Open Centre Cross ✛
✛ (U+271B) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Open Centre Cross is part of the Symbols family (block: Dingbats). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The character OPEN CENTRE CROSS is a symbol in the Dingbats block. Its codepoint is U+271B in the Common script. This symbol appears in many fonts as a hollow cross with a center gap. In user interfaces, a cross sign often denotes close or delete. It may also signal an incorrect state, depending on the context. Designers use it to indicate removal, dismissal, or closing a panel. The symbol can appear on buttons, dialogs, or toolbars when an action ends or must be canceled. Because it is in the Dingbats block, it is commonly available across fonts and platforms. The usage is simple and recognizable, which helps users understand the action quickly. When seen, it invites a user to finalize or back out of a task. In some cases, the same shape shows as a generic error cue that something needs attention. The balance between openness and clarity makes this symbol useful in varied UI contexts.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+271B in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+271B - General Category:
So - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Block:
Dingbats - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 9C 9B - UTF-16:
271B - UTF-32:
0000271B - HTML dec:
✛ - HTML hex:
✛ - JS escape:
\u271B - Python \N{}:
\N{OPEN CENTRE CROSS} - Python \u:
\u271B - Python \U:
\U0000271B - URL-encoded:
%E2%9C%9B - CSS escape:
\271B
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+271B or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ✛ (hex) or ✛ (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.