Slab Contrasted Bera 9 is a very bold, wide, medium contrast, italic, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Malaga' by Emigre, 'FF Zine Serif Display' by FontFont, 'Adagio Serif' by Machalski, and 'Mediator Serif' and 'PT Serif Pro' by ParaType (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, sports branding, packaging, editorial leads, retro, sporty, assertive, headline, editorial, impact, movement, nostalgia, emphasis, display strength, bracketed, chunky, ink-trapless, high-impact, rounded.
A heavy italic slab-serif with broad proportions and compact interior counters. The serifs are blocky and strongly bracketed, with blunt terminals and a generally squarish construction softened by rounded joins. Strokes show clear (but not extreme) thick–thin modulation, and the slanted axis creates forward motion without feeling calligraphic. Curves in letters like C, G, O, and S are sturdy and slightly condensed internally, while diagonals in A, V, W, X, and Y read dense and stable. Figures are weighty and open enough for display, matching the letterforms’ wide, high-ink footprint.
Best suited to display settings such as posters, big headlines, sports or event branding, and packaging where strong presence is needed. It can also work for editorial lead-ins and pull quotes, especially when the goal is a bold, vintage-leaning emphasis rather than long-form comfort.
The overall tone is bold, energetic, and a bit nostalgic, recalling classic athletic lettering and mid-century print headlines. Its confident slant and thick slabs give it a punchy, promotional voice that feels more like a statement than a quiet reading face.
Designed to deliver high-impact communication with a forward-leaning, dynamic stance, combining sturdy slab serifs with a confident italic silhouette. The emphasis appears to be on attention-grabbing shapes and a memorable, retro-tinged voice for prominent typography.
The rhythm is driven by large masses of black with short apertures and tight counters, so spacing and line length will strongly affect readability. The italic angle and slab terminals create a distinct, consistent texture that favors larger sizes, where the bracketing and contrast become more evident.