Reconceptualising Typeface Norms in Arabic Subtitling: Towards a Prescriptive Framework Based on Cognitive Readability

Subtitling is considered the oldest and most predominant audiovisual translation (AVT) mode in the Arab world, dating back to the 1930s—several decades before its polemic theoretical framing in the 1990s. The corollary is clear evidence of substantial gaps between the practice and theory of the mode. A clear-cut, theory-driven subtitling practice is almost absent in Arabic— there are no institutional standards, no subtitler guidelines, no regulatory enforcement. This article argues that such practice is essential for Arabic as it would give subtitling in the Arab world a new lease of life. The article engages with theoretically grounded norms, clearly and uncontroversially established in Translation Studies and Cognitive Science, with particular focus on subtitling standards for European languages as proposed by Karamitroglou’s (1998) study and AlJassmi’s (2020) critical study on eye movements in Arabic reading. The study is thus conceptual, based on synthesising cognitive eye-tracking research with AVT standards. The article proposes a set of Arabic-specific subtitling norms, particularly regarding typeface, which would likely enhance communication for Arabic-speaking audiences and increase the adequate appreciation of subtitled audiovisual products—now bulging round-the-clock across more than 1000 satellite channels and state-run televisions in the Arab world. The study concludes that the proportional font (e.g., Arial) is cognitively and spatially superior to monospaced fonts (e.g., Courier) for Arabic viewers.