A new bilingual Arabic-Latin language typeface developed in response to the growing Arabic market has been unveiled by UK-based Global Graphics’ font foundry URW++. Boutros-URW Franklin Gothic Arabic is the result of a collaboration between Boutros, which has specialized in Arabic fonts since 1966, and URW++, designers of fonts for Mercedes Benz, Siemens, General Motors, Blizzard (Activision) and the highly successful Latin typeface URW Franklin Gothic. The new typeface has been characterized as “a happy marriage whereby the clean lines of the Latin URW Franklin Gothic Arabic have inspired the development of the Arabic companion typeface.”
The new typeface is designed for maximum legibility, especially at small point sizes. The spaces between characters and between leadings have been condensed, giving high “x” heights and wider white areas. This has made the new typeface particularly suitable for setting body text in manuals, directories, dictionaries and similar publications. The new typeface is based upon the highly acclaimed Latin typeface Franklin Gothic, that was designed in 1902 by Morris Fuller Benton. It was named after Benjamin Franklin, one of the most prolific American printers – and a renowned polymath, author, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat.
Global Graphics releases new Arabic-Latin typeface
