In recent years, Sina Fakour researched the impact of tools and technologies on the morphology of Arabic type. Fakour wrote her master’s thesis on the same subject, and critically analyzed the role of tools from reed pen to Unicode in social and political movements. In parallel, Fakour has been working on a platform dedicated to Arabic type. SAWĀD ONLINE PLATFORM aims to support critical research and knowledge transmission in the field of Arabic typography and type design based on solid references. SAWĀD aims to develop and support applied and experimental digital tools adapted to the morphology of Arabic script. SAWĀD TOOLS questions digital media standards, such as Unicode, that ignore the particularities of non-Latin writing systems. Reed pen was one of the first tools used by humans for writing. The manuscript form shows the historical connection between humans and tools. This connection can give us a strong reference base for digitally made forms. Rotation of the pen is an important factor in Arabic and Persian lettering and type, but today, our interaction with most devices is based on one point of touch. This makes it complicated to integrate the rotation of pen in touch devices and computer software. The rare devices that consider pen rotation have complex technologies and high price tags. Kalamos is an online reed pen simulator in the SAWAD that was developed with the idea of integrating the rotation of pen on the web for all touch devices without the need for sophisticated technology. This is done by considering two points of touch. The forms created with this tool can be later exported to typeface design programs as individual glyphs. The development of SAWAD and its tools is a long-term ongoing project. It is already functional; however, you can access the tool in its current state.
Arabic Type Platform and Online Reed Pen Simulator
