Cursive Arkiw 1 is a regular weight, very narrow, high contrast, italic, short x-height font.
Keywords: packaging, posters, social media, headlines, quotes, playful, casual, friendly, lively, handmade, handwritten feel, casual branding, energetic tone, brush texture, brushy, looping, bouncy, tall, expressive.
This font has a brush-pen, handwritten construction with a forward slant and lively, elastic rhythm. Strokes show pronounced thick–thin modulation, with heavier downstrokes and tapering entries and exits that create a slightly scratchy, inked texture. Forms are tall and compact, with narrow letter bodies and long ascenders/descenders that add vertical momentum. Counters are relatively small, terminals are rounded or softly pointed, and connections appear intermittently, giving a natural written flow without rigid uniformity.
It works best for short-to-medium text where a human, handmade voice is desirable—such as packaging, café menus, greeting cards, posters, social media graphics, and quote-based headlines. The narrow, tall structure can also help fit longer words into tight horizontal spaces while still feeling dynamic.
The overall tone is upbeat and personable, like quick marker notes or a cheerful hand-lettered sign. Its energetic stroke contrast and springy shapes make it feel expressive and informal, with a lighthearted, conversational presence.
The design appears intended to mimic fast, confident brush handwriting with a polished consistency suitable for digital use. It balances legibility with expressive stroke modulation to deliver a friendly, contemporary hand-lettered look for branding and promotional typography.
Uppercase letters read as simplified, handwritten caps rather than formal display capitals, and several glyphs feature distinctive loops and hooked terminals (notably in letters like J, g, y, and z). Numerals follow the same brushy logic, with open, gestural shapes and a handwritten irregularity that keeps the texture consistent in mixed settings.