Tool comparison
FM Abhaya vs Unicode Sinhala
FM Abhaya is commonly associated with a legacy Sinhala publishing workflow. Unicode Sinhala is a character standard supported across modern operating systems, browsers, search engines, and office software. They solve different problems.
Text compatibility
Unicode stores Sinhala characters with standard code points, so text remains searchable, selectable, and transferable between compatible fonts. Legacy FM text often stores Latin code positions whose visible Sinhala depends on one matching font. Without that font, the content can look like meaningless Latin characters.
When FM workflows remain useful
An existing print template, archive, or organisation may require FM Abhaya-compatible output. In that case preserve the required font and encoding together and document the dependency. Do not assume that choosing FM Abhaya from a font menu converts Unicode text into Legacy encoding.
Best choice for new content
Use Unicode for websites, searchable PDFs, databases, email, accessibility, and documents shared across devices. Choose a Unicode Sinhala typeface for visual style. Convert to a Legacy format only at a defined handoff where a known application or production partner requires it.
Migration caution
Legacy-to-Unicode conversion should be reviewed word by word because punctuation and custom glyph conventions may vary. Keep the original file, font, and a PDF visual reference until the converted Unicode document is approved.