What are Fonts and Typefaces ?

Typefaces are collections of letterforms and glyphs, each designed with their own characteristics or style. They are the essence of communication. Without them you would not be able to read this article!

A font is the software that describes the letterforms and glyphs in a typeface.

Before the digital age, fonts were made from lead, each character being a separate piece. Today, fonts are software. They can be loaded onto our computer as part of operating systems such as Microsoft® Windows®, in software applications such as Adobe® Illustrator®, or licensed from type designers and font foundries. We use fonts every day - recognise Arial® or Times New Roman®?

Why are there so many Typefaces ?

Different typefaces are designed for different uses - such as headlines, body text or very small classified ads. Typefaces are designed to give choice and flexibility in the design of documents and publications. Today, there are thousands to choose from.

You could say that a typeface is a fashion item - think how mundane life would be if every item that we read looked the same. Different typefaces afford individuality and create identity and recognition.

When we choose a font of a new typeface, we need to obtain a new licence to use it.

Why do fonts warrant a License ?

The current method of designing and reproducing typefaces is digital - computer-based. The finished product is a unique piece of software with its own intellectual value.

The art of designing a typeface is a complex and highly skilled discipline. The process incorporates design know-how, painstaking precision and attention to detail. In many cases, even with all the digital tools that we have today, it may take years to produce a new typeface.

Like any software, digital fonts are intellectual property and are subject to copyright and trademark laws.

How are Fonts licensed ?

Fonts are owned by foundries or independent typeface designers. Most foundries license fonts for use on a set number of workstations and printers. For example, Agfa Monotype’s standard End User Licence Agreement (EULA) licenses a single font for use on five workstations and storage on one printer.

Collections of fonts can be purchased more competitively as libraries. Agfa Monotype licenses these for 20 workstations and two printers. Licensing standards of each foundry may vary on the number of workstations and printers.

The general rule is not to allow the distribution of fonts beyond the set number of workstations without an additional licence.

What is Font embedding ?

Font embedding is the ability to include font data within a document, providing control over the appearance of text that the reader sees.

Whatever software you use to create a document; maintaining formatting when sharing files with users on different computers is a headache! Fortunately, for document creators and Web designers, new techniques such as font embedding, font streaming and dynamic fonts bring increased typographic flexibility. Now it’s possible for designers to ensure that end users see their Web site in the desired font, ensuring consistency with a design theme or a corporate brand.

Embedding fonts into any documents or Web sites that allow editing or altering requires an additional licence.

Some licences such as the basic Agfa Monotype font software EULA include the ability to embed fonts into documents to preview and print only. However, some EULAs do not provide this ability - so check your licence terms carefully.

Also, embedding fonts into any documents sold commercially, such as eBooks, eMagazines, eReports, etc. requires an additional licence.

Are some Fonts already licensed ?

When you pay for your software application licence for products such as Microsoft Windows, you license the core fonts that are included within that application for the number of users you have licensed that application for.

Software publishers license fonts from foundries and pass on the royalty to the foundries from your licence fee.

This does not give you the right to transfer fonts from that application to unlicensed users or to use those fonts outside the terms of the software licence you have.

Why should I bother auditing my fonts?

If you do not include fonts as part of your software asset management programme you may be leaving your company open to liabilities.
Font software manufacturers protect their intellectual property and will take action against companies found to be illegally using fonts. Also fonts that enter the company from unchecked sources such as the internet can increase technical support issues significantly.
Most companies do not think that they have many of these 'rogue' fonts but when they audit for fonts are surprised to find hundreds on their network. The reason that these go largely unnoticed is that they are difficult to find and most software discovery tools are not able to find them accurately.
Many applications come with fonts that are licensed for limited use only. The fonts included are usually only for use by license holders of the application software and only for the purposes of working with that application specifically.If fonts are transferred to unlicensed users or used commercially outside the terms of the license agreement - for example posted on a website or embedded in a document that is distributed outside the company, this could be illegal.

How do I go about auditing fonts?

You need a font discovery tool to find all the fonts on your network quickly and accurately. Check that the tool you choose looks for fonts embedded in documents and zip files as fonts are commonly transferred this way.
Once you have found the fonts you need to compare the number of licenses in use with those you own.Since licensed font usage differs with each font publisher you need to check how you are using the fonts and compare this with the terms of your license. If there are any anomalies you need to contact your font publisher for advice or to purchase required licenses.