Sans Superellipse Hiref 3 is a very bold, narrow, low contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Folio' by Bitstream, 'Albireo' and 'Albireo Soft' by Cory Maylett Design, 'Folio' by Linotype, and 'Ordax' by The Northern Block (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: headlines, posters, branding, sports, packaging, industrial, sporty, condensed, confident, retro, space saving, high impact, headline focus, industrial tone, blocky, compact, sturdy, clean.
A compact, heavy sans with tall proportions and tightly controlled counters. Curves resolve into rounded-rectangle shapes, giving bowls and terminals a squared, engineered feel rather than a purely geometric roundness. Strokes stay largely consistent in thickness, with crisp joins and minimal modulation, creating a dense, poster-ready color. Round letters like O/C/G read as vertically stressed superellipses, while diagonals and notches (notably in K, R, and Z) add sharp, utilitarian articulation. Numerals follow the same condensed, block-forward construction for a uniform, forceful texture.
Best suited to high-impact settings such as headlines, posters, social graphics, sports branding, and packaging where dense, condensed letterforms help maximize presence in limited space. It also works well for short labels, signage, and bold editorial callouts that need a firm, industrial voice.
The overall tone is assertive and workmanlike, with a modern-industrial edge and a hint of vintage athletic or headline typography. Its compressed stance and squared curves project efficiency, strength, and immediacy rather than delicacy or warmth.
The design appears intended to deliver maximum visual impact through compact width and heavy, squared-round construction, balancing geometric regularity with hard-edged details. It emphasizes legibility at large sizes and a strong typographic silhouette for branding and display applications.
At display sizes it forms a strong rhythm with prominent vertical stems and compact apertures, which helps it hold together in tight headline settings. The squared curves and narrow internal spaces suggest it will look most comfortable with a bit of tracking when used in longer lines.