Names list: Some characters are not displayed correctly

The Issue

After importing your roster, you may notice that specific characters are not displayed correctly on your names list and QR cards. The issue may also be that your names list gets stuck during the import or that you're not able to open it after importing the roster. 

The Root Cause

GotPhoto requires a names list in UTF-8 format, your roster seems to have a different format that is not supported. UTF-8 is a method for storing characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols, on computers. When a file isn't in UTF-8, special characters (like accented letters or certain symbols) may appear incorrectly, often as random symbols or question marks. 

The Solution

Before uploading a names list, ensure that your data file is UTF-8 encoded:

For CSV Files:

If using a Text Editor (e.g., Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac):

• Open the CSV file in a text editor:

1. If using Notepad (Windows):

   • Go to File > Save As.
   • In the "Save as type" dropdown, select All Files.
   • In the "Encoding" dropdown, choose UTF-8.
   • Save the file.

2. If using TextEdit (Mac):

   • Open the CSV file in TextEdit
   • Go to File > Export As.
   • Under "Plain Text Encoding," select Unicode (UTF-8).
   • Save the file.

3. Using Excel:

   • Open the CSV file in Excel.
   • Go to File > Save As.
   • Choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv) from the file type dropdown.
   • Save the file.

For Excel Files (if you're exporting to CSV):

• Open the Excel file.
• Go to File > Save As.
• In the file type dropdown, select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv).
• Save the file.