# Vertically align $\bullet$ marker with \blacksquare marker in text

I use bullets and squares to reference samples in an image. This is how I use them in text:

$\bullet, \blacksquare$

{\LARGE$\bullet$}, $\blacksquare$

{\huge$\bullet$}, $\blacksquare$


And this is the result:

The second one is the best suitable size, but how can I align vertically the square and the bullet?

Is this what is meant by "vertical alignment"? Making the vertical extent of the two symbols the same (i.e., vertical alignment?).

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage{amssymb,scalerel,verbatimbox}
\def\mybullet{\scalerel*{\addvbuffer[-.15pt -.6pt]{$\bullet$}}{\blacksquare}}
\begin{document}
$\mybullet \blacksquare$
\end{document}


The \addvbuffer clips the bullet above and below to something comparable to the square. Then, the \scalerel* scales the clipped \bullet to the same vertical extent as the \blacksquare. Below, I show the glyphs surrounded by an \fbox:

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage{amssymb,scalerel,verbatimbox}
\def\mybullet{\scalerel*{\addvbuffer[-.15pt -.6pt]{$\bullet$}}{\blacksquare}}
\begin{document}
\fboxrule=.1pt
\fboxsep=-\fboxrule\relax
\fbox{$\mybullet$} \fbox{$\blacksquare$}
\end{document}


This is good for Computer Modern; of course it depends on the size of the bullet in the font.

\documentclass{article}

\DeclareRobustCommand{\textsquarebullet}{%
\makebox[.5em]{\vrule height 1.05ex depth -.15ex width 0.9ex}%
}

\begin{document}

\textbullet\textsquarebullet

\textsquarebullet\textbullet

\end{document}