BabelPad

BabelPad is a free Unicode text editor for Windows which can convert Tibetan or Dzongkha text from normal Unicode to "Precomposed Tibetan" encoding. This is often very useful when you need to use Tibetan text in an application which supports Unicode character encoding but doesn't yet support OpenType layout for complex scripts. For example if you want to use the Jomolhari font in a DTP or graphics program which does support Unicode but currently has no complex script support enabled for Tibetan script, first convert the Tibetan or Dzongkha text to "precomposed Tibetan" in BabelPad and then try using it in your application with the Jomolhari font which works with both pre-composed Tibetan and proper Unicode encodings for Tibetan.

Points to keep in Mind:
  • You will loose support for OpenType features such as contextual alternatives - and for some combinations not found in the "Precomposed Tibetan" standard as these only work with Unicode and OpenType.
  • I don't know of any existing keyboard or input method for pre-composed Tibetan. So, if you later need to make changes to the converted text you may need to paste the text back into BabelPad, reconvert it to Unicode, edit the text, and then convert it back to pre-composed Tibetan.
  • While all of the combinations in Part-A of the Chinese standard for pre-compsed Tibetan are supported, many of the rare combinations in part B of the standard are not supported.

Having support for pre-composed Tibetan in the Jomolhari font allows it to be used in applications which as yet have no support for OpenType shaping of Tibetan script.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a free and open source vector-graphics program for Linux, Windows, and OSX which has good support for OpenType layout for complex scripts - including Tibetan script. (Something which doesn't work yet in commercial programs like Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, or Freehand). Inkscape creates W3C standard Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) files which can be displayed in the latest web browsers. If you want to import the SVG files into another graphics application with no OpenType layout support for Tibetan script, first convert the text into paths before saving the file.

TISE

TISE is a free input method for Windows which enables you to type Unicode Tibetan or Dzongkha text using the EWTS (Extended Wylie Transcription System) method.

UDP

see: How to convert legacy Tibetan documents to Tibetan Unicode using UDP

- Chris