About_English

Abjad type foundry was launched independently from Amman in 2014, by Ali Almasri.

Abjad aspires to develop and transfer the Arabic typography, to the same level, that was reached by Arab and Muslim calligraphers, who came from very diverse cities and civilizations, extending from Samarkand and China in the east, to Andalusia in the west. This diversity has produced countless forms and schools of Arabic calligraphy.

This history, and these schools, are an important source of inspiration and a base for the development process. The Arabic letter has a special and complex structure that is completely different from the letters of other languages, and therefore it needs special methods to develop it typographically.

At Abjad, we work on publishing fonts that are technically professional, and suit the specific needs for reading small texts, for example, or newspaper headlines, or corporate identities, where the details of the letters and their programming are adjusted depending on their use.

At Abjad, we give priority to the Arabic script as we believe that bilingual fonts are not necessary for all uses. At the same time, we have designed a group of bilingual fonts, such as the exclusive Jawaker typeface and the Muhandes typeface.

Ali Almasri is a type designer and multidisciplinary artist. In 2014 he launched his own type foundry under the name Abjad. In 2020 he launched his own concept store, inspired by Arabic Calligraphy, and the diversity of the visual culture that spread across Islamic lands. He also co-founded the social design initiative Wajha in 2012.

He's interested in designing his own objects and products through utilising the Arabic letter as a form of identity. His objects are made using a hyper mix of 3d printing technologies and local hand crafts. His prints are hand-made using traditional printmaking techniques such as, Japanese wood block “Mokuhanga” and silkscreen. While other prints are designed and produced digitally, using Risography printing, and high quality digital printing.

Ali has degrees in industrial and graphic design, with a background in print-making, traditional Arabic calligraphy, and the history of Islamic arts. He gave several talks and workshops in different cities around the Arab world. He worked with international brands and organisations, in addition to being a design consultant in Arabic typography for several design agencies. His works were featured in several local and international platforms. He’s based in Amman, Jordan.