Serif Normal Holab 3 is a regular weight, normal width, medium contrast, italic, normal x-height font.
Keywords: book italics, editorial, magazines, quotations, captions, classic, literary, elegant, formal, scholarly, text emphasis, editorial clarity, classic refinement, calligraphic nuance, oldstyle, calligraphic, bracketed, oblique stress, open counters.
This is a conventional italic serif with a distinctly calligraphic rhythm: capitals are gently slanted with tapered terminals, and lowercase forms show flowing entry/exit strokes and bracketed serifs. Strokes exhibit moderate modulation, with diagonals and joins thinning naturally, giving letters an oblique, pen-driven feel. Proportions are balanced with a moderate x-height, generous inner counters, and a steady baseline, while spacing reads slightly lively due to the italic slant and varied letter widths. Numerals match the text color and slant, aligning comfortably with the letterforms for continuous reading.
Well suited for book and long-form editorial italics, including emphasis, quotations, foreign words, and cited titles. It can also work effectively in magazine typography, academic materials, and refined branding or packaging where a traditional italic serif voice is desired.
The overall tone is classic and literary, projecting an educated, editorial voice rather than a decorative one. Its italic movement adds a refined, expressive emphasis that feels traditional and trustworthy, suitable for dignified, text-forward settings.
The design appears intended as a practical, text-oriented italic serif that brings a measured amount of calligraphic character while maintaining conventional proportions and readability. It aims to provide elegant emphasis and a classic tone without sacrificing typographic discipline.
Uppercase shapes remain restrained and legible, avoiding flamboyant swashes, while the lowercase italic introduces the main personality through curved joins, angled terminals, and smoothly modulated strokes. The design keeps a consistent texture across lines in the sample text, suggesting it is meant to read as a coherent text italic rather than an accent-only script.