It’s routine for a designer to pass the cost of a font over to the client. Most contracts I’ve seen say something to the effect that image fees or font licensing fees will be added to the final bill.

I bought both Memoriam and Alpine Script because I thought they were useful and beautiful in their own rights; Memoriam as a once-a-year-but-what-a-use! exercise in aesthetic flourishes, whereas Alpine Script fit a particular need and style that I lacked in my pre-existing scripts. I’m considering spending the most I’ll ever spend personally on a font for Sentinel in a few months time, as I lack a decent slab serif, let alone one with a range of weights and solid italics….again, it’s all about my pre-existing library’s need with some personal attraction chucked in as well.

Not often for me. I’m catering to a very small college community, a small-business/minimum wage area. The largest distributions are locally owned National Franchises that have their own branding. In doing local businesses, bands, wedding DVDs, campus promos, they don’t have the money to spend on a commercial license.

I have a couple I use personally for demo work, and maybe deviantart stuff. But in order to use them professionally I’d have to make the type barely recognizable, and essentially create my own font if I were to use in a logo or ad. That Sentinel is nice. I saw Sone listed at MyFonts the other day and may save up for that or get some more weights of the other typefaces I have.

I almost never buy typefaces - I almost always torrent them… I know I’m going to hell… but most of my clients are small companies or individuals who don’t want to hear me say oh you like this typeface or oh you want me to use that typeface Ok remember the $500 I quoted you it’s not $550 ya know? They’d much rather settle for something less, and I don’t so yeah…. Not to mention I have tons of other expenses aka rent, bills, a child, etc so buying a font is not high on my priority list.

wtf does rent and bills have to do with it? Wanting your work to be better doesn’t make stealing OK. It also gives the implication to your clients that they will never have to pay for fonts and degrades the value of professional typefaces.

It has everything to do with it. I want my work to look it’s best - and by looking its best I mean using the most appropriate typefaces for each design. And because I do not have a lot of extra money to throw around - spending $30 extra on jobs is not something im interested in doing. And i dont tell clients - hey I was going to use Myriad but thought this would look better so i found it online for free, dont tell anyone! I just use the font I want and thats that. Preach elsewhere Ken, I dont’ care. Also I barely download or buy typefaces, I just use helvetica for everything, duh.

Also if I had the extra money I’d buy them - I feel the work done to create them is immense / worth it - it’s just not something I can afford to do on a regular basis. Somehow I doubt I’m the only designer on here who’s downloaded typefaces - or software.

The difference is intent. I can imagine that most students/youngsters getting into the field download software or fonts with the full-on intent of later paying for it when it makes economical sense. It sounds like you’re doing it as a way to avoid spending money at all. I can understand everyone’s under varying forms of economical stress, but if you’re not willing to pay for it or charge the client, don’t download it.

Ultimately, if you can show them a mock-up using a particular typeface vs. a standard one you already own, and you can sell them the value of the unique type selection in a strong and professional way, I can’t imagine too many companies will have a problem paying the extra dough to have you make their company look better. Avoiding the entire conversation in the name of saving a few bucks, especially when you can easily forward the cost on, is entirely different.

Craig Silva - Oct 12, 2009 03:42pm

Also if I had the extra money I’d buy them - I feel the work done to create them is immense / worth it - it’s just not something I can afford to do on a regular basis. Somehow I doubt I’m the only designer on here who’s downloaded typefaces - or software.

Yes, but don’t come expecting sympathy from us when some small business rips you off because he wanted high quality design work, but couldn’t afford it, so he hired you, and then stiffed you on the bill after you delivered.

I’m a student, and my school provides software and fonts for us to use. However, for some reason, the fonts are only available for mac =( And yes, I have a PC. Maybe it’s an unwritten law that all design students should have macs, but I must have missed the memo or something.

So yes, I have torrented a few fonts. For school work.

I’ve only once used a commecial font as a freelancer. I really wanted the font and the client paid half the cost of it. But I design websites so mostly just use Arial, Georgia, Times New Roman, Verdana and Tahoma. Please don’t hate me=P

I’m a big fan of Sudtipos and Ale Paul. I want to apply for my school internship there. Not that they’d ever have me knowing I torrent fonts… But I’d be happy just making them coffee and being surrounded by all that talent and beauty.

I buy fonts. Then I share them to people like Craig Silva & HyperCreative on Piratebay. lol. I also don’t buy fonts and download them. I’m not a starving student, and I don’t have a clientele to pawn the price off on. I’m just a bastard. A Font Pirate-ing bastard. And I know there’s professional Fontographers within Typedia’s walls who will cry about it. How they spent a whole 3 days stealing- I mean scanning 100yr old, public domain books and artwork, and pasting them into Fontlab. Then spending months trying to figure out how to use Fontlab’s kerning window. All to take credit and make a huge profit from someone else s original work. P22 comes to mind. And I know a lot of you guys do it.

So put me down for a yes & no.  :D

If it’s a reasonable cost - say £50 or so - then I find most clients don’t mind at all if you bill them for the font you need to buy.

However, in this case I almost always give them the font license too - since they are paying for it - which leaves me without the font again. I may keep the files for preview purposes but I wouldn’t use them again in a commercial project without buying another license.

A new website has opened up.

http://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/

They aim to provide quality open-source fonts for everyone to enjoy and use. Because, sometimes, it’s just jolly nice to give something away.

I love the League of Moveable Type, they have some great stuff, I just wish there was more!

I haven’t ever bought fonts - I don’t pirate them either. I’m still in the beginning stages of my design career so the need or means to buy fonts hasn’t really arisen yet, I’ve been able to make due with the free fonts and those that come with various software thus far. I’m sure as time goes on I’ll purchase some, if they’re reasonably priced and perfect for the given project.

when you quote a project pad it a little to buy those fonts you want.

is anyone actually buy all the fonts they use? geez that’d be getting into several grand just to have a very small collection with multiple weights.