The font is a popular and specialized non-Unicode (legacy) Tamil font widely used by desktop publishers, graphic designers, and administrative professionals.
| Key | Output (Ismail Font) | Tamil Equivalent | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | ` | கு | | 1 | ஜ | | 2 | ஶ | | 3 | ஷ | | 4 | ஸ | | 5 | ஹ | | 6 | க்ஷ | | 7 | ோ (Long vowel sign) | | 8 | ண் | | 9 | ௌ | | 0 | ை | | - | ொ | | = | ௐ (Old numeral) |
: Some users pair this font with the Bamini layout , which is based on traditional Tamil typewriters and is widely used in Sri Lanka.
It was during this chaotic period that a figure known as "DCI TML Ismail" (likely a tech enthusiast, educator, or publisher associated with DCI—possibly a Data Centre or Computing Initiative—and "TML" standing for Tamil) developed a keyboard layout designed for a specific, widely circulated Tamil font. This layout was not an official government standard (like the TamilNet 99 or InScript), but rather a pragmatic, grassroots tool. It allowed users—particularly in diaspora communities, journalism, and small publishing houses—to type Tamil efficiently without expensive software.