Distressed Ulwy 5 is a regular weight, very narrow, high contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: book covers, posters, headlines, packaging, theater, vintage, spooky, rustic, editorial, storybook, aged print, dramatic display, period flavor, textured impact, inked, textured, worn, condensed, sharp serifs.
A condensed display serif with tall proportions, pronounced stroke contrast, and narrow internal counters. Letterforms are upright and largely classical in construction, but the contours are intentionally irregular: stems and serifs show rough, ink-worn edges and occasional tapering that suggests distressed printing or dry-brush inking. Serifs are sharp and slightly flared, with uneven terminals that create a scratchy texture across words. Spacing is relatively tight and the rhythm feels lively due to subtle width variation and the consistently roughened outlines.
Best suited to display work such as book and album covers, posters, pull quotes, and branding where a vintage or eerie mood is desired. It can also work for packaging and label design that benefits from an aged, letterpress-like texture, especially when set at medium to large sizes.
The overall tone is antique and atmospheric, blending old-book elegance with a gritty, timeworn edge. The distressed texture lends a slightly ominous, gothic-leaning character without becoming fully blackletter, making it feel at home in mysterious or folkloric settings.
The design appears intended to evoke historical serif typography that has been weathered by imperfect printing and time. It balances recognizable serif structures with deliberate roughness to deliver strong, characterful headlines with an antique, distressed finish.
Uppercase forms read strongly at larger sizes, while the texture and high contrast can make small text feel busy. Numerals share the same tall, narrow stance and worn edges, reinforcing the period, print-like personality in headings and short callouts.