What is a font licence?

A font licence describes permissions and restrictions about how font software may be used, distributed, and shared. These conditions of usage, which vary from foundry to foundry, are found in the End User Licence Agreement, or EULA, and are available to view before purchasing a font licence. Sure, the EULA may be dry reading, but purchasing the correct font licence for a project is important because it not only provides legal coverage, it also supports fair compensation for the creator, prevents the misuse and piracy of software, and ultimately encourages a healthy type industry.

With those benefits in mind, here is an overview of font licensing.

Licensing supports the industry
Great type design doesn’t just materialise from nothing, it is the result of years of hard work, testing, and investment. Font licensing is a key aspect of respecting intellectual property, supporting designers and foundries by fairly compensating them for their work, and ensuring the legal and professional use of fonts.

Fonts are protected by intellectual property law in most jurisdictions and licensing agreements ensure these rights are respected, providing a framework for legal recourse if unauthorised use occurs. Using incorrectly licensed fonts carries the risk of exposing individuals and organisations to fines or lawsuits, so correctly licensing for your needs ensures compliance and helps avoid potential legal issues.

When typefaces are licensed, the user is also more likely to receive updates, support, and quality assurance from the font creator; this can be crucial for maintaining design consistency and functionality. Correct licensing also supports the type industry at large, encouraging designers to continue their work, which in turn fosters a vibrant ecosystem where new and innovative fonts can be developed.

Some common licences
Although each foundry is different in their specific offering and EULA conditions, there are common licence types available which cover a wide range of uses. For those scenarios that require special licensing coverage, such as for use with a particular audience, technology, or environment, it is recommended to speak to the foundry directly for more information.

A trial licence is a free licence that allows designers and developers to test the fonts and show them to their clients before committing to a purchase. Trial licence terms vary, but usually do not allow the fonts to be used in the commercial end product, are sometimes only available for a limited period of time, and may not have the full glyph set. TypeTogether’s trial licence includes all glyphs and is available for one month at a time, but does not allow an end product to be made, sold, used, distributed, or given to a client without the client completing the font purchase.

A desktop licence allows fonts to be installed on a given number of workstations for use in software, such as word processors and design apps. Desktop fonts are typically used by graphic designers to create logos, brochures, posters, presentations, books, signage, and other static images or documents. This kind of licence does not cover web usage or app embedding, and the font cannot be shared or redistributed to others unless explicitly stated in the licence. Standard licences are either perpetual or can be purchased for a fixed amount of time, which requires a renewal after a specific period has elapsed to continue using the font.

Only a handful of fonts were considered web safe just a few short years ago. Nowadays, with high screen resolutions, easy font serving, and the speed of rendering, almost any font can be used on the web. A webfont licence permits fonts to be used on websites, usually implemented via CSS or JavaScript. In this case the font software is not actually installed on a personal computer, but stored on a web server where site users (or readers) have access to the webpage via the internet. When visiting a website, a line of code dictates which fonts are shown on the screen so the site is enjoyed as the creator intended. These licences are often based on website traffic, taking into consideration the average number of page views per month or unique visitors.

An app licence allows a font to be embedded in the user interface of a mobile application for mobile phones or tablets. The font is bundled with the app when it is distributed, which makes it necessary to have a licence that specifically covers this type of usage. Most foundries offer app licences based on the amount of end users, the amount of titles, or the amount of operating systems that are supported by the mobile app.

A broadcast licence grants permission to use a particular font in television, radio, streaming services, video productions, and other broadcast media. A foundry will typically require a separate licence for using fonts in these contexts, as the distribution and visibility of the font are significantly wider compared to standard uses like print or web design. The cost of a broadcast licence can vary depending on factors like audience size, duration of the broadcast, or the geographic region in which the broadcast is shown.

A merchandising licence grants permission to use a particular font on physical items like T-shirts, mugs, posters, hats, and other products created for retail or promotional purposes. The cost of a merchandising licence can vary depending on the scale of production, the type of merchandise, and the size of the company purchasing the licence.

One note about how licensing occurs. Usually, when working with a graphic design or branding agency, once the typeface choices are decided, there are two options. The first option entails the agency purchasing the typefaces and passing them on (along with the licensing information) as a line item or as part of the final project price. The second option is to have the company complete the purchase on their own. Either way, the company will receive all the elements of the new brand and the legal right to use the fonts.

Value-based licensing
Moving away from the use-based pricing model, some foundries are now offering licences determined by the value or scale of the font’s usage rather than a flat fee. In this situation a small business with limited revenue may pay less for a licence, while a larger enterprise with higher revenue would pay more, or a font used for internal branding might be priced lower than a font used in major advertising campaigns. This value-based approach looks to encourage fair and scalable pricing across different organisational sizes and their respective needs.

Open-source licensing
An open-source font licence permits users to freely use, modify, and distribute a font with minimal conditions, such as attribution to the original creator and sharing derivatives under the same terms. The SIL Open Font Licence (OFL) offers opportunities for collaboration and learning within the font development community by making the source files themselves available for modification and expansion. Open source fonts are useful for projects with a limited budget and scope or that require a quick turnaround, but on the flipside they can present several shortcomings. Typical issues to look out for are limited character sets, incomplete or incorrect kerning, and a lack of support for languages using scripts other than Latin. Additionally, some free fonts are simply overused, making the end product look generic and showing a lack of originality and insight in font selection.

Font rental and subscription
Font rental is a service where users “rent” or licence fonts for a specific period rather than purchasing a licence outright. It is an alternative to buying a permanent licence and can be a more flexible and cost-effective solution for those who only need certain fonts for a limited time or for specific projects. The fonts are hosted in the cloud and users access them directly through design software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Fontstand, or directly via a web interface. Since the fonts are hosted, the user does not need to download the font files to their local computer and they do not have direct access to the font files. Renting fonts doesn’t require an upfront investment for a permanent licence and still allows a range of fonts to be used for different projects without long-term commitment. Many font rental services offer access to an extensive library of fonts through a subscription service where users pay a recurring fee to use the fonts, typically for a month or year.

The value of custom fonts
Compared with purchasing several licence options, there is another way to get the desired typefaces, still be covered for various uses, and possibly save money in the long run. Let’s say a company is considering a rebrand or is reviewing their licensing needs. If there is a possibility of needing several of these licence types already mentioned, it might be more cost-effective to either have a completely custom typeface created or to modify an already-existing retail family, while giving the brand full use of the fonts in every licensing scenario. With a lower expense and more usage freedom, the return on investment (ROI) here is definitely worth considering.

Next steps
In summary, correctly licensing typefaces provides the user with updates, future support that might be needed, fairly compensates the designers, and incentivises new typeface designs within a growing font market. Sometimes a retail font licence is an easy choice, while other times custom font creation can provide wide licence coverage and be a great ROI option for something that is brandable and distinct. With TypeTogether’s help, deciding which licence types to acquire doesn’t have to be confusing, and we are always happy to discuss options and make suggestions based on your needs.

Ready for the next step? Whether evaluating your licences or investigating if a custom typeface is the right move, send an email to [email protected] and we’ll help you sort through all your options.