Guides
The SIL Open Font License Explained for Arabic Fonts
What the SIL Open Font License actually permits and restricts for Arabic fonts, verified against SIL's own OFL FAQ, explained for commercial projects.
The Arabic Calligraphy Fonts Blog
Guides, tutorials, and inspiration on Arabic calligraphy, typography, and design.
Design Tips
How to Design an Arabic Restaurant Menu That Looks Authentic
A practical guide to designing an authentic Arabic restaurant menu: legible script choices, bilingual layout, low-light readability, and paper choices.
Guides
Arabic Numerals vs. Eastern Arabic Numerals: What's the Difference?
Why 0-9 are called Arabic numerals, why most Arabic-speaking countries actually write with different Eastern Arabic numerals instead, and where each is used.
History
Maghrebi Script: The Calligraphy of North Africa and Al-Andalus
How Maghrebi script developed in North Africa and Islamic Spain, what makes its rounded letterforms unique, and why it's almost absent from digital fonts.
History
Ibn Muqla: The Vizier Who Standardized Arabic Script
How a 10th-century Abbasid vizier turned Arabic calligraphy into a geometric system — and why his proportioned script still shapes Arabic fonts today.
Tutorials
RTL Web Design: A Developer's Guide to Building Arabic Websites
A developer's guide to RTL web design: the dir attribute, CSS logical properties, the Unicode Bidi Algorithm, and how to actually test Arabic layouts.
Guides
The Arabic Alphabet Explained: 28 Letters and Four Forms
The Arabic alphabet has 28 letters, four positional forms, and six non-connecting letters — the exact mechanics behind common Arabic typography mistakes.
Inspiration
10 Creative Ways to Use Arabic Calligraphy in Modern Graphic Design
Ten practical, modern applications for Arabic calligraphy beyond traditional art — branding, packaging, apparel, digital products, and more.
History
Naskh Script: The Complete History of Arabic's Most-Used Style
The history of Naskh script — from its roots as a copyist's hand through Ibn Muqla's proportioned system to its dominance in Arabic print and today's webfonts.
Guides
Arabic Typography for Non-Arabic Speaking Designers: A Practical Guide
Practical guidance for designers who don't read Arabic but need to work with Arabic type — direction, letter connection, common mistakes, and how to check your work.