InPage Urdu 2009 and 2016: Urdu Word Processor and Page Layout Software

Overview of InPage Urdu

InPage Urdu 2009 and 2016 is a word processor and page layout software designed for languages such as Urdu, Balochi, Persian, Pashto, and Arabic on both Windows and Mac platforms. Originally developed in 1994, InPage is primarily used for creating documents in Urdu using the Nasta‘liq (نستعلیق) style—a hanging calligraphic Arabic script.

Unique Features of InPage Urdu

• De facto standard Urdu publishing tool widely used on PCs

• Utilizes an extensive ligature library of over 20,000 characters

• Offers WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) display for authentic on-screen and printed results

• Faithfully replicates hand-written Urdu calligraphy better than most other Urdu software

• User-friendly operation similar to popular desktop publishing tools like QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesign

History and Development of InPage Urdu

The Noori Nastaliq Typeface

Before InPage, the Noori style of Nastaliq was first digitized in 1981 through the collaboration between calligrapher Mirza Ahmad Jamil TI and Monotype Imaging (formerly Monotype Corp.). However, in the 1990s, this digital font faced two major issues:

1. Lack of availability on common platforms such as Windows and Mac

2. Non-WYSIWYG text entry, requiring users to create documents with commands in Monotype’s proprietary page description language

The Birth of InPage Software

In 1994, an Indian software development team—Concept Software Pvt Ltd, led by Rarendra Singh and Vijay Gupta—in collaboration with UK-based company Multilingual Solutions led by Kamran Rouhi, developed InPage Urdu for Pakistan’s newspaper industry. Prior to this, newspapers relied heavily on large teams of calligraphers to hand-write last-minute text corrections using Monotype’s system.

• The Noori Nastaliq typeface was licensed from Monotype and expanded for use in InPage

• Included 40 additional non-Nastaliq fonts for versatility

Market Reach and Popularity

• Widely used on millions of PCs in Pakistan and India, often via pirated versions

• Legally marketed and sold in the UK and India since 1994

Major Updates and Features in InPage Version 3

InPage launched Version 3 at the ITCN Asia exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan, in August 2008. This version brought several key enhancements:

• Unicode-based system supporting more languages

• Added new Nastaliq fonts with Kasheeda (elongation) support

• Compatible with OpenType Unicode fonts

• Extended language support beyond Arabic, Saraiki, Urdu, Persian, and Pashto to include regional languages such as Sindhi and Hazaragi