Distressed Ihlav 5 is a light, narrow, medium contrast, upright, normal x-height font.
Keywords: book covers, game titles, posters, packaging, branding, medieval, folkloric, spooky, storybook, rustic, thematic mood, aged texture, handmade feel, display impact, incised, chiseled, angular, textured, hand-wrought.
A jagged, hand-wrought display face with incised, angular strokes and subtly uneven contours. Forms are mostly upright with compact proportions and a slightly restless rhythm created by small notches, wedge-like terminals, and irregular edge texture. Curves are squarish and faceted rather than smooth, while joins and shoulders often break into sharp corners, giving the letters a carved or stamped look. Counters stay fairly open for the style, but the roughened outlines and variable stroke endings add visual noise that reads as intentional wear.
Best suited to short-to-medium display settings where texture and personality are assets: fantasy or horror book covers, tabletop and video game titles, event posters, themed packaging, and brand marks for rustic or heritage concepts. It can work for brief pull quotes or section heads, but the distressed edges are likely to feel busy in long body text or at very small sizes.
The overall tone feels medieval and folkloric, with a lightly ominous, storybook darkness. Its chiseled texture evokes old printing, hand-cut signage, or fantasy-era lettering, making it feel atmospheric and characterful rather than polished or contemporary.
The design appears intended to simulate hand-cut or weathered letterforms—part carving, part rough print—delivering an intentionally imperfect texture while keeping glyph shapes recognizable. It prioritizes mood and narrative flavor over typographic neutrality, aiming to instantly place text in a historical or fantastical setting.
Uppercase and lowercase share the same rugged construction, with distinctive, slightly quirky silhouettes that help headlines feel custom-made. Numerals follow the same angular, cut-in detailing, reinforcing the themed, crafted impression across alphanumerics.