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Jennifer Perez
5,217 PointsBuying fonts for mock ups?
Hi everyone. I have been a designer for many years but have just recently started my own freelance business. I have been reading about best font purchase practices when it comes to licensing and have ended up so confused. I understand that if I purchase a font that I then use for a logo design, I have converted that font to outlines for use in the logo, and therefore giving the client their logo does not violate licensing terms because I'm not giving them the entire font set itself. If they want to use it for their own use they need to purchase the font themselves. My confusion then is coming from, what to do in the mock up stage? If I see say, 3 fonts I think will work for their logo, do I have to buy all three and just eat the cost of the fonts that aren't used in the final logo? Is that just part of doing business?
3 Answers
Jacob Bergdahl
29,118 PointsNo, I do believe that you do need to purchase the font even if it is in outlines and modified. However, it is my understanding that the client typically pays for the font, not the designer. Furthermore, if you'd like to display three fonts to your client, you don't need to purchase any of them until you actually use them. You can contact your client and tell them that you've found three fonts that you think would work as logos (with examples etc.), and inform them of the license of each respective logo and the costs. Often, purchasing a license does not mean that you can use a font as much as you want for as long as you live; there may be limitations to just one project, but again, the client should pay for it.
Caleb Kleveter
Treehouse Moderator 37,862 PointsI agree with Jacob about contacting your client about the font and purchasing only if they want it. I am not sure what he means about the client paying for the font, but I think the way that works, is you find a font that looks good, contact the client and tell them the price, then if they want it the price of the font is added to the price of the project, then you download it if they want it. I'm not sure what you mean by a font having outlines, can you explain? And I don't think that buying fonts in the mockup from your own pocket is normal for business, but I might be wrong.
Jacob Bergdahl
29,118 PointsTo tell you the truth, I don't know what you mean when you say that the client shouldn't pay for the font, and then contradict yourself with saying that it should be, only in a different way, Caleb. Most likely, the client will want to stick with the font for branding purposes, even after this particular project is over. The cost of the font does not only stretch to this current version. For example, if a company was to do a slight redesign to their logo again, long after it had been created, they wouldn't want to pay for the font again just because it's a new project. Therefor, the company buys the font outside of the project.
Outlining is a technique used in Adobe Illustrator, and is a MUST for designing logos. By outlining the font, it is no longer necessary to have the font installed on the device for the font to be viewed, and it can more easily be modified. Outlining fonts is covered in a tutorial here on Treehouse!
Caleb Kleveter
Treehouse Moderator 37,862 PointsSorry about contradicting myself. Now I thought after you buy a font you had it forever (or, at least, most of the time), am I wrong? I am kind of confused at this point. Can you post a link to the tutorial?
Jacob Bergdahl
29,118 PointsThe tutorial for outlining is in the Illustrator Foundations course; I believe in the second badge but I could be remembering wrong. It is shown when the teacher does the logo for Moonwalker. You can find info on how purchasing fonts work on Google, but this is a very good guide to get you started: http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2013/05/29/5-details-to-remember-when-creating-a-logo/
Jennifer Perez
5,217 PointsThanks, guys, this was very helpful. Jacob, thanks for posting that link! :)
Jennifer Perez
5,217 PointsJennifer Perez
5,217 PointsSorry, re-reading that, I see that this may be two questions: 1) Am I correct in my interpretation of using a font in a logo design for a client, that because the font used in the logo is in outlines, it does not violate license agreements? 2) Is buying fonts for use in the mock up stage of design at my own cost regardless of whether it gets used or not just part of the cost of doing business?