Kochi-based startup launches 103 new Malayalam fonts

Kochi-based startup launches 103 new Malayalam fonts Bigates.ai, a Kochi-based startup, has introduced 103 new Malayalam fonts, whose names are based on their appearance.

Key points

• In 2016, a group of youngsters from Bigdates.ai, a Kochi-based startup, founded an application called Malayalam Text & Image Editor, an efficient tool to create meme-designing in Malayalam easier.
• On August 17, on the first day of a new Malayalam calendar year, the Bigdates.ai team introduced 103 new Malayalam fonts to combat this.
• "We are also planning on creating fonts for other south Indian languages such as Tamil, Telugu and Kannada as well as for Hindi soon, " adds Brutus.
• Olam looks like text written underwater with its blurry edges; Nizhal resembles a shadow; Urukal replicates words melting, and in Chathurangam, the words mirror chess pieces.
• The fonts are at present accessible on the malayalameditor.com website in the FML (Font Malayalam Legacy) format.

In 2016, a group of youngsters from Bigdates.ai, a Kochi-based startup, founded an application called Malayalam Text & Image Editor, an efficient tool to create meme-designing in Malayalam easier. Content creators and other users could log in to the application and design social media posts featuring their favourite actors and funny captions. "The app gained around 30 lakh installations back then, " notes Brutus KC, creative director, Bigdates.ai.

Ten years afterwards, much hasn't changed in the typography industry dominated by a few international players. New Malayalam fonts are a rarity, and their inventory has remained almost unchanged. As the team reached out to designers for their app to create new fonts, they were charged exorbitant amounts to generate them.

On August 17, on the first day of a new Malayalam calendar year, the Bigdates.ai team introduced 103 new Malayalam fonts to combat this. "Our initial plan was to launch 10 to 15 styles. But once we realised we could do more, 15 became 50, and we ultimately hit 103. This is our gift to Malayalam, " notes Brutus. Meanwhile, the Bigdates.ai team Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

Meanwhile, the font names resemble the appearance. Olam looks like text written underwater with its blurry edges; Nizhal resembles a shadow; Urukal replicates words melting, and in Chathurangam, the words mirror chess pieces. Font styles such as Fluffy, Fingerprint, Irumuri, Kanthi, Karuthal, Kayar, Kiranam, Mazha and Minnal take after their namesakes.

In practice, the team, consisting of 12 members: Akhil K Sekharan, Yatheendraraj PD, Bimal P, Sharon Babu, Anjali Stalin, Ericson KA, Sanal KS, Roshni MA, Liya Joby, Sandra Baiju, Christo Babu and Brutus, developed their own font-development software with the support of AI.

In practice, the fonts are at present accessible on the malayalameditor.com website in the FML (Font Malayalam Legacy) format. They can be downloaded and applied in design software. At present, their usage is limited to design purposes.

"We are relaunching our app, Malayalam Text & Image Editor. It will feature the fonts. We are additionally releasing a web version for it. Designers can employ the app commercially to design posters and print them. There are a few design templates on the app, " notes Brutus.

He additionally adds that the team is developing the fonts in Unicode format. This will allow the styles to be applied beyond design capacities. As well, they are creating an app suitable for IOS.

Taken together, the developments around kochi-based startup launches 103 new Malayalam fonts point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.