Distressed Ekmu 3 is a very bold, normal width, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Gimbal Grotesque' by AVP, 'Dexa Pro' by Artegra, 'Aspira' by Durotype, 'FF Mark' and 'FF Mark Paneuropean' by FontFont, 'Geometris' by NicolassFonts, 'Devinyl' by Nootype, and 'Andulka Sans' by Storm Type Foundry (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, packaging, headlines, stickers, t-shirts, playful, rugged, vintage, friendly, diy, aged print, bold impact, casual charm, brand character, chunky, rounded, blunt, textured, inky.
A chunky, rounded sans with heavy, blunt terminals and softly squared curves. The letterforms are compact and sturdy, with simple geometry and minimal stroke modulation, keeping counters open despite the dense weight. A consistent speckled, worn texture is embedded throughout the strokes, creating an inky, weathered print effect while preserving clear silhouettes and straightforward proportions.
Best suited to short, attention-grabbing settings such as posters, display headlines, product packaging, labels, and merch graphics where the worn texture can be appreciated. It also works well for branding that wants a friendly, retro-printed feel, while extended body text may benefit from larger sizes and comfortable spacing.
The overall tone is upbeat and approachable, but with a gritty, broken-in surface that suggests age, handling, or rough printing. It reads as casual and humorous rather than formal, lending a hand-made, imperfect character that feels lively and slightly mischievous.
Designed to deliver an easygoing, bold display voice with a built-in weathered finish, combining simple rounded forms with print-like imperfections for instant character. The aim appears to be a balance of strong readability and a convincingly aged, tactile surface.
The texture is evenly applied across caps, lowercase, and numerals, producing a cohesive distressed finish that becomes more prominent at larger sizes. Rounded corners and generous shapes help maintain legibility, though the internal speckling can visually darken text in longer passages or smaller settings.