WhatsNew.html

This web site is continuously updated with new project's displays, articles and resources, samples of previous work, and the latest news from Sakkal Design.
If you have visited our site previously, we invite you to take a look at these updates.

2020

I am pleased to announce the release of the expanded version of Shilia typeface with 8 condensed and 5 compressed styles added now, for a total of 21 styles. Univers is the companion Latin included in the font. 75% limited time introductory bundle sale. www.linotype.com

2019

For the 125th anniversary of my high school "Al-Ma'moun", I wrote an article about my memories and designed a poster in which I wrote "Al-Ma'moun" in 25 Arabic typefaces that I designed over the years. Published in Aleppo in Al-Adiyyat Journal, in Arabic.

2018

Our Sakkal Kitab Arabic typeface family received the Bronze Cube award in ADC Awards competition for 2018, it will be released the second half of 2019. Full entry information is posted here:
http://www.oneclub.org/awards/adcawards/-award/29502/sakkal-kitab-arabic
Sakkal Kitab is a new Naskh typeface family of five weights, it is ideal for typesetting books, hence its name "Sakkal Book."

2017

Sakkal Kitab is a new typeface family of five weights. This Naskh design is ideal for typesetting books, hece its name "Sakkal Book." The design is distinguished by having two sets of swash alternates and five sets of stretch (tatweel) alternates, as well as a host of fine OpenType features. Coming soon!

Our award winning Arabic display typeface "Bustan Bold" is now on sale for only $75 (was $125), order here

I will give a workshop on Arabic calligraphy at Slow Fiber Studios in Berkeley, CA, July 1-2, 2017. Come by if you are in the area. Part of Algorithmic Aesthetic Series.

The opening presentation before the workshop is titled "Engineering Ornament: Square Kufic Calligraphy in Textile Design" taking place July 1, 2017.

2016

You can now download pdf file of published article Square Kufic Calligraphy in Identity Design
Published article Principles of Square Kufic Calligraphy is available for download as pdf file in Arabic
You can now download pdf file of published article Mystries of Square Kufic
To order our fine, new mugs with Arabic calligraphy and Islamic patterns, see here
A new article about Mamoun Sakkal's typography work is published in Global Islamic Economy Gateway
An updated Arabic Alphabet Chart with instructions is now available for download in pdf format.
New sections are added to "The Art of Arabic Calligraphy" with information on modern developments.
New Islamic geometry art prints are now available at http://mamoun-sakkal.pixels.com/collections/islamic+geometry
Announced release of AwanZaman type family by TypeTogether
New Bustan Arabic Typeface receives Award of Excellence from prestigious TDC competition
Bustan Arabic Typeface receives Grand Prize Award from Granshan competition, and our design for the Arabic version of Microsoft Calibri also received 2nd Prize Award.

2015

New calligraphy art prints are now available at http://mamoun-sakkal.pixels.com/collections/art+of+arabic+calligraphy
Bustan Arabic Typeface is available for sale on MyFonts.com
Updated infromation in Papers, Lectures, and Published Work sections of website

2014

Announced release of Bustan Arabic Typeface available for sale on sakkal.com
New Eid greeting cards are now available at http://mamoun-sakkal.pixels.com/collections/holidays

2013

Eid Mubarak. For complete prayer takbir see here
Updated infromation in Arabic Calligraphy on Architecture section of website.
Arabic Kufic calligraphy for Stamford Islamic Center in Connecticut
The video of my presentation "Writing Backwards: Designing Arabic Typefaces" is posted here
http://vimeo.com/66116761
Sakkal Majalla Arabic typeface family is released for retail sales by Monotype on Fonts.com and other websites.
Calligraphers Signatures in Square Kufic article added.
What did OpenType open for Arabic typography?
Presentation by Mamoun Sakkal at Non–Latin typeface design conference, London, 2007.
Compatibility between Arabic and Latin publications.
Paper given at Conference on Bilingual Computing, University of Cambridge, 1990.
The Arabic calligraphy and typography of Mamoun Sakkal is featured in The Briem Report, Letter Forms 2012.
Added a new Salam Houb greeting card design with Arabic calligraphy in the shape of a bird.
Updated information for Mamoun Sakkal Art and Publications pages.

2012

Updated font information for Sakkal Majalla, Microsoft Uighur, and Al-Futtaim typefaces.
Kisses from a Distance cover Arabic calligraphy.
Beauty poem within circle.
Cardiovascular Center logo, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Al-Quraysh Makhzoumi logo/seal, Saudi Arabia.
See the latest monogram design with two names in Kufic style.
A new equestrian logotype for the horse named Zt Magnanimous.
A full web page to showcase examples of Shilia typeface use in websites.
Added a page with Middle East related typography, calligraphy, and graphic projects.
A personal monogram for Altahir.
Two calligraphic logos for Riad Laksiba hotel in Marrakech and CrossRoads Syria publishing project.
A full web page to showcase Burj Khalifa Shilia typeface in use.
Added modern Eastern Kufic name designs for 49 imams and two wedding monograms with Arabic nemes.
We are very pleased to announce the long-awaited release of our Shilia Arabic typeface family by Linotype!
More Arabic calligraphy for Institute of Knowledge mosque qibla wall in California.
Added Zoomorphic Calligraphy page.

2011

More Arabic calligraphy for Institute of Knowledge mosque ceiling and mihrab in California.
Arabic calligraphy for Institute of Knowledge mosque dome in California.
Updated Square Kufic Chart in Instruction section.
Corrected image 1 in The Letter Kaf instruction page based on a remark by Thomas Milo. A Dal shape was identified as Kaf shape by error.
Sakkal Design produced the Arabic version of White Young Qatar logotype for Creative Kettle, Dubai.
A new calligrpahic wedding monogram in the shape of a butterfly.
New pages of logos for AMAHERO, Aljassimya of Doha, Qatar, Deen Bridal and Nightwave of London.

2010

Added new examples of name designs in Thuluth, round Thuluth, Kufic, and Diwani styles.

2009

Sakkal Design creates a Square Kufic calligraphy band for the entrance of Masjid Omar in Mountlake Terracem Washington.

2008

Marilyn Mayers of Bellevue TV produced a documentary show on Mamoun Sakkal's artistic experience for the British Broadcasting Service (BBC). The show titled "Taking Root in America" was broadcast first on Sunday, October 12th at 11 am and again at 7 pm on Channel 28 in the United States. Dates for subsequent showings are not available yet.
A logo design for Masjid DarusSalam, a new mosque for Lombard Islamic Society in Lombard, Il, USA.
Sakkal Design creates the Qur'anic calligraphy for the main elevation of the Burnaby Mosque in Burnaby, B.C., Canada.
Sakkal Design creates a Square Kufic calligraphy band for the elevations of a new mosque in Arizona.
A new logo design for one of most prestigious web comminities in the Middle East: Alsaha.com.
Three Arabic logotypes by Sakkal are publishded in LogoLounge 4 book: Noor, Al-Qusay Investments, and Dema/Charles personal name design.
Three pieces of Sakkal calligraphic work are selected for publication in Letter Arts Review Annual Competition, Vol. 22 No. 3, Winter 2008: MEMRI monogram in Diwani style, Shahada Cube in Cubic Kufic style, and Rich and Poor Variation B in Square Kufic style.

2007

Mamoun Sakkal gave a talk about Arabic typography at St. Bride Non-Latin Typeface Design conference, London, September 18-19, 2007.
Mamoun Sakkal gave a workshop on Arabic calligraphy at TypeCon 2007 conference in Seattle, August 1, 2007, and participated in the panel discussion on Arabic type and culture on August 4 with Nadine Chahine from Linotype and our own Aida Sakkal.
Sakkal logo design for Al-Qusay Investments was short listed in Identity Best of the Best 2007 International Competition.
Sakkal received an Award of Excellence from The Communicator 2007 Print Competition for Arabic calligraphy included in MB Petroleum 2007 calendar.
Calligraphic and graphic design work by Sakkal is featured in the new book "Graphic Design and Religion: A Call for Renewal " by Daniel Kantor. Available from GIA Publications web site.
New logo designs for Karamah (Washington DC), United Engineering Services (Oman), and Salahieh Hotel (Aleppo, Syria).
Three Arabic logotypes by Sakkal are publishded in LogoLounge 4 book: Noor, Al-Qusay Investments, and Dema/Charles personal name design.
Three pieces of Sakkal calligraphic work are selected for publication in Letter Arts Review Annual Competition 2007.
Sakkal logo design for Al-Qusay Investments was short listed in Identity Best of the Best 2007 International Competition.
Mamoun Sakkal will give a full weekend workshop on Arabic typography at TDC in New York, in Fall 2008. This is part of the TDC Non-Latin Week-Ends series of workshops which also include Cyrillic, Greek, and Hebrew.

2005

July 2005: Logo for WhyIslam website.
June 2005: We announce the release of Hasan Alquds typeface, a contemporary and fun new font. Also check Linotype Arabic Type Design Contest.
May 2005: Logo design for Lusaka Muslim Society, "Nasheed" performance group, Stanford University, and One Wrold translation services. Arabic calligraphy for Women Writers of the Arab World in Diwani style.
April 2005: New Guest Gallery show for Rafia Hussain Kamel.

2004

December 2004: An interview about Modern Arabic Typography: Challenges and Opportunities.
November 2004: New logo designs for Aleppo Citadel Friends, Mafqud.org, and al-Multaqa al-Arabi. Logotype for personal stationary
July 2004: New Guest Gallery show for Hasan Abu Afash.
June 2004: Mamoun Sakkal wins another international competition by Type Directors Club for Arabic script font "MS Uighur".
May 2004: Designs for Arab Fest poster and covers, ISNA 40th convention poster, program cover, and main stage banner.
February 2004: New logo designs for Ishtirak, Seattle Tashkent City Sister Association , and Siwak Dental Clinic.

2003
December 2003: Arabic calligraphy for National Geographic magazine in Diwani style. New Arabic and Islamic calligraphy wallpapers for mobile phones.
September 2003: Mamoun Sakkal wins two international competitions by Type Directors Club and United Nations Development Programme. To make "The Art of Arabic Calligraphy" articles more useful, additional links are added to show different examples of calligraphy.
June 2003: Salam/Peace T-shirts are now available in three colors and many sizes to choose from. Also see the new Product Design section with new Arabic calligraphy designs for mugs and plates. A new lesson in Square Kufi calligraphy.
April 2003: We are planing to print Salam/Peace T-shirts. Please let us know if this will be of interest to you. Updated FAQ page with information on Arabic and Islamic wedding invitations.

2002
December 2002: New Ramadan Imsakiyya and Searching Jenin bookcover and chapter titles in Arabic calligraphy. See our Guest Gallery for Abu Dawud's art show.
October 2002: New Eid Greeting Cards are ready now. Order yours early this Ramadan. Four new custom greetings. Arabic calligraphy for the cover of The Guardian Review of London, and for the book "A New Kind of Science" by Stephen Wolfram.
August 2002: Arabic Name Design cut in marble and granite, and Name Design using Sakkal Seta typeface. Logo design for Arabic.com web portal.
April 2002: A new section for Islamic Geometry containing a brief description of a course taught by Mamoun Sakkal at the University of Washington. Arabic calligraphy for Newsweek Magazine and Discover Islam covers. Logo design for KindHearts.
January 2002: New artwork based on Mahmoud Darwish's poem "A Lover From Palestine". A lesson on "how to improve computer generated calligraphic designs" using Thuluth fonts.

2001
December 2001: Articles about Mamoun Sakkal's calligraphic work appeared as front-page stories at www.arabia.com, Arab-American Business Journal (both are in Eglish), and at www.elaph.com (in Arabic). Graphics for a fund-raising campaign by YesPakistan.com. A new Arabic name design.
July 2001: Added a new section for Original Arabic Typeface designs by Mamoun Sakkal.
A new section for Islamic Geometry containing a brief description of a course taught by Mamoun Sakkal in the Department of Architecture at the University of Washington in Seattle. The page contains samples of computer generated 3D models of muqarnas domes and star ribbed domes.
April 2001: An art exhibition of Mamoun Sakkal's calligraphic work at the Peal Gallery at the King Library, University of Kentucky. April 19 to April 28, 2001. New article Khat Naqsh in the work of three Iranian calligraphers . The complete graphics package for ISNA 37th. Annual Convention included 23 different designs based on one theme. New designs for Arab Festival 2001 logo, covers for Center for American Muslim Research and Information (CAMRI), and Breakfast Beef package for Middle East market.
January 2001: Calligarphic titles for a book on Syria, a film based on The One Thousand and One Nights and a few new Book Covers and Logo Designs.
We have received many requests for simple Arabic Calligraphy name translations. We are now offering this service.
The First Painting Biennial of the Islamic World was inaugurated by Iran's President Khatami on November 5, 2000. It will continue until December 25, 2000 at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Mamoun Sakkal is one of 35 Muslim artists whose artwork is included in this exhibition. The artwork is available for sale HERE.

2000
October 2000: New for October: Check Arabic calligraphy proposal for a science museum in the Middle East, and graphics for the Arab American Cultural and Community Center of Houston annual fundraising gala.
August 2000: Cool art for the Summer. Mamoun Sakkal's Year 2000 Collection, of calligraphy, and our third artist featured in the Guest Gallery from Kuwait: Fareed al-Ali. Also check the updated Top10 List.
July 2000: See the new cover design for Radius of Arab American Writers (RAWI) anthology.
If you are one of sakkal.com site visitors who asked for the Arabic phrase "Insha'a Allah" then look here.
I am pleased to announce the launching of an excellent website on Persian calligraphy: www.rumigallery.com, with calligraphic pieces of Sufi poetry of Rumi by the master calligrapher, and my Nastaliq teacher, Ali Rouhfar.
April 2000: Our second artist featured in the Guest Gallery is the Iranian calligrapher Ali Rouhfar from Seattle.
February 2000: A calligraphy conference is planned in Samarkand, see how you can participate. Arabic calligraphy in The Seattle Times newspaper article on Hajj. Package design for Middle Eastern Arabian Coffee and Food Products.
January 2000: A piece of artwork features a sculpture of Arabic calligraphy and poetry for the first time in a public space in the Northwest region.

1999
December 1999: Ramadan is here. Order your Eid Greeting Cards early. Elegant and tasteful, and can be customized.
October 1999: The Arab Festival took place October 16 and 17, 1999. See the poster and program cover.
September 1999: The Guest Gallery will feature the work of outstanding graphic work related to Arabic and Islamic calligraphy. Our first artist is Ahmad Sha'ath from London.
April 1999: Calligraphic name design for wedding card.
February 1999: Our FAQ page is updated with more answers to your questions.
January 1999: Logo design for a new web site about Arab music, Fan al-Maqam.

1998
December 1998: Ramadan is coming. Order your Eid Greeting Cards early. Elegant and tasteful, and can be customized. If you want to find out your Zakah amount and where to send it see our design for ISNA's Zakah Brochure for this year.
October 1998: Our Calligraphic Designs #1 clip art collection is reviewed by Islamic Horizons magazine. What a difference can the right Arabic version of an English logotype do to your product or business image! Arabic Type: A Challenge for the 2nd Millennium, article by Huda Smithshuijzen Abifares.
September 1998: Arabic version of logo for Edebiyat, The Journal of Middle Eastern Literature.
August 1998: See the poster for the 35th National Convention of the Islamic Society of North America. New web graphics by Sakkal Design can be viewed on this site now, inlcuding titles, backgrounds, and animated gif graphics where Arabic morphs into English.
April 1998: Iqra magazine cover design with arabesque pattern from the walls of Alhambra.
March 1998: Calligraphic name design for wedding card. This site is reviewed by London based Al-Jadeeda magazine, and is reproduced here with permission (in Arabic).
February 1998: Learn how to design Square Kufic calligraphic compositions.
Iqra magazine cover design with arabesque pattern, and calligraphic name design for Juneja family in a symmetrical Square Kufi style.
January 1998: Four new Eid Greeting Cards. Elegant and tasteful. Order yours before they are sold out.

1997
December 1997: Part one and two of "An Islamic Image" articles are now posted, and tell the story of designing Iqra magazine logo in Arabic and English.
November 1997: Top Ten list of most frequently visited calligraphic images during October. The list will be updated every month so come back and check it again.
October 1997: Mamoun Sakkal will be at the University of Texas at Austin for the opening of his art show "Islamic Calligraphy: A Living Tradition" on the evening of November 3rd. 1997. Please come meet him if you are in the area. For the complete story please click here. An Islamic Image: Calligraphy as Graphics is an article about the design of a logotype using Arabic calligraphy for Iqra magazine. It is the first of a series of two articles, please come back next month and check part two. MAYA's 20th National Convention is coming up in December. See the Poster. Get the registration information. Added the Top Ten list of most frequently visited calligraphic images. The list will be updated every month.
September 1997: Added ordering information for Arab World T-shirts and Eid postcards. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for Arabic Calligraphy, Use of Images from Sakkal web site, Graphic Design, and other subjects.
July 1997: Frequently Asked Questions (Clip_FAQ) page for our Arabic and Islamic clip art collections. Arabic Calligraphy Instruction page shows a Kufi design of Shahada with comments, corrections, and revised design. Exciting graphics for ISNA 34th National Convention to take place in Chicago in September of this year. The Arab World Map made up of the country flags. What a clever design for a T-shirt produced by LA Kiwi of Los Angeles.
June 1997: DTP Naskh Arabic Font for Windows is the tool for creating beautiful Arabic typography. calligraphic name design in Eastern Kufi style for our first client in Japan.
May 1997: 10th anniversary cover design for Arabic Yellow Pages. Arabic calligraphy styles figures for 'Art of Arabic Calligraphy' articles 3 and 4.
April 1997: Wedding Calligraphic Designs and a new Calligraphic Name Design. Added Etc. page including Eid greeting card, Salam greeting cards, and Peace T-shirt design. Added Iqra Magazine Cover; added figures for 'Art of Arabic Calligraphy' articles 1 and 2.
March 1997: Added Muslim Calligraphers in America article; graphic design page including NELC Logo, Multilingual Cover, Arabic Yellow Pages Covers, Iqra Covers, and MAYA Poster.

Although I can't answer all the mail I receive, I would love to hear your feedback about these additions, and about our web site. Send me a message at mamoun@sakkal.com