Galle Font Project
Digital revival of Sinhala letterforms from the 18th-century Dutch Press in Ceylon.
The Galle Font Project aims to develop a digital typeface based on the original letterforms designed by Gabriel Schade and his successors at the type foundry of the Dutch Press in Ceylon.
Historical Source
Gabriel Schade, a Dutch printer working in Ceylon in the 18th century, cut the first movable type for Sinhala and Tamil scripts under the auspices of the VOC (Dutch East India Company). The letterforms he designed — pragmatic, influenced by Dutch type-cutting traditions but adapted for Sinhala script anatomy — represent a unique moment in Sinhala typographic history.
Project Scope
The project sees an opportunity for the preservation of shared cultural heritage through:
- Archival research into the original press materials
- Documentation and analysis of surviving examples of Dutch Press Sinhala type
- Digital design of a revival typeface based on these historical letterforms
- Release under a Free and Open Source license for public use and study
Status
The research phase concluded with a proof of concept draft designed. The second phase — completing the typeface design and preparing for open-source release — is in progress.