| Arabic Type and Typography | All about Arabic typography, fonts, and type design |
I did not invent this term! I came across this image here: http://www.cromwell-intl.com/toilet/signage.html
The illustration is funny. The character on the left looks like he will back-dive into the thing itself.
Getting back to type, we can see how difficult it is to design a dark Arabic typeface. The design is quirky but has something. Can be quite interesting if fixed up.
J Hudson says: This kind of black Arabic type style in which the baseline stroke is made heavier while no other strokes are is really bizarre: the letterforms end up looking like they’re swimming in an oil slick. In some words, one can even imagine the forms as flailing arms and legs.
I prefer this approach, which is pretty funky even by today’s standards, although it was written in 1829: http://www.tiro.com/John/BlackArabic.jpg
nadine says: Wow!! That is seriously cool! I remember seeing something like this before.. I think it was you who showed it to me before. Very impressive.
I find black Arabic to be quite difficult to design. I especially do not like having very thick baselines.
This example would work better if it had more open counters and better spacing.
