Font licenses

The situation surrounding font licensing is fairly fluid. We’re living through a digital revolution and as new technologies influence the way we need to use typefaces, so the licensing arrangements need to evolve in order to meet these needs.

The simplest approach to licensing would seem to be to offer the six different licenses below. If you purchase more than one license in a single transaction, then you will receive 50% off of the prices of all the cheaper licenses.

Desktop license

A desktop license is for the most common uses of a font, both personal and professional, on a desktop workstation in desktop applications with a font menu.

Install the font, on your Mac OS X or Windows system, into your computer’s fonts folder and use it in any of your applications.

You can create and print documents, as well as static images (JPEG, TIFF, PNG), even if the images are used on the web or in a mobile app.

Desktop licenses are based on the number of users of the fonts; in other words, the number of computers on which the font will be installed. The smallest quantity license (1-5 users) is added to your basket by default. The quantity can be updated on the Buying options page by selecting the ‘Change’ option.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full desktop license

Webfont license

A webfont license allows you to embed the font into your website, so that it can be displayed on any browser. You will be serving the webfont kit for your own site and linking it in the CSS.

Unlike some other models, there’s no monthly fee to use your fonts, once you purchase the license, it’s yours for one flat fee. The Talbot Type webfont license is perpetual and doesn’t require a subscription.

In addition, webfonts you buy from Talbot Type are self hosted, you don’t have to rely on an external service to keep your fonts working.

Webfonts can be used across multiple websites/domains as long as the websites/domains all belong to the single License Owner, and the pageviews are not exceeded. Agencies responsible for multiple clients’ websites, for example web design agencies or hosting providers, may not share a single webfont license across multiple clients’ websites.

Every time the webpage using the webfont kit is loaded (i.e, the webfont kit CSS which holds the @font-face rule is called) the counting system counts a single pageview for each webfont within the webfont kit.

Webfont licenses are based on the number of pageviews per month. The smallest quantity license (10,000 pageviews) is added to your basket by default. The quantity can be updated on the Buying options page by selecting the ‘Change’ option.

If the font file itself won’t be embedded in the website (for example, when the font is used in a static graphic image such as a logo) you should purchase a desktop license instead.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full webfont license

ePub license

A Talbot Type ePub license allows you to embed the font in e-text products, when creating layouts for publications intended for Kindles, iPads or other eReaders.

You can use an ePub license to embed the font in an electronic publication such as an eBook, eMagazine, eNewspaper, or interactive PDF.

The price of an ePub license depends on the number of publications you intend to embed the font into: one issue of a magazine requires one license, just as one electronic book requires a one-time license purchase. Regional or format variations don’t count as separate publications and updated

versions of publications that are free to previous customers do not need a new license; otherwise, each new version that is released counts as a separate publication.

If you just need a font to create a cover image, purchase a desktop license.

An ePub license is valid for file formats such as PDF, EPUB 2.01, EPUB 3, and KF8.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full ePub license

App license

Select an app license when you are developing an app for iOS, Android, or Windows RT, and will be embedding the font file in your mobile application’s code.

You need one license for each platform you are developing for, as platform-specific versions of the app are considered a separate app. Except for updated versions of apps that are free to previous customers, each new version of an app counts as a separate app.

Once a font is embedded into an app, one Talbot Type mobile app license is valid for 500,000 application downloads per year.

If the font file itself won’t be embedded in the mobile application (for example, when the font is used in a static graphic image such as a logo) you should purchase a desktop license instead.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full app license

Server license

A Talbot Type server license is required for sites, web apps, or services that allow a non-licensed user to utilise the font to create a product (for example, personalised t-shirts, PDF receipts, business cards, and pictures with captions, etc.).

Server fonts can be installed on a server and used by remote users or automated processes to create items. These licenses are fairly common for e-commerce websites that allow their customers to interact with the font via the business’ webpage interface, customise a printed hard-good product, and they’d purchase/receive the hard-good product.

This license is valid for one year and is renewed each year that the font remains in use.

The price is based upon the number of servers on which the font is installed. Development servers do not count toward the limit. A font downloaded with this license cannot be used in SaaS, where the service is the product rather than the item that is created.

The ‘server’ name can lead to confusion, so it’s probably worth mentioning that it should not to be confused with multiple multi-user desktop licenses. Desktop font licenses are based on the number of users of the fonts; in other words, the number of computers upon which the font will be installed.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full server license

Digital Ads license

A digital ad license allows use of a font within banner ads or ads that are displayed in web or mobile applications. When purchasing your digital ad license, you specify the number of impressions your campaign will require. If you’re uncertain how many impressions you will need, you can purchase a small allotment and true up at the end of the month.

Upon purchasing your license, you can download an ad kit containing Web font versions of the typefaces you licensed. You can upload your ad kit onto your ad network or embed the fonts directly into your ads. The smallest quantity license (1M impressions) is added to your basket by default. The quantity can be updated on the Buying options page by selecting the ‘Change’ option.

Click below to view the license document in full.

View full Digital Ads license