Saber Rastikerdar: Innovation and Transformation in Persian Digital Typography
In the digital world where the beauty of non-Latin scripts is often overlooked, Saber Rastikerdar, a font designer and active member of the open-source and free software community, created products that were not only eye-catching but also practical. His approach to font design revolutionised the landscape of Persian digital typography.
The death of Rastikerdar at the age of 36 from cancer prompted the technology community and designers to reflect anew on his undeniable impact on Persian digital typography.
A Lifetime Journey Towards Innovation
Born in Bandar Abbas and raised in Shiraz, Rastikerdar was not just a product of his cultural environment, but strived to shape it as well. This is why he transitioned from a programmer to a respected figure in the open-source community.
If you are an old reader of Persian texts on the internet, or familiar with blogs that transformed Persian content on the internet two decades ago, you would know how difficult and annoying the fonts used in sites and blogs, especially in long texts, were.
This led him to think about designing fonts suitable for the digital space. His most famous creation, the Vazirmatn font, later used in the Persian version of the Telegram messaging app, exemplified his commitment to improving the readability and attractiveness of Persian script in digital mediums.
In his blog, he writes about how he started designing a readable font for Persian texts:
All these efforts were to bring a font that is not special. It should be familiar, soft, calm, legible, consistent, and in line with the subconscious expectation from a typeface. It should not become monotonous over time. It should be the same size as Tahoma. It should be such that whenever someone needs a font, they say Vazir is not bad. If this or that font does not fit this page, this program, this image, and anything else, there is a Vazir that gets the job done. It is good. It is simple. Like Tahoma. Vazir that belongs to no one or better yet, belongs to everyone since it is released under public ownership. Anyone can do whatever they want with it. Change it, put a new license on it, sell it. Anything. A font has come that has nothing special. This is why the monospaced version of it was also released. Vazir came to be like Tahoma, just to get people’s work done. Samim, Sahel, Gandom, Tanha, and Parastoo were the same.
Although designing these typefaces was a lot of work, maybe it was worth it. I don’t know! Maybe all this was a mistake and Vazir did not achieve any of its goals.
Each of his designed fonts like Samim, Tanha, Shabnam, and Gandom, represents a unique combination of readability and visual beauty. However, his effort to include Vazirmatn in the Google Fonts library was a turning point in democratising design and making Persian typography freely accessible to the public.
A font that supports Persian, Arabic, Iranian Turkish, Kurdish, Pashto, Urdu, Gilaki, Uzbek, Kazakh, and Balochi languages.
The highest usage was in Saudi Arabia. (Statistics for Iran are not shown). Saber Rastikerdar has become immortal.”
What is Google Font and Why is it Important?
Google Fonts is a library containing free and open-source fonts developed by Google. Over a thousand fonts designed by designers from around the world are available in this library. Users do not need to download or install to use these fonts, which are compatible with phone and computer applications. At the same time, both commercial and non-commercial projects are allowed to use them for free for website design, applications, promotional products, and similar purposes.
Unceasing Efforts Despite Illness
Saber’s last blog post, “Living with Cancer”, reveals the reality behind his creative efforts. His battle with the disease did not halt his work; he regularly updated his fonts. This unwavering commitment, amidst the struggles of fighting cancer, not only reflects his character but also his standing and dedication to the world of technology and Persian digital writing.
The technology and design community’s reaction to his passing was a mix of deep sorrow for the loss of a brilliant mind and a celebration of his enduring legacy. His work not only improved the digital experience of Persian readers and speakers of other languages but also set a new standard in script design, inspiring future generations of designers. Every time the characters he designed are read on screens, they stand as a testament to his talent and vision for the digital world.
The funeral of Rastikerdar in the artists’ section of the Rezvaniye Cemetery in Fasa city, attended by close and distant acquaintances, also drew attention from those who admired him from afar.
This article was originally published on BBC Persian, and what you have read is its translation.
