About

TypoArabic investigates Arabic typography during an era that represents a high point in Arabic typography, approximately from the 1840s to the 1910s. It seeks to cast a light on best practice during a period when technological constraints did not restrict design decisions, and Middle Eastern printers were still versed in the customs informed by a sophisticated manuscript culture. Situated between bibliographical studies and applied typography, it is designed to establish cues for contemporary design practice in historical research.

Project outcomes are thus directed beyond academic discourse, aiming to contribute to an evolving typographic field, design course curricula, and targeting industry stakeholders for digital text rendering. Diverse communication channels – journal articles, conference presentations, this blog, a guide, and social media activities – will be used to engage a multitude of potential users, from design educators to software companies, academic peers, and the publishing sector, maximising TypoArabic’s reach, and amplifying the two way transfer of knowledge between research and practice.

TypoArabic is run by Dr Titus Nemeth as principal researcher. He is mentored by Professor Gerry Leonidas, and by Professor Fiona Ross, both from the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, University of Reading, UK.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 841712.