Slab Contrasted Ermo 3 is a very bold, very wide, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Elkdale' by Matteson Typographics (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, signage, branding, packaging, western, poster, rugged, vintage, playful, attention, nostalgia, ornament, signpainting, theater, bracketed, tuscan-like, cut-in terminals, chunky, decorative.
A heavy display face built from broad, blocky forms with slab-like serifs and pronounced notched/indented shaping at corners and terminals. The outlines feel carved and angular, with bracketed connections and occasional inward bites that create a faceted silhouette. Counters are relatively small and rounded against the dense exterior mass, and stroke contrast is present but secondary to the strong, sculpted edge treatment. Spacing and widths vary by glyph, producing a lively rhythm in words rather than a strictly uniform texture.
Best suited to display settings where impact matters: posters, headlines, storefront-style signage, event titles, and bold brand marks. It performs especially well in short bursts—names, labels, and punchy phrases—where the carved slab styling can be appreciated without crowding.
The overall tone evokes classic showbill and frontier-era signage, mixing toughness with a slightly whimsical, cut-out character. Its bold, ornamented structure reads as attention-grabbing and theatrical, with a nostalgic, handmade impression rather than a neutral typographic voice.
The design appears intended to deliver a strong, ornamental slab presence with a distinctly vintage, Western-leaning flavor. Its notched terminals and sculpted slabs prioritize character and memorability, aiming for decorative display typography rather than continuous reading.
In the sample text, the dense weight and decorative terminals create strong word shapes, but the tight interior counters and busy edges can reduce clarity at smaller sizes. The numerals and capitals share the same notched motif, helping headings and short phrases feel cohesive and emblematic.