Sans Contrasted Apno 3 is a regular weight, very narrow, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, packaging, logotypes, film titles, art deco, theatrical, retro, eccentric, mysterious, display impact, vintage flavor, space saving, dramatic tone, signage look, condensed, high-waisted, tapered strokes, flared terminals, ink-trap feel.
A tightly condensed, display-oriented sans with tall proportions and a pronounced vertical rhythm. Strokes are mostly straight and upright, with noticeable modulation and tapering that creates sharp, wedge-like joins and occasional flared terminals. Curves are narrow and controlled, and several letters show slight asymmetries and pointed interior corners that give an ink-trap-like bite at joins. The overall texture is dark and linear, with compact counters and a strong, poster-like presence at larger sizes.
Best suited to headlines, posters, and title treatments where its narrow width and sharpened modulation can read clearly and contribute character. It also works well for packaging, event promotions, and logo wordmarks that want a vintage, theatrical edge. For longer text, it will generally perform better in short bursts or large point sizes where its tight counters and spiky details don’t crowd.
The font reads as dramatic and stylized, evoking vintage signage and Art Deco-era titling. Its pinched curves, sharp tapers, and narrow stance add a slightly uncanny, theatrical tone that can feel noir, spooky, or cabaret-like depending on setting and spacing.
The design appears intended as a characterful condensed display face that blends sans construction with tapered, decorative modulation to create a period-leaning, dramatic voice. Its consistent vertical emphasis and stylized terminals suggest it was drawn to stand out in titling and branding rather than disappear into continuous reading.
The condensed structure produces a tight horizontal footprint while keeping a tall, emphatic silhouette. Numerals and capitals follow the same narrow, tapered logic, reinforcing a consistent display voice; small details in the terminals and inner corners become more apparent as size increases.