When setting up to establish 29Letters type foundry in 2013, Lebanese designer and educator Pascal Zoghbi aspired to explore the diversity and potential of the Arabic script. Zoghbi envisioned 29LT with a cross-cultural approach. Having evolved, studied and worked in a multicultural and largely bilingual environment, he embraced multilingualism. Coming into contact with more than one language in his everyday life, he has developed an exceptional ability to think global and to reflect the various technical, conventional, and cultural writing systems into his work. Accordingly, he has excelled in creating innovative, high-quality contemporary multiscript type families, each of which is unique in its design approach and responds to regional and international market needs. Staying true to his culture, he worked on turning traditional Arabic script into contemporary type. Always on the lookout for new ideas and harmony between scripts, he explores various tools and techniques and regularly partners with a team of professional designers specialized in specific scripts to create multiscript typography.
Not only is he heavily involved in the practice of Arabic type design and typography, but he has also contributed to the field as an educator. Between 2007 and 2017, he taught at various design schools in Lebanon (American University of Beirut, Lebanese American University, and Notre Dame University) and in the UAE (American University of Sharjah). Besides lecturing at universities, he takes part in a range of design events worldwide and provides trainings and workshops on Arabic typography at universities, conferences, and agencies.
Zoghbi has gained an international reputation for his work and has received throughout his professional career prestigious design awards and honors, such as TDC Typographic Excellence, Granshan, AIGA, and was nominated for Jameel Prize 3. His work encompasses an outstanding collection of contemporary Arabic and multilingual typefaces. He also co-authored and edited the “Arabic Graffiti” book published in 2010.
Zoghbi started his academic journey at Notre Dame University in Lebanon where he grew interest in Arabic typography. He further developed his type design skills at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK), the Netherlands, where he obtained in 2006 a Master of Design in Type & Media.
In 2018, he relocated to Madrid where he is currently based. Since then, his interest in a vast number of Spanish historical and cultural topics, especially those that showcase the merging of Arabic and Spanish cultures, grew keener. 29LT expanded accordingly, shifting from supporting only Arabic and Latin scripts to a global multiscript approach tapping into other world scripts.
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أسس المصمم والمعلم اللبنانيّ باسكال زغبي الخط الرقمي 29LT في عام 2013م لاستكشاف تنوع وإمكانات النص العربي. وقد استوحى زغبي التصورالخاص بـ 29LT من المقاربة القائمة على تعدد الثقافات. وبعد أن ترعرعَ ودرس وعمل في بيئةٍ متعددة الثقافات وثنائية اللغة إلى حد كبير، قام باحتضان التعددية اللغوية. ومن خلال تشعبه في أكثر من لغة، أصبح يتفاعل مع أكثر من لغة واحدة خلال حياته اليومية وطور من خلال ذلك قدرةً استثنائية على التفكير بشكل شمولي لغوياً وعكس أنظمة الكتابة الفنية والتقليدية والثقافية المختلفة في أعماله. وبالتالي، برع في إنشاء أواصر نصية متعددة ومعاصرة وعالية الجودة، تتمتع كل واحدة منها بمقاربة تصميمية فريدة وتستجيب لاحتياجات السوق الإقليمية والعالمية. ووفاءً منه تجاه ثقافته، عمل على تحويل النص العربي التقليدي لطرق طباعية معاصرة.
ونظرًا لكونه دائم البحث عن الأفكار الجديدة والحرص على الانسجام ما بين النصوص، استكشف باسكال أدوات وتقنيات مختلفة ويتعاون مع فرق تصميم احترافية ومتخصصة في نصوص محددة لإنشاء خطوط طباعية متعددة النصوص. فهو ليس منخرطًا في ممارسة التصميم وطباعة الحروف العربية فحسب، بل إنه يساهم في هذا المجال بصفته معلّمًا، فبين عامي 2007م -2017م، درّس في عدة مدارس تصميم في لبنان (الجامعة الأمريكية في بيروت، والجامعة اللبنانية الأمريكية، وجامعة نوتردام) وفي الإمارات العربية المتحدة (الجامعة الأمريكية في الشارقة). وإلى جانب قيامه بإلقاء المحاضرات، يشارك الزغبي في مجموعة من فعاليات التصميم حول العالم ويقدم تدريبات وورش عمل حول الطباعة العربية في مختلف الجامعات والمؤتمرات والوكالات.
وقد اكتسب الزغبي شهرةً عالمية بسبب أعماله وحظي بعدة جوائز وأوسمة مرموقة بما فيها جائزة TDC للتميز التيبوغرافي وجرانشات وAIGA وتم ترشيحه لجائزة جميل في دورتها الثالثة. وتتميز أعماله بمجموعة مذهلة من الخطوط العربية المعاصرة ومتعددة اللغات، كما قام بالمشاركة في تأليف وتحرير كتاب "غرافيتي عربية" والذي تم نشره عام 2010م.
بدأ الزغبي رحلته الأكاديمية في جامعة نوتردام في لبنان، حيث ازداد اهتمامه بالطباعة العربية. ثم قام بعدها بتطوير مهاراته التصميمية في الأكاديمية الملكية للفنون (KABK) في هولندا، حيث حصل على درجة الماجستير في التصميم والطباعة والوسائط. وفي عام 2018م، انتقل إلى مدريد حيث يقيم الآن. ومنذ ذلك الحين، ازداد اهتمامه بعدد كبير من الموضوعات التاريخية والموضوعات الثقافية والإسبانية، وخاصة تلك الموضوعات التي تستعرض اندماج الثقافتين العربية والإسبانية معًا. وتوسع 29LT بشكل أكبر وانتقل من دعم اللغة العربية فقط إلى النصوص اللاتينية ومن ثم إلى نهج عالمي متعدد النصوص.
29Letters Type Foundry S.L. [29LT] is dedicated to creating and publishing multiscript typefaces. Its Arabic and Latin typography leading edge arises from its collaborative team of professional Arab and European type designers crafting high-quality typefaces. Besides publishing unique retail fonts, 29LT frequently joins forces with renowned international branding, design, and advertising agencies to deliver high-end typographic solutions, such as bespoke fonts and wordmarks.
29LT was named after the conventional Arabic 28 letter alphabet, but with a divergent-thinking, bold and daring design approach integrating the hamza as the 29th letter. With a typographic work incorporating multiple scripts, 29LT is committed not only to exploring the diversity and potential of Arabic typography but also to tapping into other world scripts.
29Letters Type Foundry S.L. is based and registered in Madrid/Spain with tax number: ESB67990366.
29LT was founded and is run by Pascal Zoghbi.
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29LT is a type and design studio handling multilingual typographic projects while specializing in contemporary bi-script Arabic and Latin typography. Our team consists of independent professional type designers from different countries, who are experts in diverse scripts, such as Arabic, Greek, Cyrillic, and Latin, among many others.
At 29LT, we are adamant on respecting each script's identity and heritage. This allows us to create synergistic multiscript typography that preserves the characteristics and values of each script. Developing scripts alongside one another while maintaining both independency and harmony is at the heart of our work.
We approach bespoke-type projects as part of a whole branding or corporate identity. We partner with our clients, either directly or via branding agencies, to deliver high-end typographic work that best expresses their visual identity. Research leads us in creating unique design solutions, while our collaborative spirit influences our creative process and expands our perspectives. We value team working and we build on it. We create new typography that is inspired by calligraphy yet drawn in a contemporary manner. Combining the flair of the old with the modern-day touch translates into correct letterform proportions and good legibility outcome.
We use the latest type design technology to develop and generate our fonts as well as to create logotypes and letterings. Our typefaces are generated in standard font formats as well as in new variable font formats. Our fonts can be used on cross platforms and mediums, including print, web, and mobile applications.
