Inverted Kaba 1 is a very bold, very narrow, high contrast, italic, tall x-height font.
Keywords: posters, album art, headlines, stickers, event flyers, punk, zine, collage, grunge, playful, diy look, poster impact, hand-cut texture, rebellion, cutout, stenciled, jagged, tilted, chunky.
A display face built from irregular, slightly tilted rectangular slabs that act as dark backplates, with letterforms knocked out as lighter counters. Edges are rough and hand-cut in character, creating a collage-like rhythm with uneven sidebearings and subtly shifting widths across the alphabet. The internal forms are simplified and angular, with occasional sharp notches and chipped corners that emphasize a distressed, analog texture. Overall spacing reads tight and compact, while the consistent backplate motif keeps the set cohesive in headlines.
Best suited for high-impact display settings such as posters, album or mixtape covers, event flyers, and bold editorial headlines. It also works well for packaging accents, sticker-style graphics, and short callouts where the cutout texture can be appreciated. Use generous size and spacing for maximum clarity and punch.
The font gives off a cut-and-paste zine energy—rebellious, handmade, and intentionally imperfect. Its rough silhouettes and knocked-out interiors feel like screen-printed stickers or ransom-note signage, lending a loud, DIY attitude. The slight forward slant and jittery edges add motion and a mischievous, street-level tone.
The design appears intended to mimic hand-cut paper or block-printed lettering by pairing a consistent dark tile with carved interior shapes. The controlled repetition of the backplate creates a system, while the distressed edges and uneven rhythm keep the voice human and expressive. The overall goal reads as attention-grabbing, gritty display typography with a strong DIY signature.
Because the white letterforms are carved out of heavy black shapes, small sizes and dense copy can fill in quickly; it performs best when given room and strong contrast. The numerals match the same slab-and-cutout construction, reinforcing the poster-ready, label-like aesthetic across text and figures.