Slab Unbracketed Arbis 9 is a light, wide, medium contrast, italic, normal x-height font.
Keywords: book typography, editorial, magazines, literary titles, pull quotes, literary, classic, scholarly, refined, text emphasis, publishing, readability, classic tone, structured italic, slab serifs, unbracketed, calligraphic, transitional, crisp.
An italic slab-serif design with crisp, unbracketed serifs that read as flat terminals on both stems and crossbars. Strokes show moderate contrast with a clear diagonal stress, producing a smooth, continuous rhythm in text. Proportions feel open and slightly extended, with generous sidebearings and a steady baseline; the italics are true, not merely obliqued, with distinct cursive constructions in letters like a, f, g, and y. Curves are clean and controlled, and the slabs stay consistent across uppercase, lowercase, and numerals, giving the face a structured, print-like presence.
Well-suited to editorial and book typography where an italic voice is needed for emphasis, quotations, or secondary hierarchy. It can also work effectively for literary titles, magazine features, and pull quotes, offering a refined tone with enough structural presence to hold up in print and on screen at moderate sizes.
The overall tone is literary and editorial, combining traditional italic elegance with the sturdier authority of slab serifs. It feels composed and scholarly rather than decorative, suggesting careful typesetting and a classic publishing voice. The slanted forms add motion and warmth while the square-ended serifs keep the impression grounded and deliberate.
The design appears intended to offer a true italic companion with a classic, publishing-oriented flavor, while using unbracketed slab serifs to add firmness and clarity. It aims for an even reading rhythm and a composed, authoritative texture, balancing expressive italic forms with a disciplined serif structure.
Uppercase forms keep a formal silhouette while the lowercase introduces more calligraphic gestures, especially in the descenders and the double-storey shapes. Numerals appear oldstyle-leaning in spirit, with fluid curves and consistent slab terminals that integrate smoothly with the text color. At display sizes the sharp serifs and contrast create a crisp texture; in longer settings the steady spacing helps maintain an even typographic gray.