How to Make a Cents Sign on the Computer Keypad

The cents sign, the "c" with a line through it, is rarely used anymore. It's more common for fractions of dollars to be expressed in decimals. Nevertheless, you may need to type the cents sign on your computer keypad from time to time. You can do so in Windows and Mac systems, although the process is quite different between the operating systems.

Instructions

Windows Operating Systems

1. Press and hold the "Alt" button on your keyboard.

2. Quickly type (sequentially) "0162" using your right-side keypad. Watch the cent sign appear; if it does not appear, press "Num Lock" above your keypad and try again.

3. Use the character map to type the cent sign if you prefer. To open the character map, click "Start>Programs>Accessories," and then select "System Tools."

4. Click on "Character Map," and then click on the cents sign. Click "Select" to copy the symbol to your clipboard. Right-click on your document and select "Paste" to paste the cent sign.

Mac Operating Systems

1. Press and hold the "Option" button on the bottom-left side of your keyboard.

2. Press "4" on your keypad, while holding "Option."

3. Watch the cent sign appear.

References

• Penn State: Windows - Alt Key Numeric Codes
• Penn State: Accent Codes for the Macintosh