Tubqal Pro multiscript

OverviewStylesCharacter setFeaturesBuying options

Tubqal was initially one of the three type families developed within the Typographic Matchmaking in the Maghrib 3.0 joint project. Set out, led and coordinated by the Khatt Foundation, it took place in 2015 and 2016 in different cities of Morocco and the south of Spain.

Among other goals, this cooperative experience sought the creation of a bunch of fonts that would meet the need for multi-script typefaces in the region. All of them were based on vernacular styles, concerning for the most part the Arabic script and its Maghribi variants.

Tubqal is inspired by the Maghribi Mabsout sub-style, a variant traditionally used in extensive reading texts. It is a low contrast hand and the structure of the letters is fairly rigid, closer to the Kufic stillness than to other more fluent styles like Naskh. Mabsout was also the starting point to consider the main features that would guide the design of the Latin and Tifinagh scripts, not only in its formal attributes but also its spirit and the way it could be translated from the Arabic to the other two scripts respecting each one’s idiosyncrasy and peculiarities.

Tubqal Pro, developed by Andreu Balius and Juan Luis Blanco, is an extended update of Tubqal. The Latin and Tifinagh parts were redrawn for a more consistent stroke modulation and contrast. Up to six weights have been developed, and in the case of Tifinagh and Latin, italics have been added. To sum up, Tubqal Pro is a modern, complete and versatile tri-script type family ideal for texts that seek to convey a contemporary Maghribi flavour.

Tubqal Pro is available at Blancoletters and Typerepublic.

A sample of Maghribi Mabsout style.

A. Balius, S. Bellizi and Juan Luis Blanco

From left to right, A. Balius, S. Bellizi and J.L. Blanco, working on the first sketches of Tubqal. Marrakech, 2015.

Tubqal Pro typeface specimen 2

Tubqal Tifinagh has a set of smaller glyphs for a better matching when used along Latin and Arabic

Tifinagh character set is offered in two different heights

Stylistic set for a better alignment with Tuareg characters. Check the Features tab for more info about stylistic sets.

Tubqal Pro multiscript: styles

Roman | Italic

Tubqal headline samples

Tubqal Pro text samples

Italic | Roman

Tubqal italic headline samples

Tubqal Pro Italic text samples

Tubqal Pro multiscript: character set

Tubqal Pro character set

Tubqal Pro multiscript: features

Tubqal Pro Multiscript offers a number of interesting Open Type features to help you achieve the desired localization and flavour for your texts.

(see table below)

Set 1 : Maghribi

Alternate characters that are customary in Maghribi style.

Set 2 : Centered letter ya ( ⴰ )

For stylistic harmonisation with vertically symmetrical glyphs customary in traditional Tifinagh.

Set 3 : Filled dots ( ⴰ ⵓ ⴻ )

Used in Algeria and Tuareg areas. When using Tuareg dot-based characters, the combination of sets 2 and 3 is the best option.

Set 4 : Leaning letters yal and yan ( ⵍⵏ )

In traditional Tifinagh yaf and yal letters ( ⴼ ⵍ ) are not linked ( ⴼ ⵍ ). In order to avoid confusion between a yal ( ⵍ ) and a double yan ( ⵏⵏ ), contextual variants are used when either of these characters are placed together or are repeated ( ⵍⵍ ⵍⵏ ⵏⵍ ⵏⵏ ). This feature is still used in Algeria and Touareg areas. Yaf and yal letters are also substituted by their disconnected alternates when set 4 is active. Preferably used in combination with sets 2 and 3.

Set 5 : Raised letters yal and yan ( ⵍⵏ )

Similar to set 4 but using raised yal and yan letters for disambiguation ( ⵍⵍ ⵍⵏ ⵏⵍ ⵏⵏ ), instead of the leaning variants. Preferably used in combination with sets 2 and 3.