Slab Contrasted Onby 3 is a very bold, narrow, medium contrast, upright, tall x-height font visually similar to 'AZ Varsity' by Artist of Design; 'Northfork JNL', 'Ornery Polecat JNL', 'Ranch Land JNL', and 'Westward JNL' by Jeff Levine; and 'Buffalo Circus' and 'Buffalo Western' by Kustomtype (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, branding, signage, packaging, western, circus, vintage, bold, playful, attention-grabbing, retro display, poster impact, signage feel, stencil-like, notched, bracketed, blocky, high-impact.
A compact, heavy display face with slabby terminals and deep, repeating notches cut into stems and serifs, creating a stencil-like rhythm through the verticals. The forms are condensed and strongly upright, with squared shoulders, abrupt joins, and a pronounced top-and-bottom structure that reads as poster lettering. Counters are relatively tight and often rounded or oval, while the slab features stay flat and sturdy, giving the glyphs a carved, sign-painting silhouette. Uppercase and lowercase share a consistent, muscular texture; numerals match the same chunky, incised construction for a unified set.
Best suited to short, high-impact copy such as posters, headlines, mastheads, labels, and display branding where the distinctive notched slabs can be appreciated. It works especially well for themes with a retro or entertainment flavor, and for signage-style layouts that benefit from bold silhouettes and strong word shapes.
The overall tone is theatrical and Americana-leaning, evoking old playbills, saloon signage, and fairground posters. The repeated cut-ins add a handcrafted, stamped feel that comes across as energetic and slightly mischievous rather than formal.
This design appears intended as an attention-grabbing display slab that borrows from historic showcard and Western poster traditions, using carved notches to create a memorable texture and a sense of handcrafted print ephemera.
The interior notches introduce strong vertical striping in text, which becomes a defining texture at headline sizes. In longer settings the heavy black mass can feel dense, so the design reads best when allowed to breathe with generous tracking and line spacing.