Distressed Ekby 9 is a very bold, normal width, high contrast, upright, normal x-height font visually similar to 'Marcher' by Horizon Type, 'Boston' by Latinotype, and 'Klein' by Zetafonts (names referenced only for comparison).
Keywords: posters, headlines, packaging, apparel, labels, rugged, playful, handmade, vintage, bold, add texture, create impact, suggest print, feel handmade, rough, textured, weathered, blotchy, chunky.
A heavy, chunky sans with compact proportions and rounded, bulbous counters. Strokes are thick with subtly uneven sides and softened corners, creating a hand-printed feel rather than a mechanically perfect outline. Distress shows up as speckling, small voids, and worn patches inside the black shapes, while terminals often look slightly blunted or chipped. The lowercase is simple and sturdy with single-storey forms and short ascenders/descenders, keeping the overall rhythm dense and highly legible at display sizes.
Well suited to posters, big headlines, and short phrases where texture can be appreciated. It also fits packaging, labels, apparel graphics, and signage that benefits from a tactile, printed look. For body copy, it will work best in larger sizes and with generous spacing to keep the distressed details from visually filling in.
The texture and softened geometry give the face a rugged, friendly energy—like ink stamped on paper, screen-printed on fabric, or painted on a sign and scuffed by use. It reads as bold and approachable rather than sharp or technical, with a casual, craft-oriented attitude.
Designed to deliver a bold display voice with a convincingly worn, inked texture, combining sturdy geometric letterforms with imperfect printing artifacts. The goal appears to be high impact and easy readability while adding a handcrafted, vintage-leaning surface character.
The distress is consistent across letters and numerals, producing a cohesive “worn print” pattern without making counters collapse. Wide, rounded bowls in letters like O, Q, and P and the chunky numerals keep the design readable, while the speckled interior adds character that becomes more prominent as sizes increase.