Arabic Typefaces on the Web and by-Hand

Mohamad Omar Smeismeh 201101177

Marwan Mneimneh

History of Graphic Design

Dr. Yasmine Nachabe Taan

Lebanese American University

Outline

I. Introduction: Brief definition of the Arabic typeface and its relationship with Calligraphy, and a brief introduction of the chosen artists

II. Body Paragraph:

1. Defining Arabic Typefaces on the Web and by-hand

2. Introducing Mohammad Mashaka and Kristyan Sarkis

3. Analyzing the differences between each typographer’s methods and techniques

III. Conclusion: Brief summary and determining which method of using the Arabic typeface is more suitable for future typographers.

Writing in Arabic script became the main theme in Islamic visual culture as it is spread over one-quarter of the world during the past fourteen hundred years. Everywhere and in all times, Arabic was esteemed not only for its content but also for its form. The highest form of Islamic art is Calligraphy, but in today’s global market, different calligraphic styles are used for typographic purposes, thus these writing styles are no longer calligraphic, they are now part of typography. Two designers have found great interest in the Arabic typeface and have used it a major part of their work. These two designers are Mohammad Mashaka, a local Lebanese typographer, and Kristyan Sarkis, an internationally known Graphic Designer and typographer. They share the love for the Arabic typeface and the infatuation with Arabic Calligraphy. The contemporary definition of Calligraphy is the “art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious, and skillful manner”. It conveys information through both its semantic content and its formal appearance. Despite their similar passion for the Arabic typeface, Mashaka and Sarkis’s views on this visual culture differ a bit. Mashaka is a traditionalist who prefers hand-written typography, while Sarkis has embraced today’s technological advancement and uses that to his advantage in his work, as his...