Sans Superellipse Tanup 5 is a regular weight, narrow, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font visually similar to 'Helsinki' by Ludwig Type, 'Helvetica Now' by Monotype, and 'NeoGram' and 'Nuber Next' by The Northern Block (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, packaging, labels, signage, utilitarian, industrial, retro, sturdy, matter-of-fact, functional display, industrial tone, retro texture, compact economy, rounded corners, compact, monolinear, closed apertures, square-ish rounds.
This typeface is a compact, monolinear sans with rounded-rectangle construction in its curves and counters, giving round letters a subtly squared silhouette. Strokes are generally even, with firm terminals and minimal modulation, and the overall fit feels tight and efficient. The lowercase shows a tall x-height with short ascenders/descenders, producing dense, readable word shapes, while capitals are straightforward and blocky. Many forms have relatively closed apertures and sturdy joins, and several glyphs show slightly irregular edges that read as a lightly distressed or ink-pressed texture rather than clean geometric perfection.
It performs best in short-to-medium display settings where its compact width and blocky clarity can create strong typographic color—posters, headlines, packaging, labels, and wayfinding-style signage. The tall lowercase makes it effective for punchy subheads and bold captions when you want a dense, industrial voice.
The overall tone is pragmatic and tough, with a retro-industrial flavor. Its squared-round geometry feels engineered and no-nonsense, while the slight roughness adds a tactile, workmanlike character that can suggest print, stamping, or utilitarian labeling.
The design appears intended to blend functional legibility with a distinctive squared-round geometry, offering a utilitarian sans that feels engineered rather than neutral. The lightly distressed finish suggests an aim toward tactile, printed, or workwear-inspired contexts while keeping forms simple and robust.
Round characters such as O/C/G read more like softened rectangles than circles, reinforcing the mechanical rhythm. The numerals are simple and bold, with strong silhouettes that hold up in display sizes, and the texture becomes more noticeable as size increases.