Thuluth vs Naskh: What Is the Difference?

Thuluth and naskh are two foundational scripts of classical calligraphy. Short answer: Thuluth is larger, more ornamental and emphasises vertical movement; it is used for titles and panels. Naskh is smaller, highly legible and flows horizontally; it is preferred for books and text. Pen width: In thuluth the nib is usually 2–3 mm and letters are measured in multiples of the pen width. Naskh uses a finer pen. Use: Mosque frieze inscriptions and large panels are thuluth; Qur'an and treatise text is naskh. At Arakiye our calligraphy panels are mostly designed to thuluth proportions, because on wood we want depth and legibility together.