Cheap Professional Font Sets

[Element_13]

Hi everyone,

I just have a random question to ask the typies of this forum. I am looking to update some of the fonts that the company I work for is using and I am looking to the community to find out if there are any font foundries who have excellent prices and quality fonts. I am also wondering what type of prices are normal for a font set. I have witnessed numerous prices ranging from $15 to $300. Also, I am not looking for free fonts as I have found that they tend to be more hassle than they are worth. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[GraphixNPrint]

Adobe has collections, they tend to be cheaper that way then if purchased as individual families. As you said free fonts can cause lots of issues... so avoid them unless they are from a reputable designer (releasing a single face for example).

[budafist]

I guess the question to be asking is what fonts are the most versatile?

There's no point purchasing "cheap" font if you can use it in just about anything. There are fonts out there that you will use a million times. It's worth paying extra for those fonts.

[garricks]

I recommend OpenType fonts if at all possible, especially if you're using InDesign.

As far as foundries, the "hot-lead" foundries (LinotypeHell, Bitstream, ITC, etc.) are probably most reliable, as well as Adobe.

My personal favorite digital foundry is Emigré. They work with some awesome type designers. They are on the pricey end, though.

I've also found that you get what you pay for...

[Element_13]

Thanks for the input folks. Just to clarify, what I think I meant to say was, are there any places similar to myfonts.com or dafont.com that have different pricing for the same fonts? I personally would love to buy 4 font families from 4 sepearate font foundries but they are all available on different sites for different prices. I was hoping someone might have known some secret website that had them dirt cheap! Just kidding. But on that note, does anyone know of any places that offer cheaper font families?

In case anyone is wondering the foundries I am leaning towards are device fonts, p22.com/rtf, positype and shinny.

[adampaul7]

Hi, I read your post.There's no point purchasing "cheap" font if you can use it in just about anything. There are fonts out there that you will use a million times. It's worth paying extra for those fonts.Have a nice day.:)

[garricks]

p22.com/rtf

They have some awesome faces. Eaglefeather/Eaglerock come to mind.

[Bowfinpw]

Joe, You seem to be asking for us to direct you to some site that sells high quality (professional) fonts for bargain prices. The closest you can get to that (legally) is by buying font collections, or libraries, from the established foundries. The price per font is super reasonable when you look at it that way, but the cost can be high for the total purchase. It's the way to go if you really like a foundry's designs. By the way Bitstream has some of the cheapest basic collections around, as a way to get a foundation collection.
If you don't want to make that kind of investment, and would rather buy licenses for individual fonts as you need them, you'll find that often the big resellers like MyFonts have multiple versions of many of the classic fonts. There can be quite a variation in the prices for the same design between the different foundries. Scangraphic and URW are typically lower than Berthold, Letraset and Adobe, for example. Linotype is usually in the middle range, with Bitstream. Some font designs have only one supplier, and you just have to decide if you need the font, and then pay the price.