Slab Contrasted Mise 8 is a very bold, very narrow, high contrast, upright, tall x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, signage, logotypes, packaging, circus, woodtype, vintage, poster, attention-grabbing, vintage revival, poster impact, decorative stencil, condensed, stencil-cut, tuscan, notched, ornamental.
A condensed, heavy display face built from tall vertical stems and rounded bowls, punctuated by deep, symmetrical side cut-ins that create a stencil-like negative space through many letters. The serifs read as slabby and decorative, with notched, bracketed details that give several glyphs a Tuscan/woodtype flavor. Contrast is expressed less through delicate hairlines and more through abrupt shifts between blocky stems, sculpted joins, and hollowed counters. Spacing and width vary by character, but the overall rhythm stays tightly packed and vertical, producing a strong, columnar texture in text.
Best suited for short, prominent settings such as posters, headlines, event graphics, storefront signage, and branding marks where its carved, decorative details can be appreciated. It can also add period character to packaging and labels, especially when paired with simpler supporting text.
The cut-out shapes and ornamental slab treatment evoke 19th‑century show posters, saloon signage, and circus playbills. It feels bold, theatrical, and slightly quirky—designed to grab attention and project a handcrafted, print-era character rather than a neutral tone.
The design appears intended as an attention-first display face that references woodtype and ornamental slab traditions, using repeated cut-in shapes to create a distinctive, stamped or die-cut identity. Its narrow, vertical build suggests it was drawn to maximize impact in tight horizontal space while maintaining a strong, poster-friendly silhouette.
The distinctive mid-stem cut-ins are consistent across uppercase, lowercase, and numerals, giving the design a recognizable "punched" silhouette even at a distance. Rounded forms like O/Q and the numerals maintain solid, heavy counters, while letters with diagonals (K, N, X, Y) keep the same carved-in motif to preserve stylistic cohesion.