Choosing the right Arabic font can make or break a design. The good news: there's a rich ecosystem of high-quality, open-source Arabic typefaces, each suited to a different job. Here are some of the best, organized by calligraphic family, with guidance on when to use each. Every font below is available in the Arabify studio.
Naskh fonts: clear and classic
Naskh is the readable, rounded script behind most printed Arabic. Use it whenever legibility matters.
- Amiri — a revival of classical Naskh, elegant and book-like. Perfect for quotes, poetry, and anything Qur'anic. Our top all-around pick.
- Scheherazade — a warm, traditional Naskh with excellent support for harakat. Great for longer passages.
- Lateef — a refined, slightly condensed Naskh, ideal when space is tight.
- Markazi — a contemporary Naskh with a modern feel; works well in editorial layouts.
Use Naskh for: body text, long quotes, religious texts, and readable designs.
Kufic fonts: bold and geometric
Kufic is angular and architectural — the natural choice for logos and statements.
- Reem Kufi — a clean, modern Kufic with beautiful geometry. Excellent for logos, headings, and patterns.
Use Kufic for: wordmarks, titles, icons, and bold short phrases. Learn more in our Kufic guide.
Diwani fonts: ornate and flowing
Diwani is the decorative Ottoman chancery script, full of curves and movement.
- Aref Ruqaa — a graceful, traditional hand with a calligraphic feel, beautiful for elegant titles.
- Rakkas — a bold, display-oriented style with strong character, ideal for posters and headlines.
Use Diwani for: invitations, certificates, luxury branding, and ornamental headings.
Nastaliq fonts: poetic and elegant
Nastaliq is the soft, "hanging" script of Persian and Urdu literature.
- Gulzar — a contemporary Nastaliq that captures the script's cascading elegance, lovely for poetry and lyrical quotes.
Use Nastaliq for: poetry, romantic designs, and anything with a refined, literary mood.
Modern fonts: clean and contemporary
For UI, branding, and a minimal look, modern sans and display typefaces shine.
- Cairo — a versatile modern sans, superb for interfaces and clean branding.
- Tajawal — a friendly, geometric sans with great everyday usability.
- El Messiri — a stylish display face that bridges modern and traditional.
- Lalezar — a rounded, bold display font with personality, great for playful headlines.
- Marhey — a fun, energetic display style for casual, youthful designs.
Use modern fonts for: apps, websites, packaging, and minimalist branding.
How to choose the right font
Ask three questions:
- What's the purpose? Long text needs legibility (Naskh, modern sans); a logo wants impact (Kufic, Diwani).
- What's the mood? Luxurious (Diwani), poetic (Nastaliq), or contemporary (modern)?
- Will it use harakat? If so, pick a font with strong diacritic support like Amiri or Scheherazade. (See our guide to harakat.)
Try them all in one place
The fastest way to find your font is to type your text once and flip through every style. In the calligraphy generator you can compare all thirteen fonts side by side with your own words — no downloads, no installs.