If you are writing formal business documents, designing marketing materials, or drafting a legal letter, you need to use the correct typographic symbols to maintain a professional appearance. Using the superscript letters “TM” might work in a pinch, but it looks sloppy compared to the official, properly kerning Trademark symbol (™).
Fortunately, you don’t need to scour the internet to copy and paste the symbol every time you need it. macOS includes a built-in, instantaneous keyboard shortcut that allows you to type the trademark symbol seamlessly in any application, whether you are using Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or simply composing an email.
This guide explains how to instantly type the Trademark symbol (™) on your Mac keyboard.
The Keyboard Shortcut
The shortcut utilizes the Option key, which acts as a modifier to access hidden characters on the Mac keyboard layout.
- Place your cursor exactly where you want the trademark symbol to appear in your text document.
- Press and hold the Option key (sometimes labeled as Alt on older keyboards) on your Mac keyboard.
- While holding the Option key, press the number 2 key.
- Release both keys.
The trademark symbol (™) will immediately appear on your screen.
Using the Character Viewer (Alternative Method)
If you have difficulty remembering the keyboard shortcut, or if you need to access other legal symbols like the Registered Trademark (®) or Copyright (©) symbols, you can use the built-in macOS Character Viewer.
- Place your cursor where you want the symbol to appear.
- Press Control + Command + Spacebar simultaneously. This will open the Emoji & Symbols panel.
- Click the small window icon in the top-right corner of this panel to expand it into the full Character Viewer.
- In the left-hand sidebar, select Letterlike Symbols.
- You will see the Trademark symbol (™) in the main grid. Double-click it to insert it into your document.
Pro tip: While you are in the Letterlike Symbols menu, you can also double-click the Registered Trademark symbol (®) if your brand has been officially registered with the government. Alternatively, you can type the registered symbol instantly by pressing Option + R.