Slab Square Imlu 3 is a very bold, very wide, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font.
Keywords: headlines, posters, signage, logos, packaging, western, poster, rugged, playful, retro, impact, nostalgia, personality, branding, blocky, bracketed, ink-trap, notched, high-contrast.
A heavy, block-built slab serif with wide proportions and compact counters. Strokes are squared off with prominent slab terminals, while many joins and corners show deliberate notches and cut-ins that create a carved, ink-trap-like texture. The letterforms keep an upright stance with a tall x-height and short extenders, producing a dense, rectangular rhythm in text. Overall spacing is generous and the silhouettes read as bold, flat-topped shapes with distinctive interior cutouts.
Best suited to large-scale display settings such as posters, headlines, signage, and branding marks where its notched slabs can be appreciated. It can also work on packaging or labels that benefit from a bold, vintage voice. For long passages, the dense texture and strong striping suggest using it sparingly or with ample leading.
The face projects a bold, rugged confidence with a clear Western and wood-type influence. Its notched detailing adds a lively, slightly mischievous edge that feels theatrical and attention-seeking. The overall tone is nostalgic and punchy, leaning more toward display personality than quiet neutrality.
The design appears intended to evoke classic slab-serif display traditions—especially Western and wood-type poster aesthetics—while adding distinctive notched detailing to enhance impact and personality. Its wide stance and tall lowercase aim for strong readability at display sizes, with a consistent, engineered geometry that keeps the look cohesive across letters and numbers.
In the sample text, the strong horizontal slabs and squared curves create pronounced striping, especially across lines of mixed upper/lowercase. The numerals and round letters maintain squarish bowls and consistent weight, reinforcing a sturdy, sign-painting feel. The internal notches become more noticeable at larger sizes, where they function as a defining stylistic motif.