Malayalam font had problems...now works flawlessly: Font developer details breakthrough

Typography and digital fonts play a crucial role in modern communication and artistic expression. On the sidelines of the International Calligraphy Festival 2024, hosted by the Ka Cha Ta Tha Pa Foundation in early October, Mathrubhumi caught up with two artists -- Rajeesh, a computer programmer, and Athul, who moved from architecture to graphic design -- who spoke at length about the art of typography. The festival brought together calligraphers, typographers, and art lovers from around the world to celebrate calligraphy in Kerala.

Together, Rajeesh and Athul blend technology with traditional calligraphy, inspiring the next generation to appreciate the art of writing. 

Here are edited excerpts of our conversation with them.

How does it feel to be part of this event? What is one key takeaway you hope to gain from this experience?

Athul: One thing I hope to take away is the rigour and passion these participants bring to calligraphy. For many of them, this practice is like a meditative form of art. I’d love to incorporate that mindset into my own professional life.

Rajeesh: Calligraphy, particularly Eastern calligraphy, serves as a form of meditation. If you observe Japanese or Chinese calligraphy, it’s not necessarily ritualistic or religious, but it is deeply spiritual, as showcased by the Korean artist who presented here. Islamic art, especially Arabic calligraphy, reflects this as well, as seen with Mukhtar Ahmad and Salwa Rasool. It's ingrained in their cultures.

As Bhattathiri often explains, Kerala lacks a strong calligraphy tradition. However, during my talk, I conducted a survey among those who wrote letters in one of the sessions. Everyone was asked to write about Suryan, and I found that the vast majority of the audience—mostly younger individuals—wrote in the traditional orthography of Malayalam, not the disjointed or reformed script. This brings me joy because it shows familiarity with traditional forms. Unfortunately, our education system doesn’t emphasize this level of attention to detail, and I believe that’s a significant takeaway for anyone attending this event.

Do you believe events like this help promote the art of calligraphy? How so?

Athul: This is the only event that promotes calligraphy in Kerala. The crowd today is double what it was yesterday, which I attribute to the awareness generated by social media. People are registering and coming here, even with only two days left.

Could you share your artistic journeys? Athul, you transitioned from architecture to graphic design, while Rajeesh, you have a background in computer programming. Please elaborate on your paths.

Athul: I wouldn’t call it a transition because I’ve always had an interest in typography, even during my architecture studies. The design of my architecture sheets was often more appreciated than the architectural designs themselves. That’s why I pursued a master’s in graphic design, aiming to focus on type design, despite the lack of specific courses. I taught myself and gradually immersed myself in type design.

Rajeesh: Since childhood, I’ve appreciated letterforms and took pride in my handwriting. I was determined to be an artist, drawing, sketching, and painting. While I wouldn’t say my work was fantastic, it was appreciated, especially by my teachers.

However, I ended up studying computer science for masters and began working with computers. Nonetheless, my love for meticulous art, including letterforms, remained. Whenever I read, I noticed the great effort that goes into perfect typesetting in books. This passion never left me. My first job in Calcutta offered little reading material in Malayalam, so I turned to the burgeoning world of Malayalam blogs. I discovered a vibrant community sharing stories and poetry, which was fantastic.

I also realized that Malayalam letters often didn’t display correctly on computers, which frustrated me. If you pay attention to detail, such issues can be distracting. It made me aware that no one was addressing it, leading me to contribute to the field—much like the spirit of free and open-source software.

Does calligraphy correlate with good handwriting?

Rajeesh: By definition, calligraphy is the art of good writing, so it inherently involves good handwriting. However, there are two aspects to consider. The letters in calligraphy can be beautifully drawn, but the composition also plays a critical role. For example, a Vietnamese artist might create visually appealing Latin letters that are not always legible, but the overall composition still captivates.

Athul: I agree. Typography is more structured. 

Rajeesh: Hermann Zapf, a luminary in type design, famously wrote in minuscule letters during World War II, taking pride in crafting 8-point letters with a fountain pen. His work reflects meticulousness. In contrast, as I mentioned, calligraphy offers a broader artistic expression without such constraints.

From your experience, is designing or creating typography in Malayalam or other regional languages more challenging than in English? If so, why?

Athul: I've designed both Latin and Malayalam typefaces, and each has its own nuances. When I started with Latin typeface design, it took me around two years to create my own, largely due to the guidance of Girish Dalvi, a professor at IIT and co-founder of the studio I work with. He has extensive knowledge about Latin typefaces, and there's always more to learn from him.

I spent a lot of time studying different typefaces and their evolution through various eras, such as Venetian, Garalde, Transitional, and Modern. In contrast, if you're just starting off, there's less historical complexity in Malayalam type design because it doesn't have as rich a history as Latin typefaces.

Rajeesh: For me, both require similar effort. Knowing Malayalam made it easier for me to study it compared to Latin. However, when it comes to drawing letters and creating a font, Malayalam is much tougher. There are many more characters in Malayalam. In Latin, you have 26 letters plus a few diacritics—maybe 52 characters when counting both lowercase and uppercase letters. In Malayalam, there are about 950 characters. 

While Latin script has a straightforward left-to-right composition, with some ligatures like "ff" appearing as a single block, Indic languages, including Malayalam, are much more complex. They use ligatures extensively, which is challenging to represent in computer systems, making them "complex scripts." 

The script shaping part is particularly complicated. There's a standard maintained by Microsoft and Adobe called OpenType shaping. For Western languages, this involves basic mark positioning. But for Indic scripts, it's integral; characters must join together to form entirely different shapes. 

When I started, shaping was poorly implemented on both the front end and the operating system side. Projects like HarfBuzz, led by Behdad Esfahbod and Jonathan Kew, aimed to develop a comprehensive text shaping engine for Indian languages which was for a project called XeTeX.

Different operating systems—like Android, Windows, and Linux—had to handle shaping in their unique ways. Our project aimed to create a single library that could manage this complexity across platforms. Now, text shaping works well in browsers and mobile applications, but we also need support at the font level.

Creating a font involves more than just designing 900-plus characters. You also have to write OpenType shaping rules embedded in the font, which interact with shaping engines like HarfBuzz, Uniscribe, or Apple Advanced Typography (AAT). 

Every Indic language has its quirks. For instance, Early versions of the specification and software mispositioned marks like the Chandrakala, causing confusion. Thankfully, updates in recent years have improved this. 

Now, with our fonts adhering to the latest specifications, we can read Malayalam seamlessly across digital platforms—Android phones, web browsers, text editors, and typesetting systems like LaTeX or InDesign work well.

While Malayalam now works flawlessly in digital mediums, other Indic scripts still face challenges. I’ve spoken to Kannada type designers who report ongoing shaping issues, and Devanagari has its own challenges as well. These still need to be addressed at the font level, even if the operating systems are, in theory, equipped to handle them.

Many people still view calligraphy as a niche art form. Do you believe this perception is accurate? How do you encourage more individuals to engage with calligraphy?

Rajeesh: This perception often comes with the assumption that everything we do must generate income. While it's true that people need to make a living, I have a keen interest in typography and related fields, so I dedicate my time to them. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual. On the other hand, typography and calligraphy are highly regarded in Western culture. For example, renowned type designers like Hermann Zapf, Matthew Carter, and Fiona Ross are well paid. In India, however, there are a few people in India who do it but very less.

Athul: Regarding advice, it’s essential to develop the mental perseverance needed to complete a typeface. For me, type design is also a meditative process. When I feel a bit lost, I sit down and start drawing letters or creating a font. I have a long list of unfinished fonts, but I engage in this to refresh myself; it makes me feel rejuvenated after drawing some letters.

People’s reactions do not demotivate me. I continue because I enjoy it. I’m not drawing for others; I’m creating what I want.

Rajeesh: Artists express themselves through their work. They create, and sometimes people need avenues to kindle that creativity—like seeing a master’s work, as we have here at the Calligraphy Festival. I always encourage people to pursue what resonates with them and comes from within. 

The Kachatattapa Foundation plays a major role in this by creating an environment that encourages creative expression. This five-day festival provides a platform for people to meet, exchange knowledge, and find inspiration.

This is just the first part of our interview. Stay tuned for the final installment, where we’ll share more insights and details!