Parastoo

Parastoo is a free Persian-first variable typeface by Saber Rastikerdar. Its Naskh-inspired structure is intended for sustained reading in print and digital documents, with a stylistic reference to B Nazanin.

Set Arabic language explicitly

The official project warns that standard Arabic shaping requires the Arabic language to be selected in the application. Set that before evaluating an Arabic paragraph. Direction alone is not the same setting, and a Persian-first default can change the forms you see.

Use several paragraphs with punctuation, headings and footnotes to compare reading rhythm. The supplied weights run from 400 to 700, so this is a smaller range than many display families. Avoid substituting a heavy heading test for a real page of body copy. The download includes Latin glyphs and Persian coverage; it is not presented here as an Urdu family or as a reproduction of B Nazanin.

Variable files and preview weights

The ZIP contains 1 original variable TTF file, version 3.000. Axis ranges, with defaults in parentheses: wght 400–700 (400). The preview supplies 4 static styles, covering weights 400, 500, 600, 700. Compatible software can select intermediate weights from the original file.

The documented coverage here is Arabic, Latin and Persian. Test actual words, vowel marks and mixed-direction lines in the application you will use. A font file cannot determine paragraph direction or replace a shaping engine.

For a Persian booklet using one regular weight, compare Gandom’s archived release with Noto Serif-derived Latin. Keep its single-style hierarchy distinct from Parastoo’s variable range, and proof any bilingual references on the complete page.

License and comparison

SIL Open Font License 1.1 permits personal and commercial use, embedding and redistribution under its terms. The ZIP includes the exact license and the original files. Keep the license when redistributing the font; selling the font by itself is prohibited.

Compare Amiri on a full page of sustained reading, and Noto Naskh Arabic after explicitly selecting Arabic as the text language. Browse Naskh fonts and books and print. Prepare a sample with the Arabic keyboard and the Arabic font selection guide. See the official source at the supplied revision.