Mudraksharvichar
project brief
Keywords: Typography, Typesetting, Indian Language Typography, Book Design, Graphic Design, Publishing, Publication Design
Objective: To research, explore, design and typeset a book of approximately 300 pages, comprising about 20 important, out-of-print texts on typography written in Marathi. The book will include text, images, tables, footnotes, and references, and is intended for students, practitioners, and the general public interested in Indian language typography, typesetting, publication design, and their history.
My role
Research: Analyzing the tone, structure, and historical context of the content
Design: Creating an integrated typesetting system that shapes the book’s overall visual language grid, typography, illustrations, and color palette.
Development: How to make the old material accessible for a younger contemporary audience
background of the project
The decades from the 1940s to the 1980s were a formative period in Marathi typography, marked by the shift from metal type to phototypesetting and the growth of regional publishing. Technical manuals, essays, memoirs, and guides documented this transformation, but much of this material remains hidden in fragile journals, pamphlets, and private archives.
This project is an act of archival rescue and typographic care, bringing these overlooked texts back into circulation and treating them as living contributions to the ongoing conversation around Indian language typography.
Content
These articles have been collected from libraries and sections of older books on design and typography. The book brings together three main types of writing:
Reflective: Autobiographies and accounts of printers, typographers, and notable contributors. For example, Ranu Ravji’s autobiography describes early printing practices, showing typography as a technical craft shaped by manual effort, precision, and limited resources.
Documentary: Articles documenting typography, grids, layouts, printing presses, and personal experiences of visiting presses. The 1977 Monotype article, for instance, explores different point sizes and their effects on readability, hierarchy, and visual impact.
Technical / Instructional: Practical guides explaining printing-press processes and equipment for workers.
Footnotes and explanations have also been added throughout to make older Marathi texts more accessible to contemporary readers.
While studying these elements, I categorized all non-body content into the following components:
Illustrative Diagrams (with Icons)
Data Tables
Landscape Images
Portrait Images
Structured Lists (Bullet Points)
Footers (for explainations)
Analyzing Marathi books
I studied the layouts of a few Marathi as well as Latin books, comparing them to understand how each system approaches structure and readability. Through this comparison, I analyzed how Devanagari grid systems differ from Latin ones especially in terms of vertical proportions, matra alignment, and text density and how they need to be handled in a more sensitive and structured way.
इथून तिथून (Ithun Tithun) – सुहास शिरवळकर
Why I chose this book: The book serves as a reference point to study how traditional Marathi publications handle hierarchy, spacing, and readability without heavy visual intervention. also, it contains collection of essays similarly the book I am designing is collection of articles so studying this layout will help me in my book
Aajichya Potaditlya Goshti (translated as Stories from Grandmother’s Bag)
Why I chose this book: This book has got multiple Illustrations use in a way it feels like a visual gap while reading it studying these illustrations can help me anaylise illustration style for the project book too also, it contains collection of stories similarly the book I am designing.
ययाति (Yayati)
Why I chose this book: I chose ययाती for my layout research primarily to study the use of indents in typesetting. The book provides a good example of how indents are used to guide readability and create natural pauses within the text. By observing where indents begin and how consistently they are applied, I aimed to understand their role in structuring paragraphs and improving the reading flow. This helped me analyze how subtle layout decisions can influence the reader’s pace and comprehension, especially in long-form literary texts.
Problem Statement
The problem this project addresses is not simply one of availability. It is a problem of transmission, of how knowledge moves across generations. And it is a design problem. A stack of photocopied journal articles, even perfectly preserved, does not invite a new reader in. A designed book does.
Book Sizing
I chose a medium-sized format for my book because it requires both hands to hold, making it well-suited for academic or longer reading sessions. This size allows for a more spacious and structured layout, which works best for presenting dense content clearly. Overall, this format fits the nature of my content and enhances the reader's experience.
Fonts and Theme
Since the book is rooted in a historical context, I wanted it to carry an “old book” essence. I experimented with both serif and sans serif typefaces, but chose a serif font as it better aligned with the tone and theme.
I also introduced a strong contrast between the heading and body fonts to create visual interest. This contrast helps make the layout more engaging and appealing, especially for younger readers. Alongside this, I experimented with different fonts, colours, and point sizes for headers and footers to establish a clear hierarchy and consistent system.
Illustration Guideline
Human figures are stylised with sharp features, angular limbs, exaggerated poses, and expressive gestures, creating a satirical rather than realistic style. Indian attire such as sarees, kurtas, and topis is commonly used, with solid black hair and clothing for contrast.
Clean, controlled linework and minimal shading define depth. Vertical lines suggest walls, while horizontal lines indicate the ground. Backgrounds remain active with textures, papers, and work-related details that add context without cluttering the composition.
Few Spreads with Illustrations
Book Cover
