Dr Titus Nemeth dives into the Arabic typography evolution

As the blurb says without any false modesty, this is the first in-depth account of the evolution of Arabic type in the twentieth century” writes Dr. Titus Nemeth on his book Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age: The influence of Technology on the Form of Arabic Type 1908–1993, which is going to be published by the Dutch publisher Brill next month. 

“Crucially, it is the first comprehensive study of the subject that is based on original archival research, documenting a wealth of previously unpublished and largely unknown evidence about the evolution of this field. Taking the characteristics of various type-making and typesetting technologies as its starting point, Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age seeks to understand how typographic forms emerged under the impetus of limitations and constraints of machinery. It narrates how the predominantly, Western manufacturers sought to provide typographic tools for the Arabic script, and investigates their various motivations, approaches, and solutions” he adds.

Dr Titus Nemeth is an independent type designer and typographer with expertise in Arabic script culture. His internationally recognised practice spans commercial and cultural work, and his interests and activities extend to academic research and teaching in higher education. 

His original type designs have won multiple renowned awards and are widely used for complex cross-cultural visual communications. Titus holds a PhD in Typography & Graphic Communication from the University of Reading, UK, an MA in Typeface Design from the same institution, and a diploma in Graphic Design from Die Graphische in Vienna, Austria. He has taught type design and typography at schools in Austria, France, Morocco, Qatar and the UK. Titus is a member of the ATypI, the TDC New York, the typographische gesellschaft austria and Design Austria.

Arabic is the third most widely used script in the world, and gave rise to one of the richest manuscript cultures of mankind. Its representation in type has engaged printers, engineers, businesses and designers since the 16th century, and today most digital devices render Arabic type. Yet the evolution of the printed form of Arabic, and its development from metal to pixels, has not been charted before. 

Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age provides the first comprehensive account of this history using previously undocumented archival sources. In this richly illustrated volume, Titus Nemeth narrates the evolution of Arabic type under the influence of changing technologies from the perspective of a practitioner, combining historical research with applied design considerations.