designer hasn’t designed one. But you can check that you’ve selected the right font and weight, then look through its full glyph set. If it only contains one dollar sign, there isn’t another design. That’s it.
If you don’t like the dollar sign supplied, try one from another font. Look for a similar weight, height and overall style so it sits comfortably beside your numbers. Check it in an actual price, such as $25, rather than judging the symbol on its own.
Keep an eye on the spacing, too. A dollar sign borrowed from another typeface might sit too close to the first number or leave an awkward gap. A small spacing adjustment can help the two work together.
For a broader explanation of how these extra characters work, read my guide to stylistic alternates in fonts. It covers how to find and use alternative letters, numbers and symbols—when the designer has included them.
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.