June 15, 2008
Posted by yaman
Arabic in Photoshop CS3 in Mac OS X
If you have had difficulties typing Arabic text into Photoshop, I have created a Google Code project to develop an open-source script that will provide a solution: Arabic4MacPhotoshop. The Photoshop Script that I wrote will enable Photoshop users to create properly shaped Arabic text in Photoshop graphics.
Currently, Arabic text in Photoshop on Mac appears as disconnected characters in backwards-order (pictured to the right). My script, which does not work in all cases and may require some additional fiddling on the part of the user, will automatically convert Arabic text you have entered into Photoshop into legible Arabic script. It will automatically remove all diacritic marks from your text and create individual text layers for each marking, so that you can position them in the correct spot above the appropriate letter. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any simple way to avoid this extra step for the time being.
What this script does is evaluate Arabic characters to determine what the correct shape should be, whether it is at the beginning, middle, or end of a word, and what the preceding character is. It then converts the Unicode representation in memory to the one for the specific ligature rather than the base character. It will then create a new Text Layer with the “fixed” text, as well as additional layers for any diacritic mark (fatha, domma, kasra, shaddeh, etcetera). If you wish to edit your text after this point, you must repeat the process and edit the original, disconnected, backwards text, rather than the “fixed” text. Otherwise you will run into problems.
While this script does not solve all issues, it provides an alternative fix for probably an overwhelming amount of Arabic work that needs to be done in Photoshop. One solution for Mac Photoshop users is this $1,700 modified application which supposedly has completely integrated Arabic functionality as well as other features. I have never used this program since it is more expensive even than the original Photoshop. The other option is to use the free and open-source program the GIMP, which works on Windows, Linux, and Mac, and fully supports Arabic text.
If you are interested in viewing or contributing to the source code for this project in order to make future improvements, please visit the project site: Arabic4MacPhotoshop. Also feel free to report any problems and suggestions so that they might be improved. As this script is released under the GPLv3, any and all revisions must in distribution include the source code in its entirety, and commercial use or reproduction is prohibited.
If you like this free and open-source product, please consider donating to support the development of other tools like it by clicking the button below!
33 Comments
June 15, 2008
If you were on the same continent I’d jump and kiss u “bei 3yonak”! ;)
June 15, 2008
Great work, hope others will take advantage.
Hope you will have a window version in the future.
But thank you, you reminded me to download GIMP to my daughter since she asked me for photoshop and this is for free and better than upgrading the old photoshp.
Thanks
June 15, 2008
Hi saint, I don’t have windows but does the same problem exist for the Windows Photoshop? If so, then this script might actually work on Windows as well..
Yazan, be careful what you wish for, because we will be on the same continent next week I think ;-)
June 17, 2008
That’s amazing!
I’ve been typing in Word then using the snipping tool to make a PNG graphic to place into Photoshop, but this is very cool!
June 17, 2008
ربنا يخليك! But still, I do not understand why people just give up and use GIMP. Unless you are professionally required to use Photoshop, we should support more Adobe bloatware.
June 17, 2008
There are a lot of things people should and shouldn’t do but choice of software is, in this case, the last thing I will argue about :) I would say the main reason though is that the GIMP requires more “know-how” in order to reproduce pre-packaged Photoshop filters.
July 28, 2008
sorry..but how do I install the script? do i just add it in the PS plug-ins folder?
thanks!
July 29, 2008
kimo, there is no installation for the script. You can place it anywhere you would like on your hard drive, and when you would like to use it, simply go to File–>Scripts–>Browse and then select the file on your hard drive and it will run automatically. You will need to run the script for each Arabic text layer individually, every time you type new text.
July 30, 2008
thanks a lot for the tip yaman..will def try it out today..great work! keep it up :)
August 11, 2008
Great script!….you saved me hours of work:D
October 8, 2008
Yaman,
You’re a genius bro. Thanks for sharing this wonderful masterpiece this makes my life easy and productive saves the time in conversion and correction.
And oh, I’m using PC and it works!
Cheers!
December 19, 2008
Thanks, man. Helped a lot.
January 16, 2009
I am unable to aply the code to my Photoshop 7 (Windows). How can I do that? Should I use the Automate command?
January 16, 2009
I am not sure Anton. Sorry. However I don’t think Photoshop v 7 is the same as Photoshop v CS3. Maybe if you can find information about scripting in Photoshop 7, you can apply the same script, or make some small modifications to it.
January 21, 2009
Woho :) It even works with CS4 :)
Thanks Yaman :)
January 30, 2009
Shukran! Thank you! That really helps a lot!.
Just in case somebody else is having troubles to get the shadda/tashdid with the small alif right when writing “Allah”: Note that there ist a unicode (that exists in Arial font for example) for the whole ligature of lam-lam-ha with shadda and small alif: 65010 [FDF2] ?
February 7, 2009
Dear Yaman, thanks alot for your wonderful program. It made my day! However it needed some modification for supporting additional Farsi characters (P, Zh, Ch, G and Farsi Ye). Could it possible to add me to google project page so I add small modification to source. This way other Farsi users will be able to use this without any problems. I also recommend everyone to make a photoshop macro for .js file for quick and easy use.
February 22, 2009
thank you very much Yaman, now my long time problem is solved at last,
it works very well for me, but depending on the fonts used.
April 1, 2009
Hi,
I love the idea of this script, I need to translate a site into arabic. Everything seems to work perfectly except the text seems to read from the bottom up – i.e. the lines are reversed. Any idea why this would be?
|G|
April 29, 2009
thanks so much. my hat is off you you my friend. i work at amnesty international, and you contribution will enable us to control arabic script from the start to the end of the online publishing process.
April 29, 2009
Yaman,
Thank you. You just saved our graphic designer a bunch of time as we enter the Arab-speaking world with our products. Expect a donation shortly.
June 17, 2009
Ahlan Yaman,
Razan told me about this page cause I was asking about the same issue. I downloaded the file, but it opens as a Dreamweaver file. Any idea why it’s doing that?
June 24, 2009
HOW CAN I USE THIS SCRIPT
TELL ME PLZ
THANKS
July 6, 2009
great script
im using windows vista and ps cs3 and it worked for me :)
July 7, 2009
Thank you so much.. worked for me on Photoshop CS4 Mac..
Greetings from Egypt
Adham
July 28, 2009
Really great script, worked perfectly and helped me to make the arabic web banner my company needed. Thanks a lot
August 2, 2009
so how does it works ?
August 3, 2009
so how does it work ?
August 3, 2009
this works for me too :D
HOW TO USE IT ?
1-add the script file to :
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2\Presets\Scripts\
2-go to photoshop and wirte some arabic words
3-in photoshop(cs2,cs3,cs4):
File >> Scripts >> Arabic4MacPhotoshop-0.2
and watch the magic ;)
September 2, 2009
thank you so much!!! i love you
December 7, 2009
This is fantastic. You are really making a difference to a lot of people. Thanks for taking the time to do this and for making your hard work available to the rest of us!
December 23, 2009
mannnnnnnnnnn !!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAAANKS ALOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT !!! :) :) :)
February 2, 2010
Jazaaka Allahu khairan!!
it saved my life!
Big thanx :)
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