![]() Desktop licenses are for offline items such as printed advertisements, books, magazines, t-shirts and even logos. There are separate font licenses for desktop and online usage. When I purchase a font license on behalf of a client, I send them a receipt along with a link to the vendor’s website so they can read the EULA first-hand. ![]() This agreement details all the different types of licenses they offer, and any rules and restrictions you must follow. What is an End-User Licence Agreement (EULA)?įonts typically come with an End-User License Agreement (EULA) that you can find on the distributor’s website. Companies such as Fontspring, MyFonts and Linotype charge a one-time fee per license, while others such as Adobe Typekit are subscription-based. □ What are the costs?įont licensing fees can range from less than $20 to hundreds of dollars. The good news is that high quality licensed fonts are affordable. The bottom line: Unless you download the font from a reputable website that states it is free for commercial use, it’s probably not free. Can you imagine if your company logo was created with a pirated font? These fonts have become so widespread and easily accessible that it can be difficult to tell if they’re legit. However, the web is brimming with fonts that are pirated, unlawfully distributed, or free for personal use only. People mistakenly believe that just because they’ve downloaded a font for free, that it is free. Personal use would be something you’re not financially benefitting from, such as a school project. ⚖️ Commercial versus personal useĮxamples of commercial use are logos, business cards, websites, and any communication materials that you use for business, whether internal or external. So, unless your fonts are free for commercial use, you must purchase a license to use font software. Most people don’t realize that fonts are actually software. What is a font?Ī font (also known as a typeface) is a set of characters in a particular size and style that is used to display text. The devil’s in the details, so here’s the nitty-gritty. As a result, there are licensing concerns you should be aware of before using and sharing font software. There are tens of thousands of fonts out there, and more and more are created every day. However, as designers, we want to create work that is beautiful and different, so we tend to look beyond the basic font choices for our projects. Now, it’s worth mentioning that fonts included with programs such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Creative Cloud are usually licensed for commercial use. I’d like to unpack this issue so your company (or clients) can ensure they are using legit and properly licensed fonts. I see it happen all the time - you may be in possession of software and images that you’re not licensed to use and not even know it! This is usually due to a lack of awareness or diligence when it comes to licensing agreements. You know that little check box you have to click on every time you download or buy something online? Let’s be honest here, do you really know what you’re agreeing to when you check that box? Unfortunately, licensing and copyright infringement are some of the most common issues in the design industry. Learn about font licensing agreements from someone who actually reads the fine print
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