This paper presents a preliminary report on the content of an original source found in the National Library in Cairo, Egypt. The document was a photocopy of a handwritten memorandum prepared by the then director of Dar al-Kutub, Mohammed Nadim. Nadim was personally involved in some of the initiatives leading to a reform of Arabic script and printing. The presentation will summarize Nadim’s contributions in light of the discovered document. Nadim prepared his memorandum in 1948, shortly after a committee meeting addressing proposals of script reform. The memo summarizes some of the key events in the history of Egyptian printing prior to the proposal of script reform, and it extensively describes the difficulties of reconciling letterpress printing with the rules of Arabic script and calligraphy. The document provides valuable new insight into the later phases of moveable type printing in Egypt. The Nadim memo speaks to a pivotal and particular moment in the history of Arabic print culture and the Arabic language. The historical and academic value of this document is threefold: First, the history of printing in Egypt remains a subject that has not received as much academic attention as it deserves, and there are few publications in English that address the technical aspects of Arabic printing. Second, the publications available in English or French typically cover the origins of Egyptian printing, starting with the use of the printing press during the Napoleonic occupation and the reforms of Muhammad Ali Basha. Muhammad Ali established the state-run Bulaq Press (El-Amiriya Press) in 1820, but these developments mark only the beginning of a century-long period of experimentation in printing techniques. Printers continued to adjust the new technology for the aesthetic, religious, educational, and political needs of the public and the government. Thirdly, few original sources on the subject are easily accessible for researchers in Egypt or elsewhere. They are scattered in different institutions and often not catalogued, as was the case with this document. It is therefore important to publicize newly discovered materials such as the 1948 memorandum of Muhammad Nadim.