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As computers speak in the language of 1’s and 0’s, they assign and store characters of a script with a unique numeric value. This process is known as character encoding and is the bedrock of communication in information technology. Character encoding gives meaning and allows the computer to differentiate and interpret data such as letters, numbers and symbols. For text to be accurately exchanged on a global scale, regardless of the software or its origin, the characters of a script must be encoded using a consistent and universally applied method to avoid malfunction. The Unicode Standard provides this standardisation of encoding characters. For a script to gain a published table of encoded characters, in other words, gain Unicode support, the organisation must first accept a formal application. With a character encoding table, type designers can map each glyph within a font to its respective character code, thus reinforcing encoding standardisation and generating usability of encoded characters. Unicode has become an essential component to achieve typographic stability when using the Khmer script on-screen. It has been the recognised encoding standard for Khmer in Cambodia since 2001. Before this, an estimated 30 competing formats were used, “which simply painted Khmer letters over existing Roman alphabet characters” (Phnom Penh Post, 2008). Multiple encoding formats are a breeding ground for inconsistencies, notably in glyph-to-character mapping. Without Unicode standardisation, Khmer text would be typographically unstable. For example, switching from one font to another with different character encoding properties would change the text—not just the font as the user intended (Open Forum of Cambodia, 2005).