Specialized keys or shifting layers house Grantha characters (
Moreover, with tools like Keyman, you can now use MCL Mangai layout to type Unicode Tamil! Yes – some Keyman keyboards map the MCL Mangai key positions to output Unicode characters. This gives you the best of both worlds: familiar finger movements with modern encoding.
Typists map characters based on visual layout frameworks rather than phonetics.
This paper explores how the MCL Mangai layout bridges the gap between raw Unicode input and aesthetic typography.
Many printing presses have decades of templates built specifically using MCL fonts.