Since the beginning of the new millennium, Arabic typography and typeface design have attained a recognisable presence in contemporary design practice. Large international brands and companies develop localised corporate identities for the Arabic script world, design agencies have emerged that cater to this need, and an increasing number of universities are offering dedicated courses throughout the Middle East and North Africa. However, this thriving practice has not yet been met by a matching critical reflection. Conversely, scholarly discourse surrounding the history of the book in the region is largely detached from contemporary typography and design. The book Arabic Typography: history and practice, was conceived to bridge these two worlds. It offers designers a historical perspective on their work, and introduces considerations of materiality and craft to the scholarly discourse of printing history. Addressed to practitioners, students, and scholars alike, it offers a multidisciplinary perspective on a multifaceted field.
Titus Nemeth is a typographic designer and historian. He has a keen interest and some expertise in Arabic script culture, which is reflected in his practice, as well as his publications. Titus has designed original type, multilingual editions, and a range of Arabic interpretations of well known Latin typefaces. His publications include scholarly articles, papers in edited volumes, contributions to reference works, and the monograph Arabic Type-Making in the Machine Age. He holds a PhD from the University of Reading, UK, and is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie alumnus. Titus has taught at schools in Austria, France, Morocco, Qatar and the UK.