Distressed Kowi 1 is a bold, normal width, high contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: posters, album covers, headlines, game titles, event flyers, grunge, rugged, punk, horror, handmade, add grit, create tension, simulate wear, increase impact, evoke diy, rough, ragged, weathered, inked, uneven.
A heavy, display-focused face with jagged, eroded contours and uneven edges that suggest torn paper or worn printing. Strokes are thick but irregular, with chiseled-looking terminals and small interior bites that create a mottled silhouette. Counters tend to be compact and sometimes lumpy, while curves and diagonals show a restless, hand-cut rhythm. Overall spacing feels slightly inconsistent by design, reinforcing a raw, distressed texture across words and lines.
Best used for headlines and short display text where the distressed texture can be appreciated—such as posters, gig and festival flyers, album art, game or film titles, and packaging or labels that want a worn, gritty feel. It can work as an accent face alongside a cleaner sans or serif for contrast, rather than as a primary text font for long reading.
The font reads aggressive and gritty, with a DIY poster energy that leans toward dark, edgy themes. Its rough texture evokes decay, noise, and physical wear, creating a tense, high-impact tone suited to dramatic or confrontational messaging.
The design appears intended to deliver immediate impact through a bold silhouette combined with heavy surface wear, simulating degraded ink and rough-cut letterforms. It prioritizes atmosphere and texture over smooth refinement, aiming for a raw, analog, street-level aesthetic.
Uppercase forms appear more blocky and emblematic, while lowercase is similarly distressed but keeps recognizable skeletons for readability in short runs. Numerals match the same torn-edge treatment, maintaining a consistent texture across alphanumerics. The distressed detail is strong enough that small sizes may fill in, so it visually prefers larger settings.