Distressed Diru 4 is a bold, very narrow, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, packaging, album covers, event flyers, gritty, retro, handmade, raw, punchy, vintage print, grunge texture, display impact, handmade feel, condensed, textured, roughened, inked, tall.
A tall, condensed sans with slightly irregular proportions and a lively, uneven rhythm. Strokes are sturdy and mostly monolinear in feel, but the outlines show deliberate roughness: chipped edges, broken interior counters, and ink-wear texture that varies from letter to letter. Terminals tend to be blunt and squared-off, and curves (like C/O/S) look slightly flattened and scuffed, reinforcing a printed, worn-in surface. The overall color is dark and assertive, with consistent narrow widths but subtle per-glyph variance that keeps it from feeling mechanical.
Best suited to display settings where the texture can be appreciated: posters, flyers, signage, and packaging with a retro or rugged aesthetic. It works well for short headlines, logotypes, and punchy callouts; for longer passages, generous size and spacing help maintain clarity as the distressed details accumulate.
The texture and condensed stance give the face a gritty, poster-forward tone that reads as vintage and handmade rather than sleek or corporate. It suggests well-used wood type, stamped lettering, or distressed screen printing—confident, a little unruly, and intentionally imperfect.
The design appears intended to deliver a strong condensed silhouette while adding pre-worn, imperfect printing character for themed display typography. It prioritizes atmosphere and impact over pristine uniformity, aiming to evoke analog production and aged materials.
The distressing is strong enough to become a primary visual feature, especially in straight stems where vertical streaking and gaps are most visible. Numerals match the same tall, narrow construction and worn texture, helping headlines and short lines feel cohesive across mixed-case and figures.