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The most significant visual change in Arabic books at the time was the cover image. During the 1960s, book covers became predominantly pictorial, gradually moving away from standardised calligraphic or typeset titles, thus enlisting the visual skills of artists, illustrators and graphic designers. Some commissions were sparked by networks of friendship and politics between publishers, authors and artists. Others involved professionals, who were the pioneers of an emerging book cover design and illustration practice, such as Abdulkader Arnaout, Hussein Bicar, Helmi el-Touni, and Ismail Shammout.