Slab Square Basi 3 is a regular weight, narrow, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font.
Keywords: posters, packaging, editorial, headlines, labels, typewriter, industrial, vintage, no-nonsense, rugged, distressed print, typewriter feel, retro utility, rugged display, slab serif, bracketed serifs, inked edges, sturdy, compressed.
A compact slab serif with sturdy, block-like serifs and a slightly compressed stance. Strokes are fairly even with modest contrast, and the forms show deliberate irregularities—roughened edges, small notches, and uneven inking—that mimic worn metal type or a heavily used ribbon. Counters are relatively tight and openings are modest, with sturdy verticals and blunt terminals that keep the texture dense. Overall spacing and rhythm feel utilitarian, with a consistent, stamped impression across letters and numerals.
Best suited to display sizes where the worn, stamped texture can read clearly—posters, headlines, packaging, and label-style graphics. It can also work for short editorial callouts or pull quotes when a vintage, typewriter-like voice is desired, though the dense texture may become busy in long small-size text.
The font conveys a mechanical, archival tone—like official paperwork, labels, or equipment markings—tempered by a distressed, imperfect print character. Its rough imprint adds grit and authenticity, evoking mid-century office type, workshop ephemera, and analogue reproduction.
The design appears intended to deliver a robust slab-serif foundation with the visual credibility of imperfect printing—suggesting old office machinery, utilitarian signage, or reproduced documents—while staying structured enough for strong typographic impact.
The distressing appears integrated into the letterforms rather than applied as a separate overlay, producing consistent scuffs at serifs, joints, and along stems. The numerals and capitals maintain the same rugged texture, helping mixed-case settings retain a cohesive, typewritten color on the page.