Slab Contrasted Vupa 9 is a very bold, wide, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font visually similar to 'DT Augustina Slab' by Deveze Type and 'Clarendon' by URW Type Foundry (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, branding, packaging, signage, western, circus, woodtype, headline, display impact, vintage flavor, signage strength, print nostalgia, bracketed, blocky, ink-trap-like, soft corners, heavy serifs.
A heavy, compact slab-serif with pronounced, bracketed slabs and a strongly sculpted, woodtype-like silhouette. Strokes show clear shaping at joins and terminals, with subtly scooped interiors and occasional notch-like cut-ins that add texture without breaking the solid color. Counters are relatively small and rounded-square in feel, keeping the page tone dense; lowercase forms lean toward sturdy, single-storey construction with broad shoulders and short apertures. Numerals and capitals share the same confident slab rhythm, creating a consistent, poster-oriented texture.
Best suited to display contexts such as posters, headlines, and prominent pull quotes where its heavy slabs and carved details can read clearly. It also fits branding, packaging, and signage that aims for a vintage, Americana, or entertainment-forward voice, and works well for short bursts of text where impact matters more than economy.
The overall tone is bold and showmanlike, evoking vintage print, saloon signage, and fairground posters. Its chunky slabs and carved details suggest a handcrafted, stamped or letterpress heritage, giving text an assertive, nostalgic presence.
The letterforms appear designed to deliver maximum visual impact and a distinctly vintage, woodtype-inspired personality. Its bracketed slabs, sculpted joins, and dense counters prioritize a strong poster color and a memorable, characterful rhythm for display typography.
The design’s distinctive terminal shaping and tight internal spaces make it most legible when given generous size and breathing room. In longer settings it produces a strong, dark typographic color with a rhythmic, slightly playful bounce, especially where the bracketed serifs and notched joins repeat across lines.