Slab Contrasted Onmo 9 is a very bold, narrow, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font visually similar to 'Old Wood JNL' by Jeff Levine (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, logos, packaging, signage, western, circus, vintage, playful, poster, wood-type revival, showbill impact, retro signage, playful branding, heavy serifs, ink-trap feel, soft corners, low apertures, rounded terminals.
A compact, heavy display face with blocky slab serifs and a subtly sculpted, cut-in look. Strokes are thick and dark with gentle, uneven-looking contouring that creates small notches and pinched joins, giving an ink-trap or carved effect in counters and at stroke intersections. Serifs read as rectangular and sturdy, often bracketed by slight curves, while terminals are softly rounded rather than sharp. Letterforms are condensed and vertically emphatic, with small apertures and enclosed bowls that keep the texture dense and poster-like across lines of text.
Best suited to display settings where impact and personality matter: posters, headlines, event branding, logos, packaging, and short signage. It performs well at medium-to-large sizes where the sculpted notches and slab structure remain clear and add a vintage showbill flavor to the layout.
The overall tone feels rooted in showbill and old-west vernacular—bold, theatrical, and slightly mischievous. Its chunky slabs and cut-in detailing evoke hand-set wood type and carnival signage, projecting confidence and a nostalgic, entertainment-forward energy.
The letterforms appear designed to emulate bold wood-type and theatrical slabs, combining a dense, attention-grabbing color with carved-in details that add warmth and period character. The goal is strong readability at display sizes while signaling a retro, entertainment-oriented mood.
The design leans on strong silhouette and interior cutouts for character, which can create lively texture but also increases visual mass in longer passages. The numerals match the same stout, sign-painterly weight and simplified forms, supporting cohesive headline and labeling use.