Boutros Advertisers Naskh is an Arabic Naskh-style typeface developed by Lebanese typographer Mourad Boutros and his wife Arlette Boutros in collaboration with Letraset in 1977.[1] It was designed to work “in perfect harmony” with various Latin-based typefaces, such as Helvetica, through the "addition of linked straight lines to match the Latin baseline level" while respecting Arabic calligraphy and cultural rules.[1][2]
| Category | Naskh |
|---|---|
| Designer(s) | Mourad Boutros, Arlette Boutros |
| Foundry | Letraset |
| Date released | 1977 |
| Re-issuing foundries | Boutros Fonts |
| Also known as | Boutros Advertisers, Boutros Ads |
| Website | www |
The font is available in light, medium and bold weights as well as italics. It also contains bold outline, shadow and inline variants.[1]
History
editBoutros Advertisers Naskh was created by the Boutros couple for the British dry-transfer lettering company, Letraset, in 1977, who wanted to enter into the Middle East market. The typeface was then commissioned by Bechtel Corporation and 3M Company for use on signage in Saudi Arabian airports around 1980.[3]
Usage
editThe typeface is commonly used on signage, especially for wayfinding. It is in use in Beirut International Airport and was formerly in use in Dubai International Airport.
The typeface is also in use for road signs in many Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. However, an empirical study suggests that its use for the latter is unsuitable, due to its "high threshold" indicating "low legibility on road signs".[4]
According to Mourad Boutros, it is one of the most used and most pirated Arabic typefaces in the world.[2][3]
Arlette Boutros designed a new typeface, Boutros Sign, alongside Eva Masoura who designed the Latin accompaniment, intended to replace Boutros Advertisers Naskh on signage.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Boutros Advertisers Naskh". Boutros Fonts. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ a b Zaidi, Raisi. "Looking Cool in Arabic". Language Magazine. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ a b Farah, Nathalie (20 July 2017). "Arabic calligraphy will never fade". Gulf News. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ Elbardawil, Shaima (2023). "Empirical assessment of the legibility of the Naskh-style typeface used on Arabic road signs". Information Design Journal. 28. doi:10.1075/idj.22022.elb. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ McCree, Peter (28 July 2016). "Boutros Sign - The New Bilingual Signage Typeface". Boutros Fonts. Retrieved 23 December 2024.