Sans Contrasted Maba 3 is a light, wide, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: editorial, magazines, book design, branding, packaging, elegant, literary, refined, airy, contemporary, readable elegance, modern editorial, soft sophistication, humanist clarity, open forms, calligraphic, humanist, soft terminals, high aperture.
This typeface presents as a clean, lightly drawn design with gently modulated strokes and a distinctly humanist skeleton. Curves are generous and open, with rounded bowls and high apertures that keep counters spacious. Terminals tend to finish softly rather than with hard cuts, and joins feel slightly calligraphic, giving the outlines a warm, hand-influenced rhythm despite the overall crispness. Proportions are on the broader side, with ample sidebearings and steady spacing that reads calm and uncompressed in text.
It is well suited to editorial typography—magazines, books, long-form articles, and cultural content—where a light, spacious texture can add sophistication without feeling ornate. The wide, open letterforms also make it a strong option for branding and packaging that aims for an understated premium feel, especially at display and subhead sizes.
The overall tone is poised and cultivated, balancing contemporary simplicity with a subtle, bookish refinement. Its softness and open shapes make it feel approachable rather than clinical, lending a quiet elegance suited to polished editorial voice.
The design appears intended to deliver a modern, readable voice with a refined, slightly calligraphic undercurrent—prioritizing open counters, smooth curves, and a relaxed rhythm to maintain clarity while adding tasteful character.
Uppercase forms read stately and measured, while the lowercase introduces more personality through rounded construction and gently varied stroke emphasis. Numerals follow the same light, open approach, contributing to an even, graceful color in mixed alphanumeric settings.