HS Almada is a contemporary variable Arabic typeface that draws on the essence of Fatimid Kufic script, reintroducing it within a modern typographic system that unites historical authenticity with contemporary precision.

The design grows out of the structural principles that defined Fatimid Kufic: balance between mass and space, geometric clarity, and a coherent visual rhythm. By reworking these principles into a modern typographic system, HS Almada offers a clearer, more flexible Arabic expression that meets the needs of contemporary design without losing its connection to its roots.

The goal was never to reproduce the historical form as it stood, but to uncover its visual essence, the core qualities that gave Fatimid Kufic its distinct character, and then develop them within a contemporary design vision that preserves that identity while making it far more usable across print and digital environments.

Almada is neither a revival of a historical style nor a simplified version of Fatimid Kufic. It is a contemporary reformulation of its essence, one that reveals the strength of its construction, its balance, and its rhythm, through a calm and confident visual language built for the needs of today’s designer.

Design Philosophy

HS Almada is built on the conviction that the strength of Fatimid Kufic lies not in its decorative elements but in its underlying structure, in the balance, rhythm, and visual order it carries. With that in mind, the design process became a journey of refinement and distillation rather than one of simplification or subtraction.

Development focused on sharpening the internal relationships between letters, refining proportions, balancing mass and space, and carefully controlling curves and transitions, arriving at forms that are clearer and more harmonious while staying true to the original character of Fatimid Kufic.

The typeface represents a more abstract, more distilled stage in the evolution of Fatimid Kufic, one where structure itself becomes the primary expressive element. Every letter was reviewed carefully to reach a cohesive system that keeps the spirit of the historical reference while giving it an independent character suited to modern visual use.

In this sense, HS Almada stands between historical heritage and contemporary type design. It avoids excess ornamentation and focuses instead on the essential character of the letterform, offering a visual language that is authentic, refined, and adaptable across a wide range of fields.

The Variable Design

HS Almada was developed as a variable font with two independent axes that give the designer wide-ranging control over typographic expression.

Weight Axis This axis moves between multiple degrees of visual presence, from quieter, lighter styles to bold styles suited to headlines and large compositions, allowing a full visual hierarchy to be built within a single project without switching between different type families.

Width Axis This axis adds further flexibility in controlling letter density and text rhythm, allowing the typeface to adapt to different spaces, whether in editorial layouts, headlines, or digital environments with variable constraints.

Specifications

  • Dual-axis Variable Font (Weight + Width)
  • 10 static instances
  • Arabic and Latin support
  • More than 721 glyphs
  • Comprehensive Arabic diacritics
  • Advanced OpenType features including:
    • Stylistic Sets (ss01–ss05)
    • Contextual Alternates
    • Positional Forms
    • Ligatures
    • Kerning
    • and more

Uses

Brand identity, giving brands a contemporary Arabic character that combines authenticity with clarity; editorial design, for magazines, books, and cultural publications; headlines, campaigns, and advertising materials; digital products such as apps, user interfaces, and websites; and commercial applications including packaging, advertising, corporate identity, and visual systems.