Step 1: Determine the UTF-8 encoding bit layout
The character ▬ has the Unicode code point U+25AC. In UTF-8, it is encoded using 3 bytes because its codepoint is in the range of
0x0800to0xffff.
Therefore we know that the UTF-8 encoding will be done over 16 bits within the final 24 bits and that it will have the format:1110xxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx
Where thexare the payload bits.UTF-8 Encoding bit layout by codepoint range Codepoint Range Bytes Bit pattern Payload length U+0000 - U+007F 1 0xxxxxxx 7 bits U+0080 - U+07FF 2 110xxxxx 10xxxxxx 11 bits U+0800 - U+FFFF 3 1110xxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 16 bits U+10000 - U+10FFFF 4 11110xxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 10xxxxxx 21 bits Step 2: Obtain the payload bits:
Convert the hexadecimal code point U+25AC to binary:
00100101 10101100. Those are the payload bits.Step 3: Fill in the bits to match the bit pattern:
Obtain the final bytes by arranging the paylod bits to match the bit layout:
11100010 10010110 10101100
BLACK RECTANGLE·U+25AC
▬
Character Information
Code Point
U+25AC
HEX
25AC
Unicode Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane
Category
Other Symbol
Character Representations
Click elements to copy| Encoding | Hex | Binary |
|---|---|---|
| UTF8 | E2 96 AC | 11100010 10010110 10101100 |
| UTF16 (big Endian) | 25 AC | 00100101 10101100 |
| UTF16 (little Endian) | AC 25 | 10101100 00100101 |
| UTF32 (big Endian) | 00 00 25 AC | 00000000 00000000 00100101 10101100 |
| UTF32 (little Endian) | AC 25 00 00 | 10101100 00100101 00000000 00000000 |
HTML Entity
▬
URI Encoded
%E2%96%AC
Description
The Unicode character U+25AC is known as the BLACK RECTANGLE. In digital text, this symbol serves as a generic rectangle that does not convey any specific meaning in itself, hence its typical usage is to represent or delineate areas within visual elements on screen or printed materials. It is often used in graphical user interfaces to create containers for other elements or to separate sections of content. Although it is a geometric shape with no direct cultural or linguistic significance, its versatile nature allows it to be applied across various applications and platforms, making it an important technical character within the Unicode Standard. In summary, U+25AC serves as a fundamental building block in digital design, enabling designers and developers to easily create layouts, structure content, and establish visual hierarchy without relying on text or culturally specific symbols.
How to type the ▬ symbol on Windows
Hold Alt and type 9644 on the numpad. Or use Character Map.