Distressed Alse 5 is a light, very narrow, high contrast, italic, very short x-height font.
Keywords: posters, packaging, branding, titles, album art, handwritten, expressive, gritty, casual, energetic, handmade feel, dramatic emphasis, rough texture, fast lettering, brushy, dry brush, textured, roughened, organic.
A slanted, brush-pen script with quick, tapered strokes and pronounced thick–thin modulation. Letterforms are narrow and upright-leaning, with compact lowercase proportions and a noticeably small x-height relative to tall ascenders and descenders. Strokes show dry-brush texture and intermittent rough edges, creating broken ink traps and slightly uneven contours. Counters are tight and often partially opened by the brush texture, while terminals tend to finish in sharp flicks or soft, feathered ends. The overall rhythm is lively and irregular, with a handwritten baseline that wavers subtly and spacing that feels naturally variable.
This style works best for short, prominent text where the texture and motion can be appreciated—posters, cover titles, packaging callouts, branding accents, and social graphics. It can also suit quotes or headings in editorial layouts when paired with a calmer body typeface to balance its busy stroke texture.
The font conveys an informal, kinetic tone—like fast marker lettering or a brush note made in the moment. Its roughened ink texture adds a worn, gritty character that can feel streetwise, artisanal, or intentionally imperfect. The energetic slant and sharp entry/exit strokes give it a dramatic, attention-grabbing voice without becoming overly ornate.
The design appears intended to mimic rapid brush lettering with intentional ink breakup, capturing the spontaneity of hand-drawn script while adding a rough, printed-wear feel. Its narrow, high-energy forms prioritize personality and impact over quiet readability, making it suited to expressive display settings.
Uppercase forms read as simplified brush capitals with occasional looped or partially closed shapes, while the lowercase keeps a minimal, sketch-like construction with slim joins and occasional disconnected strokes. Numerals follow the same hand-rendered logic, with open, gestural forms and uneven stroke endings that reinforce the distressed effect.