Anu 6 and Anu 7 are two versions of the Anu Script legacy Telugu non Unicode font family, and they use different character-to-byte mapping tables. Text encoded in Anu 6 does not display correctly when rendered with an Anu 7 font, and text encoded in Anu 7 breaks under an Anu 6 font. The Anu 6 Anu 7 difference runs through almost every character, which is why the two Telugu Anu font versions cannot be swapped.
This matters during conversion. Selecting the wrong Anu version while converting Unicode to non Unicode produces garbled Telugu output. Knowing which version your document uses is required before you convert anything.
This page covers what each version is, a side-by-side comparison, an Anu Script mapping chart of every differing form, guidance on which Anu font to use, and how to run an Anu 6 to Anu 7 conversion.
What Is Anu 6?
Anu 6 is the earlier mapping in the Anu Script family, covering the core Telugu character set and a smaller conjunct range. It predates Anu 7 and survives in archived layout files rather than new work. Of the two Anu Script versions, Anu 6 is the one you meet in old files.
Where Anu 6 Appears
Older PageMaker and CorelDraw files, archived newspaper layouts, and government documents typeset before Telugu presses moved to Anu 7.
Coverage
Anu 6 maps 63 base characters, 39 vattu forms, and 582 gunintam forms, with a narrower conjunct range than Anu 7.
Identifying It
Open the file in your layout application and read the font name in the character panel. The name carries the version number.
Anu 6 Font Encoding and Mapping
Anu 6 stores each Telugu character as one or more ASCII bytes, chosen by its own mapping table.
The Telugu letter అ becomes J in Anu 6. The letter క becomes H›. Neither byte carries any Telugu identity of its own — the Anu 6 font is what draws them as Telugu. An Anu 6 mapping has three layers: base characters, vattu forms produced by virama plus a consonant, and gunintam forms produced by a consonant plus a vowel sign.
What Is Anu 7?
Anu 7 is the later mapping in the Anu Script family, with wider conjunct coverage and the version most Telugu presses run today.
The Current Standard
Anu 7 ships with recent Anu Script Manager (ASM) releases and is what most Telugu newspapers, book publishers, and print shops expect to receive.
Two Names, One Mapping
Anu 7 vs Anu 7.0 is not a real comparison: the two labels name the same version. Font files and converters use both, and the byte output is identical.
Conjunct Range
Anu 7 covers more Telugu conjuncts than Anu 6, which is the practical reason presses migrated to it.
Anu 7.0 Font Encoding and Mapping
Anu 7.0 uses a different byte for nearly every Telugu form than Anu 6 does.
The same letter అ becomes n in Anu 7, not J. The letter క becomes ¿£, not H›. Anu 7.0 uses the extended byte range heavily, which is why Anu Script output pasted into a browser shows accented Latin characters and symbols rather than plain letters.
Anu 6 vs Anu 7 — Side-by-Side Comparison
The two versions agree on almost nothing: 652 of 684 mapped forms produce different bytes.
| Attribute | Anu 6 | Anu 7 / Anu 7.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Release order | Earlier | Later |
| Base characters mapped | 63 | 63 |
| Vattu forms mapped | 39 | 39 |
| Gunintam forms mapped | 582 | 582 |
| Base characters differing | 32 of 63 | |
| Gunintam forms differing | 582 of 582 — every one | |
| Telugu అ encodes as | J | n |
| Telugu క encodes as | H› | ¿£ |
| Typical source | Archived layout files | Current press workflows |
| Byte-compatible with the other | No | No |
Which Anu Font Version Should You Use?
Match the version to the file you are working with, not to a preference. The Anu font version difference decides the answer, not habit. The destination document decides the answer.
Use Anu 6 If...
The file already uses it
The character panel in your layout application names an Anu 6 font.
Anu 7 returns wrong conjuncts
Decoding with Anu 7 produced unrelated symbols where conjuncts belong.
The press asked for it
Some archives and older presses still standardise on Anu 6.
Use Anu 7 If...
You are starting new work
Anu 7 is the current standard across Telugu print production.
You do not know the version
Anu 7 is the safer default, because most current files use it.
The text has many conjuncts
Anu 7 covers a wider conjunct range than Anu 6.
How to Convert Anu 6 to Anu 7
To convert Anu 6 to Anu 7, decode the Anu 6 text to Telugu Unicode first, then encode that Unicode text as Anu 7. There are 3 steps.
Check the Telugu
Confirm the Unicode output reads correctly before continuing.
How to Convert Unicode to Anu 6 and Anu 7
To convert Unicode to Anu 6 or Anu 7, paste Telugu Unicode text into the converter, pick the version, and apply the matching font to the output.
Unicode to Anu 6
Select Anu 6 in the version selector. Apply an Anu 6 font to the output. Use this path when the destination file already carries Anu 6.
Unicode to Anu 7.0
Anu 7.0 is the default. Apply an Anu 7 font to the output. Use this path for new work and whenever the version is unknown.
The Unicode to Anu Converter runs both mappings, and the Unicode to Non Unicode Converter on the home page runs both directions.
Anu Font Mapping Table — Key Differences
Every one of the 582 gunintam forms differs between Anu 6 and Anu 7. Base characters differ on 32 of 63, and vattu forms on 38 of 39.
| Telugu | Code point | Anu 6 bytes | Anu 7 bytes |
|---|---|---|---|
| అ | U+0C05 | J | n |
| ఆ | U+0C06 | P | € |
| క | U+0C15 | H› | ¿£ |
| గ | U+0C17 | Q® | >· |
| త | U+0C24 | `Ç | Ôá |
| ప | U+0C2A | „¬ | |Ÿ |
| ర | U+0C30 | ~¡ | sÁ |
| కా | U+0C15 U+0C3E | Hê | ¿± |
| కి | U+0C15 U+0C3F | H÷ | ¿ì |
| కు | U+0C15 U+0C41 | 䛽 | Å£” |
| కే | U+0C15 U+0C47 | öH | ¹¿ |
| కో | U+0C15 U+0C4B | HË | ¿Ã |
Conclusion
Anu 6 and Anu 7 are two versions of the Anu Script legacy Telugu font family with different mapping tables. 652 of 684 mapped forms produce different bytes, including every gunintam form, so the two are not byte-compatible in either direction.
Use Anu 7 for new work and when the version is unknown. Use Anu 6 only when the destination file already carries it. Convert between the versions through Telugu Unicode rather than swapping bytes, read the full Anu Font Mapping Table for every byte value, and Anu Fonts Telugu for the font family behind both versions.