Typeface Design for Multiscript Arabic Typesetting
12 weights bridging intimate text and commanding display in one Arabic system
Sakkal Saad is a handwritten Naskh Arabic type family designed by Dr. Mamoun Sakkal and Aida Sakkal, drawing on the expressive newspaper and poster typography of the Middle East from the 1960s–1980s. The system comprises two subfamilies—Sakkal Saad and Sakkal Saad Poster—totalling 12 weights with harmonised metrics. A custom adaptation of the Latin family Aneto, modified with Arabic-styled dots and punctuation, supports multiscript typesetting. Released in 2025, the family holds a TDC Certificate of Typographic Excellence and a Granshan Special Mention, both 2023.
Set in Sakkal Saad, Sakkal Saad Poster, Aneto
Insights
- Sakkal Saad Poster's heavier weights increase stroke contrast along the baseline rather than extending word width horizontally, preserving line economy at large sizes.
- Three kashida widths and adjustable space width are exposed via stylistic sets, giving designers granular control over Arabic text justification.
- Each style exceeds 3,000 glyphs and supports contextual alternates that can be combined for compounded OpenType features.
- The bundled Aneto Latin variant uses Arabic-styled dots and punctuation specifically to maintain visual harmony in mixed-script layouts.
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