Release Announcement for Nafees Naskh for Urdu

["Irfan Khan" <khania2@super.net.pk>]

[from paktype@yahoogroups.com]


Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2003 23:49:46 +0500
   From: "Dr. Sarmad Hussain" <sarmad.hussain@nu.edu.pk>


Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing at National 
University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (www.nu.edu.pk) is 
pleased to announce the beta release of character-based Nafees Naskh 
Open Type Font for writing Urdu in Naskh script with full aerab 
support based on Unicode standard. This font is developed according 
to calligraphic rules, following the Lahori style of Syed Nafees Al-
Hussaini (Nafees Raqam) 
(http://www.geocities.com/sajjadkhalid/Profiles/Nafees.html ),who is 
one of the finest calligraphers of Pakistan. Guidance and calligraphy 
of basic glyphs for the font has been provided by Syed Jameel-ur-
Rehman. He is pupil of Syed Nafees Shah and Hafiz Syed Anees-ul-
Hassan. Nafees Naskh OTF contains approximately 500 glyphs, including 
less than 10 ligatures. This font is operable on all platforms 
supporting OTF specifications. Aerab will allow urdu words to be 
fully expressed. Demo PDF file is attached.  

This work has been partially funded through Localization R&D Grant by 
Microsoft Pakistan and Small Grants Program by AMIC ,IDRC, APDIP 
UNDP.  

Nafees Naskh allows Urdu computing on Microsoft 2000, NT, XP, Java 
(JDK1.4), Unix and Linux platforms. This font enables desktop and 
internet publishing, and electronic communication in Urdu using 
existing software (without any plug-ins) supporting OTF 
specifications, e.g. MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook (email), Internet 
Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Mozilla, MS PowerPoint. This font may 
also be used to develop database and other applications with Urdu 
interface using MS.NET and Java (JDK 1.4).  

Nafees Naskh is freely downloadable from www.crulp.org  or  
www.nu.edu.pk.  

Please send comments and report bugs at NafeesNaskhFont@nu.edu.pk.  

Best regards,

Nafees Naskh OTF Team
Center for Research in Urdu Language Processing
National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences
Lahore, Pakistan