Lale: A Unique Dingbat Typeface Inspired by Ottoman Motifs

Combining Tradition and Technology in Typeface Design

With the design of the Lale dingbat typeface, Parson Michael aimed to enhance the possibilities of picture fonts using OpenType technology. By combining substitution features included in ligatures, Lale offers not just the basic 52 symbols, but a staggering 156 different signs that can be combined with 30 different stems. This results in over 4800 design solutions that can easily be accessed through a sequence of letters or numbers, making the keyboard a powerful design tool.

The initial drawings for Lale were created in Adobe Illustrator and then exported and placed into Fontlab, where they were generated as a single dingbat typeface in the OpenType format (.otf). This allows Lale to be installed on all operating systems, but users will need to utilize desktop publishing software that supports OpenType features to access all the connected forms. In non-OpenType software, only the basic 52 glyphs will be visible.

This typeface uses OpenType technology to automatically substitute a string of letters, allowing users to generate increasingly complex flower motifs. Lale is not limited by size constraints and can be used in any size, although it is best suited for larger sizes where the intricate details can be fully appreciated.

The Lale project took shape in early 2013 after years of brewing ideas. Parson Michael dedicated over 4000 hours to drawing and scripting in FontLab, and the typeface was finally released in September 2014 through the Typogama foundry and other typeface distribution outlets worldwide. Although inspired by Turkey, this project was completed in Geneva, Switzerland.

Parson Michael's research for Lale involved studying and understanding the style and constraints of Ottoman art through photographs, internet images, and books. The major challenges of this design were creating the motif drawings and integrating them into a working typeface. Parson Michael aimed to be original in his designs while maintaining a link to traditional Ottoman forms.

Lale has received recognition for its outstanding design. It was awarded the Silver A' Design Award in 2015 in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category. This prestigious award is given to designs that demonstrate exceptional expertise, innovation, and artistic skill, evoking positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.