Here is a list of the main languages that use right to left scripts:

  • Arabic
  • Aramaic
  • Azeri
  • Dhivehi/Maldivian
  • Hebrew
  • Kurdish (Sorani)
  • Persian/Farsi
  • Urdu

 

Quick reference points:

Languages which use the following scripts are written left to right: Latin, Modern Greek, Cyrillic, Indic and Southeast Asian. Therefore, most of the modern languages of Europe, North and South America, India and Southeast Asia are written left to right.

 

FAQs

  • Does Chinese read from top to bottom?
    Chinese, Japanese and Korean are generally more flexible and can be written left to right, or vertically top to bottom (with vertical lines proceeding from right to left). Sometimes both directions can even be combined on one page, in Chinese newspapers for example. When planning your sales literature, community information, product brochures etc, it’s now more common for these to be left to right, as English.
  • My Arabic text doesn’t look right in InDesign. Is it supported?
    Only Middle Eastern versions of InDesign or 3rd party plug-ins can handle the Middle Eastern scripts.
  • If it reads from right to left, how do I lay out my brochure?
    Just the opposite to English. The front cover in English will be the back cover in Arabic. You need to flip the layout so your eyes travel from right to left across the page.

If you need any advice on how to organise your design to accommodate a right to left language, call 08450 345677 and we’ll be happy to advise you.

Andiamo! offers typesetting in right to left languages so why not let us make it easy for you. Click here for more info.

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