Slab Square Toba 4 is a bold, normal width, low contrast, italic, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Shemekia' by Areatype; 'Gaspo Slab', 'Multiple', and 'Sánchez Niu' by Latinotype; 'Egyptian Slate', 'Jornada Slab', and 'Prelo Slab Pro' by Monotype; 'Rothwood' by Type-Ø-Tones; and 'Palo Slab' by TypeUnion (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: headlines, posters, branding, packaging, sportswear, sporty, editorial, confident, retro, industrial, emphasis, impact, heritage, athletic, bracketed, robust, compact, sturdy, punchy.
A heavy, forward-leaning slab serif with compact, muscular letterforms and a tight internal rhythm. Strokes are thick and largely monolinear, with pronounced slab serifs that read as squared and firmly attached, often with subtle bracketing. Counters are relatively small, joins are dense, and curves are rounded but controlled, giving the design a strong, built-from-blocks silhouette. The italic slant is consistent across caps and lowercase, and the overall texture stays dark and steady in text.
Best suited to display applications where a bold, emphatic voice is needed—headlines, posters, labels, and branding systems that benefit from a sturdy italic. It can also work for short editorial callouts, pull quotes, and punchy subheads where a dark, confident texture is desirable.
The tone is assertive and energetic, combining a workmanlike sturdiness with a classic, old-school flair. Its angled stance and chunky slabs suggest motion and emphasis, making it feel sporty and headline-driven while still retaining a traditional print sensibility.
The design appears intended to deliver strong emphasis through a dense slab-serif structure and a consistent italic slant, balancing traditional serif cues with a more forceful, contemporary display presence.
Uppercase shapes appear wide and stable with strong horizontals, while the lowercase keeps a compact, readable structure that maintains weight and presence at smaller sizes. Numerals match the same sturdy construction and feel suited to prominent, high-contrast-on-page settings.