Licensing FAQ
Q: What is your current policy toward web embedding?
A: We are currently reworking our license and pricing scale to address web embedding. We prohibit any kind of embedding in our current license and then qualify it by providing a pricing scale for this type of use. We know this pricing scale is not practical going forward and are working on fair thresholds that will be related to usage.
Q: What about @fontface embedding?
A: We are not currently allowing raw @fontface embedding until the new .woff format is widely implemented. We will have new licensing scenarios to accommodate @fontface embedding soon.
Q: Why not, you silly Luddites?
A: We are excited about optimizing our fonts for @fontface embedding and offering them to our customers. However, we feel that neither fonts nor @fontface embedding technology are ready to give a consistent typographical experience across browsers or platforms.
Q: How about EOT for Windows Explorer?
A: We are not confident that our fonts will display properly on Windows browsers using EOT for Explorer or @fontface for other browsers. We are working on a web-optimized versions of our fonts, the first of which will be available soon.
Q: What about services such as Typekit?
A: Typekit is a great service but it is not a practical or sustainable business model for us, so we are not allowing the use of our fonts through this site.
Q: We have licensed your fonts and used them for a project. We are sending it to another vendor who is doing more work on the project. Can we just send your fonts along?
A: No. We license our fonts like software, as do most font companies. For example, if you give your vendor a Adobe Illustrator file, are they going to demand that you give them a copy of Adobe Illustrator as well? You spent the money to license the fonts properly, why shouldn't they?
Q: We have a font server, so do I only have to buy a license for the fonts that single device.
A: No, you need a license for all the devices connected to that server that are going to use the fonts. The license reads "rasterizing device". Any computer connected to that server considered a rasterizing device.
Q: Why don't you allow embedding in your license?
A: We make embedding decisions on a case by case basis. For example, we will allow you to embed the fonts to send a .pdf to a printer or to a client for approval. However, if you want to do an email distribution .pdf newsletter, you must pay an additional embedding fee.
Q: Do you allow embedding in Flash?
A: We make this call on a case by case basis. Generally, we allow embedding if the text is static, but we charge a flat embedding fee that is oulined on our pricing page.
Q: How about video games?
A: In any commercial video game application, we charge a flat fee that is outlined on our pricing page.
Q: I am using your fonts to do a layout. I am collaborating with another designer at a separate company. Can I give them your fonts?
A: No, you cannot. We consider that a separate license. The fonts are licensed like software. If you're both using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe's license does not allow you to give the other designer a copy of the software. Same deal with the fonts.
Q: Hi, I'm calling from a major upscale international retailer and I want to license Neutraface so we can use it on custom-embroidered towels.
A: As long as all the devices that use the Neutraface outlines to create the embroidery are licensed, this is okay.
R: Okay, the towels are embroidered at two separate facilities in China, each with 18 embroidery machines.
A: That's two separate licenses with 18 devices at each location. So, using our site license formula, that comes to $598.