Slab Contrasted Erna 3 is a very bold, very wide, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, branding, packaging, signage, playful, retro, circus, friendly, punchy, attention, nostalgia, warmth, impact, bracketed, chunky, soft corners, swashy, expressive.
A chunky display slab with heavily bracketed, block-like serifs and rounded, slightly bulging stroke joins. The letterforms feel intentionally irregular: stems subtly swell and taper, counters are generously open, and many glyphs show small asymmetries that create a hand-cut, poster-like rhythm. Terminals are mostly blunt and squared, but softened by curved transitions; the overall silhouette reads as weighty and compact with strong horizontal emphasis and lively spacing.
Best suited for short, high-impact settings such as posters, headlines, product packaging, storefront signage, and bold brand marks where texture and personality are an asset. It can also work for subheads or callouts when you want a friendly, retro emphasis, but the heavy shapes and expressive irregularity are less appropriate for extended body text.
The font projects a bold, playful personality with a vintage showcard sensibility. Its exaggerated slabs and bouncy proportions evoke old posters, carnival signage, and mid-century novelty typography, giving text an upbeat, characterful presence.
The design appears intended to deliver a strong, attention-grabbing slab-serif voice with a handcrafted, vintage flavor. Its softened bracketing, inflated shapes, and deliberate irregularities prioritize character and visibility over strict geometric consistency.
Across the alphabet, the slabs often flare slightly and the bracketing adds a cushioned feel rather than sharp mechanical corners. Round letters like O/Q are notably full and heavy, while diagonals and arms keep a slightly wavy, animated contour that reinforces the informal display tone.