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Arabic Type Design for beginners

I have been asked how to create Arabic letterforms so here is my recommendation:

1. Get acquainted with Arabic calligraphic styles (dig deep, not just the Aqlam Assita) and the specifics of the script
2. Practice with a reed (or slit pen or any other appropriate tool) the effect of the angle of the cut and the way the pen is held on the resulting shape. Trace the same skeletal structure with different angles. This creates an understanding of the axis and distribution of the thicks and thins.

3. Read about printing history, so as to understand the reasons why current Arabic typefaces look the way they do.

4. Read about current font technology (see my font development section)

5. Get acquainted with the Arabic market to see what is popular, what is needed, what is visually acceptable, what each style carries in implications etc.

6. Read or browse through everything you come across in your research

7. Look at good typefaces for an understanding of how a typographic system of characters works. This is quite crucial as there are things you would do in calligraphy that you would not do in type design.

8. Learn about optical adjustments and visual compensation

9. Investigate spacing, kerning, rhythm, color etc (learning about Latin type design is helpful in such cases)

10. Test your design. This is very important!

In short, I would suggest independent research about the script for 2 years, and then joining the MA program at Reading. It’s lots of fun. If anyone goes to Reading, I also recommend the Katmandu Kitchen (Indian restaurant) near Christchurch roundabout.

Posted by nadine on Monday, April 23rd, 2007 at 10:37 pm.

4 Responses to “Arabic Type Design for beginners”

What are examples of ‘things you would do in calligraphy that you would not do in type design’? I don’t disagree with this idea — although I might phrase it in reverse: there are things you would do in type design that you wouldn’t do in calligraphy –, but I’m interested to know what sort of things you are thinking about.

Oh, and I thoroughly endorse your recommendation of Katmandu Kitchen. I never visit Reading without eating there.

Left by J Hudson on April 24th, 2007

I was thinking of things like a blind Waw or Ayn (i.e. without counters) which I find to be acceptable in calligraphic pieces but sticks out in a typeface. A calligrapher once disagreed with me regarding the fact that text needs to have an even grey and said that this is a charactersitic of the script. I generally prefer to have an even grey. Many typefaces have a flicker that gets worse with all the black spots. Maybe if it was consistently uneven it might be ok.

Also, there’s attention to how strokes move into each other, and the compensation needed for ink spreads and such. It seems to play a larger role in type design that in calligraphy. This would follow how you phrase it.

I think I should add a point: understanding the different functional aspects of type design and calligraphic artwork.

I’m glad you like Katmandu. I always order the same thing:
- popedoms and mango chutney
- their specialty: Katmandu Chicken Dry Fry (yummy…)
- rice (not steamed, the other one)
- peshwari naan

I should go to Reading some time…

Left by nadine on April 25th, 2007

The blind waw and ayn are an interesting case. I would be cautious about making a general statement that these should not be typographic forms, but I think it is important to understand why they are often inappropriate and disrupt the even ‘colour’ of typographic Arabic. I’ve been giving this some thought today, and it seems to me that the issue here is what happens to Arabic when one makes it very linear and very repetetive, as most typefaces do. In that context, the variety of stroke interaction (which is what is happening in the blind waw and ayn: the counter collapses and the stroke turns on itself) is greatly reduced from what one encounters in most calligraphy, so forms like the blind waw and ayn suddenly stand out. In other words, we should think about why these same forms do no disturb the colour of calligraphy, and I think the answer is that the greater variety of forms and stroke interactions in calligraphy create a context in which these forms become part of the colour of the text, rather than jumping out from it. This, in turn, suggests an approach to Arabic typography in which such forms might be less disruptive and could even work very well. And I don’t mean just typography that emulates particular calligraphic styles, but typography that like the calligraphy creates a varied texture in which such forms are at home.

Left by J Hudson on April 27th, 2007

Yes you phrase it very well. If un-evenness is a feature in itself then these variations would be swallowed within the ovreall effect.

The closest attempt at this that comes to mind now is the Hakim Ghazali typeface. It has these blobs that one might want to reduce but at the end works out quite nicely.

This is definitely something interesting to look into. How about the calligraphy sample that you posted some time ago? That would be fun to work on…

Left by nadine on April 30th, 2007