Fatih Babacan

Fatih Babacan is a renowned Turkish type designer with over 30 years of experience in typography, calligraphy, and font development. He began his journey in font creation during the rise of desktop publishing in Turkey, addressing the evolving needs of the publishing industry. His fonts have found applications in printed materials, websites, and mobile applications. Babacan's background as a technical high school teacher has significantly influenced his systematic approach to font development, merging practical problem-solving skills with an educator’s commitment to clarity. Accredited by Turkey’s Ministry of National Education to teach Ottoman Turkish, he has conducted courses and seminars for fellow educators and the public through government initiatives. His expertise focuses on Arabic-script typography, particularly in Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, while also addressing the letterforms and shaping requirements of Persian written in Arabic script. His practice integrates the study of calligraphic traditions with technical analysis and the development of algorithms to tackle the complexities of connected writing systems. Babacan's guiding principle is to maintain clarity without sacrificing the character of the script. This philosophy is exemplified in Kâtib Naskh, the inaugural release from Kâtib Type Foundry, which harmonizes classical nesih forms for Arabic and Ottoman Turkish with complementary Latin characters. He continues to create typefaces that reflect decades of teaching, technical expertise, and the diverse needs of readers in both print and digital media.