Sans Normal Ulmab 1 is a regular weight, very narrow, low contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, packaging, book covers, branding, condensed, quirky, retro, playful, handmade, compact impact, expressive display, vintage flavor, signage feel, distinct voice, tall, spindly, claustrophobic, angular curves, tight spacing.
A condensed, tall sans with softly irregular construction and compact counters. Strokes stay mostly monolinear with minimal contrast, while terminals often taper or angle slightly, giving the outlines a subtly hand-drawn, cut-paper feel. Curves are narrow and pinched (notably in round letters), and verticals dominate the texture, producing a tight, upright rhythm. The lowercase mixes simple, single-storey forms with small bowls and short arms, and the numerals follow the same compressed, slightly quirky proportions for a consistent overall color.
Best suited to headlines, short phrases, and branding where a compact width and distinctive personality help text stand out. It can work for packaging, book covers, and poster typography, and for captions or pull quotes when given extra line spacing; it is less ideal for long body text at small sizes due to its tight counters and narrow forms.
The tone is lively and idiosyncratic—part mid-century display, part handmade signage. Its narrowness and tapered details add a theatrical, slightly mysterious character that feels more expressive than neutral, while still remaining clean enough to read at display sizes.
The design appears intended to offer a condensed display sans with a human, slightly eccentric flavor—prioritizing personality and vertical impact while keeping strokes simple and legible for titling and graphic use.
Letterforms show deliberate asymmetry and small variations in curvature that keep lines of text from feeling mechanical. The condensed proportions create strong vertical striping in paragraphs, so it benefits from generous leading and moderate tracking when set in longer lines.