The Ancient Graffiti Project uses the epigraphic conventions established by the Epigraphic Database Roma (EDR), which are based on the Krummrey Panciera 1980 system.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| [abc] | Letters once present, now missing due to damage to the surface or support |
| [ – – – ] | Damage to the surface or support; letters cannot be restored with certainty |
| a(bc) | Abbreviation; text was never written out; expanded by editor |
| âbc | Letters joined in ligature, each letter that is joined to the next letter is indicated by a caret |
| [[abc]] | Letters intentionally erased in antiquity |
| ABC | Letters whose reading is clear but meaning is incomprehensible |
| ạḅ | Characters damaged or unclear that would be unintelligible without context |
| + | Illegible/unclear character |
| abc | Characters formerly visible, now missing |
| ((:abc)) | Description of a figural graffito (used by EDR and AGP) |
| (:abc) | Standard spelling to explain non-standard text in an inscription (used by EDR and AGP) |
| 〈:abc〉 | Explanation of editor, either subaudible word or regarding layout of the text, e.g.〈:col. I〉 (used by EDR and AGP) |
| ((abc)) | Symbol, e.g., ((denarius)) or ((centurio)), or reversed letter |
| – – – – – | Lost lines, quantity unknown |
| ? | Represents Uncertainty |