Slab Contrasted Susa 5 is a very bold, wide, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Clarendon BT' by Bitstream, 'Clarendon' and 'Clarendon LT' by Linotype, 'Clarendon SB' and 'Clarendon SH' by Scangraphic Digital Type Collection, and 'Clarendon' and 'Clarendon No 1' by URW Type Foundry (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: headlines, posters, signage, sports branding, packaging, western, poster, athletic, vintage, assertive, impact, heritage, sturdiness, chunky, bracketed, ink-trap, soft corners, high impact.
A heavy slab serif with broad proportions and compact internal counters, built from blocky stems and strongly bracketed, rectangular serifs. Stroke joins and corners appear slightly softened, with small notch-like ink traps at some junctions that help keep the dense shapes from clogging at display sizes. Round letters (O, C, G) are wide and full, while straight-sided forms (H, N, E) read sturdy and rectangular; the overall rhythm is bold and even, with clear, stable horizontals and pronounced slabs. Figures are similarly weighty and wide, matching the alphabet’s strong baseline presence.
Best suited to short, bold statements: headlines, posters, storefront or event signage, and logo lockups where a sturdy slab presence is desired. It can also work for packaging and label-style graphics that benefit from a vintage, high-impact look, while long-form text may feel dense due to the heavy strokes and tight counters.
The tone is confident and emphatic, with a classic, workmanlike sturdiness that recalls vintage signage and collegiate or team-style display lettering. Its chunky slabs and tight counters give it a punchy, attention-grabbing voice that feels traditional rather than sleek or delicate.
The design intent appears to be a robust, attention-first slab serif that holds up in display contexts, combining traditional bracketed slabs with subtle ink-trap detailing to maintain clarity in heavy letterforms.
Lowercase forms keep the same blocky construction as the caps, producing a consistent color in mixed-case settings. The spacing appears generous in the samples, helping readability despite the heavy weight and compact counters.