Serif Normal Esso 9 is a regular weight, wide, very high contrast, italic, normal x-height font.
Keywords: editorial, headlines, fashion, branding, pull quotes, elegant, dramatic, refined, elegance, emphasis, luxury, expressiveness, modern classic, high-contrast, calligraphic, crisp serifs, brisk rhythm, pointed terminals.
This is a high-contrast italic serif with a lively, calligraphic construction and crisp, sharply bracketed serifs. Strokes show pronounced thick–thin transitions, with hairline joins and tapered terminals that create a shimmering texture in words. The italic angle is assertive but controlled, and the letterforms feel slightly expanded, giving lines a spacious, airy rhythm. Curves are smooth and tensioned, counters are open, and the overall drawing favors sharp details over softness, producing a clean, incisive silhouette in both uppercase and lowercase.
It suits editorial headlines, magazine typography, pull quotes, and brand-led applications where an italic voice carries personality and emphasis. It will also work for short-to-medium text in refined settings, especially when generous size, leading, and printing quality can support the delicate hairlines.
The tone is polished and dramatic, suggesting luxury and refinement without becoming ornate. Its brisk italics and razor-thin hairlines convey a fashion/editorial sensibility—confident, expressive, and slightly theatrical—while still reading as a conventional book-serif voice.
The design appears intended to deliver a modern, high-contrast italic with a classic serif foundation—prioritizing elegance, motion, and typographic color for display and expressive text settings rather than utilitarian neutrality.
The numeral set follows the same italic, high-contrast logic, with elegant curves and tapered strokes that match the text. In the sample paragraphs, the texture is energetic and slanted, with strong word-shape definition and clear emphasis in capital forms and swash-like joins on some letters.