Blackletter Ethi 3 is a regular weight, narrow, high contrast, italic, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, logotypes, packaging, invitations, gothic, medieval, dramatic, ornate, calligraphic, historic evocation, display impact, handmade texture, decorative flair, angular, spiky, tapered, sheared, compressed.
This typeface presents a sharply sheared, calligraphic blackletter look with compressed proportions and pronounced thick–thin modulation. Strokes appear brush- or pen-driven, with tapered entrances and exits and frequent blade-like terminals that create a jagged rhythm. Counters are tight and many forms show internal cuts and broken-stroke detailing, giving letters a textured, carved-in-ink feel. Uppercase shapes are more ornate and weighty, while the lowercase maintains a brisk slant and compact, upright-leaning structure for a consistent, lively texture in lines of text.
It is well suited to short-form display settings such as posters, album or event titling, brand marks, and packaging where a medieval or gothic atmosphere is desired. It can work for invitations or certificates when set at larger sizes with ample tracking, while long paragraphs or small text may become visually dense due to the tight counters and ornate stroke breaks.
The overall tone is gothic and theatrical, evoking medieval manuscripts and old-world proclamations. Its sharp angles and dramatic contrast lend a sense of intensity and ceremony, with an intentionally roughened, handmade edge that feels expressive rather than polished.
The design intention appears to be a contemporary, hand-drawn take on blackletter that emphasizes speed, slant, and dramatic contrast while preserving a historic, manuscript-like presence. Decorative cuts, tapered strokes, and compressed forms seem chosen to maximize texture and impact in display use.
The set includes swash-like strokes and hooked terminals on several capitals and descenders, which increases visual personality but also heightens the need for generous spacing and size. Numerals follow the same calligraphic logic, with stylized curves and contrasting stress that match the text color of the letters.