Distressed Anli 12 is a light, very narrow, medium contrast, upright, very short x-height font.
Keywords: posters, headlines, album art, packaging, social graphics, handmade, raw, gritty, indie, casual, hand lettering, analog texture, casual emphasis, expressive display, brushy, scratchy, ragged, expressive, organic.
A wiry, handwritten display face with brush-pen construction and irregular, distressed edges. Strokes show visible tapering and occasional ink drag, creating uneven terminals and small spikes where direction changes. Letterforms are condensed with tall ascenders and long descenders, and spacing feels natural rather than mechanically uniform. The overall rhythm is lively and slightly inconsistent, with a mix of rounded bowls and sharp, calligraphic joins that keep the texture active in text lines.
Best suited to short, attention-grabbing settings where texture is an asset: posters, headlines, album/cover art, packaging labels, and social media graphics. It can work for brief pull quotes or titles, but the distressed stroke texture and condensed proportions may reduce comfort at small sizes or in long passages.
The font conveys an informal, analog energy—like quick marker lettering on a poster or notebook page. Its rough contours and bouncy rhythm give it a gritty, human tone that feels contemporary, indie, and a little rebellious.
The design appears intended to mimic quick brush lettering with a deliberately worn, imperfect finish, prioritizing personality and tactile texture over polish. It aims to deliver a spontaneous, hand-drawn look that feels energetic and contemporary.
Uppercase forms read as simplified handwritten caps, while lowercase brings more cursive influence with looped descenders (notably in g, j, y) and narrow counters. Numerals follow the same loose, drawn style, with open forms and uneven stroke endings that emphasize the hand-rendered character.