Markazi Text

Markazi Text is a Naskh family for reading, developed through a University of Reading and Google project. Borna Izadpanah designed the Arabic under Fiona Ross’s design direction; Florian Runge supplied the Latin. The design takes inspiration from Tim Holloway’s Markazi with his encouragement.

Its moderate contrast suggests a useful starting point for articles, books and editorial pages. Compare a full paragraph with footnotes rather than judging a large heading. The compact Latin has its own traditions while echoing the Arabic. Check whether bilingual captions feel equally prominent, and adjust the script sizes separately when the layout calls for it.

Working with Markazi Text

Proof a book opening with the main text at 400 and headings at 600 or 700. Compare Amiri for a different relationship to historical Naskh and Noto Naskh Arabic for another reading family. Use the included Latin for a first bilingual footnote; compare its size and baseline with the Arabic before selecting a separate Latin companion.

Files, styles and coverage

The original source is variable. The preview provides 4 static positions at weights 400, 500, 600, 700. The ZIP keeps the original variable TTF files, including continuous weight selection in compatible applications. Version: 1.001. The supplied font covers Arabic and Latin.

Explore books and print and other Naskh fonts. Prepare a sample with the Arabic keyboard; our guide to choosing an Arabic font covers selection and proofing.

If an editorial page includes Quranic excerpts, inspect Amiri Quran’s dedicated signs and marks separately. Proof those excerpts with a verified source instead of assuming that an ordinary reading sample covers their requirements.

License and original files

The ZIP includes the original files and the exact SIL Open Font License 1.1. Personal and commercial use are permitted under its terms. Retain the license when redistributing, respect reserved names and do not sell the font alone. See the official source for this version.

Compare FreeSerif’s Arabic and serif Latin for another bilingual page. It supplies separate Regular 400 and Bold 700 files; Markazi Text’s variable original also allows intermediate weights in compatible software.