Converting Diamond Tamil to Unicode, in plain terms
Diamond is a name that people mostly learn the hard way: a Tamil file opens as random punctuation and letters, and someone finally remembers the font it was typed in. If you have a file like that, this converter is the quick way out: paste the Diamond text, run the conversion, and you get Unicode Tamil that behaves like any other text you type today.
How to recognise Diamond text
A reliable first test is to paste a line into a notepad-style editor. Font-encoded Tamil shows up as a jumble of letters and signs instead of Tamil script. To give you something concrete, this converter stores தமிழ் in Diamond as jkpH;, வணக்கம் as tzf;fk; and நன்றி as ed;wp. Diamond and Bamini share many letters, so they are easy to confuse. In the word தமிழ், Bamini stores ழ as o while Diamond stores it as H, giving jkpo; against jkpH;. If your converted text is right except for the letter ழ, you are probably using the wrong one of the two tools.
The conversion itself
Select the Diamond text in the original file and copy it, then paste it into the left box. Press Convert text and the Unicode Tamil appears on the right. Use Copy result to move it into your editor, or Download .txt to keep a plain-text file. For a long document, work through it in sections so you can compare each one with the original as you go.
What to proofread afterwards
Read the result against the original side by side. Vowel signs, pulli forms and joined consonants are the usual suspects when a word is slightly off. Fixing one stubborn word by hand in Unicode is usually quicker than hunting for a perfect match.
Who tends to need this
Typical cases are reviving an old document, merging older writing with new Tamil, or publishing archived material online. In each one the content is fine; it is the storage format that has aged. A single conversion usually solves it.
A few practical tips
Start small, compare, then scale up. Always copy from the original rather than retyping, because retyping can change the exact characters a legacy format expects. If a file combines more than one font, convert the pieces separately. Finally, clear the boxes before the next document.
Why Unicode is worth the effort
Unicode Tamil works the same everywhere. The same text opens in a browser, a spreadsheet and a chat window without anyone installing a font, and it can be searched and indexed. After converting, keep the Unicode version as the one you edit and leave the Diamond original untouched as a backup.
Related tools
If you ever need to go the other way, try Unicode to Diamond. To write fresh Tamil with an English keyboard, use English to Tamil typing, or browse all Tamil font converters.
Diamond to Unicode: common questions
My converted text is right except for ழ. What went wrong?
That is the classic Bamini versus Diamond mix-up. The two formats agree on many letters but not all. Try the Bamini converter on the same passage and compare.
Is Dinak the same as Diamond?
For the common words we tried, both gave identical codes. Treat that as a convenience, not a promise, and test any passage with rare letters before relying on it.
What causes a few wrong characters in an otherwise good conversion?
Rare letters, symbols and conjunct forms are where formats differ most. Convert the problem word on its own to see whether the issue is the source text or the format.
Do I have to register to use this converter?
No registration is needed. It is a free online tool; open the page, paste, convert, copy.
Can I keep my layout?
The tool converts text, not layout. Paste the converted text into your document and apply the styles you need.
Is the Diamond font included with this tool?
The page can show a preview where one is supplied, but the converter itself does not depend on installing anything. It works with the character codes.
What about a scanned PDF or an image of Tamil text?
The converter works on text, not pictures. An image or scanned PDF has to go through text extraction or OCR before there is anything to convert.