29LT Okaso
Studio Linda Hintz · Pascal Zoghbi, Linda Hintz · 2020
A variable bi-script typeface rooted in Aljamiado manuscripts, pairing a constructed Latin with an Arabic Kufic-influenced script and offering a user-controlled stretch axis on individual letters and ligatures.
About
Developed from historical manuscripts that used Arabic script to transcribe European Romance languages, 29LT Okaso distils two directions from the archive into a constructed Latin form that echoes the geometry of Arabic Kufic calligraphy. A variable stretch axis allows individual characters and ligatures to mirror the fluid, variable-width quality found in the source manuscripts. The typeface supports ISO Norm 233 transliteration, enabling a full Latin-to-Arabic and back again circle, and was presented at the Fontstand International Typography Conference in 2022.
Classification
A Latin and Arabic bi-script display typeface drawing on Aljamiado manuscripts and Arabic Kufic construction. The variable stretch axis, extended ascenders/descenders, and constructed letterforms place it firmly in the display category with a distinctive hand-lettered, manuscript-derived character.