Crafting Arabic typography - an exploration.
Arabic typography and type design remains one of the most underrepresented fields in visual art, with few designers working in a space that deserves so much more attention. This is a shame, given the extraordinary depth of the Arabic language and its calligraphic tradition, one of the most visually rich in human history. Resources are scarce, pathways are limited, and exposure is hard to come by. Yet the demand for culturally grounded, high-quality Arabic typography is only growing, and with it, an opening for artists willing to explore, experiment, and push the form forward.
This is me doing exactly that. I am not a professional typographer, but I found something unexpected in the process of experimenting with different styles and techniques: a deeper appreciation for the richness of Arabic and Urdu letterforms, and a new creative outlet I did not know I needed. Sharing it here feels like a natural next step!
Explorations:
Type foundries that specialize in Arabic typography29letters: Founded by Pascal Zoghbi, 29letters is a design studio and type foundry based in Beirut, Lebanon. They offer a range of Arabic and Latin typefaces, including custom designs for specific projects.
TPTQ Arabic: TPTQ Arabic is a type foundry based in The Hague, Netherlands, founded by Tarek Atrissi. They specialize in creating contemporary Arabic typefaces for use in branding, advertising, and editorial design.
Typotheque: Based in the Netherlands, Typotheque offers a wide range of typefaces, including several Arabic typefaces designed by Peter Bilak and Kristyan Sarkis.
Boutros Fonts: Boutros Fonts is a type foundry based in Lebanon, founded by Nadine Chahine and Mourad Boutros. They specialize in creating high-quality Arabic and multilingual typefaces for use in print and digital media.
Arabetics: Arabetics is a type foundry based in the UK, founded by Rana Abou Rjeily. They offer a range of Arabic typefaces, including several custom designs created for specific clients.
Mota Italic: Mota Italic is a type foundry based in Germany, founded by Kristyan Sarkis. They specialize in creating high-quality Arabic typefaces for use in branding, editorial design, and other applications.
Arabictypography.com: Arabictypography.com is a type foundry and design studio based in Dubai, UAE. They offer a wide range of Arabic typefaces, including several custom designs for specific clients.
These are just a few examples of type foundries that specialize in Arabic typography. There are many more out there, each with their own unique styles and offerings. Enjoy!
