P22 is an independent foundry specializing in historical letterforms that were previously unavailable in digital format. MyFonts is a distributor of digital fonts from many type foundries in one easy-to-use Web site. It also includes a useful type identifier, What the Font, that searches for fonts provided for purchase on the site (see type identification). FontShop is claimed to be the original independent font retailer. They produce the FontFont typeface library and have cutting edge fonts with some European influence. FontHaus offers useful content, easy font finding features, a huge selection of name-brand fonts, font compilations, and libraries. They have been offering fonts since 1990 and are a popular resource. Adobe has immensely influenced the evolution of digital type. They offer PostScript, Multiple Master and OpenType formats. Their collection is comprised of many graphic standard types. Linotype offers quality fonts and is well respected in the design community. They have existed for over a century and have adapted well to new technologies.
TOOLS
What the Font is a type identification tool where you can upload a file and it will do all the work for you. It is limited in that it only searches for fonts in the MyFonts foundries and results are not always on the dot. Identifont is another font identification site. This site comes in helpful if you are looking for a font that has certain qualities or is similar to a font you want to work with. Typetester is a useful site for comparing screen fonts.
Designer Plaything is an all in one typography testing tool. It allows designers and clients to experiment with different web typography and color combinations and can be used offline with a downloadable application. FontExplorer X is a font management software created by Linotype available for Mac and Windows
NEWS
Typeradio is an online radio station airing interviews and the latest news in typography.
FORUMS
Typophile is a forum dedicated solely to typography. It is easy to get answers and opinions from experienced designers. It also serves as a news and type identification resource. Adobe also has a user to user forum partially dedicated to typography.
BLOGS
I Love Typography is an inspiring, fresh, and interesting blog by John Boardley. Boardley is a graphic designer, web developer and writer with a passion for typography. Typographica is another well-known blog featuring news and commentary on fonts and typography.
Fonts In Use Great source for research & inspiration. You can sort by industry, format & typeface, and make sure to click the “more” expander.
TOOLS: Layout Grid Calculator An Adobe InDesign Plugin that helps you create extra precise layout grid. Typographic Scale To help you choose the right font sizes
If you need to find new fonts this new site from DAfont is full of good quality fonts - many free but a lot are demo fonts (restricted character set, nonprinting etc.) or donationware, with links to purchase from the creators.
Just a note on DaFont…
Read the EULA carefully for EACH font you intend to use.
Fonts there that are free are likely to be restricted to personal use only (personal as in your baby scrapbook or something along that line.) Any business use sometimes requires hunting down the creator or foundry and paying a fee. Sometimes that is far from easy. Been there done that, seen the tears when a font for a project had to be changed last minute.
Hello,
I’m trying to learn more about the typeface research and purchasing process. I’ve created a very quick (3 min) survey to understand this. If you don’t mind, can you take my quick survey. It would be incredibly helpful for my research.
I’ve been using DaFont since the days I was still in school, but now that I want to start using them for professional work, is there something wrong with using a font that is similar to a timeless font for a client?
I feel like it’s wrong somehow, though I’m sure I won’t be able to use the paid fonts all the time.
Check the licensing and be sure you can use for commercial purposes without a hassle.
That said, you should be building the cost of custom fonts into your pricetag for the project. They aren’t that expensive and don’t do much to the bottom line.
Yeah I know, I’m fairly new at making prices for jobs and I haven’t started taking jobs yet. My plan is to apply for a job inhouse in the direction of a design agency first. But I’ve been wondering whether there is something fundamentally wrong with using a font that is already based off a well-known licensed font. There’s ways to work around it when you know how to do your job, but will an agency notice it’s not a legit font? That’s what I’m concerned about.
I don’t imagine it to be a major issue. But I work in a sign shop. The sign software we use comes with its own version of “popular fonts.”
I wouldn’t bring it up.
Just have an answer if it should.
It would depend on the specific case. If it’s a clear knock-off from a digital font, then it would at least be a moral issue. Remember, as a graphic designer you are dependent on having others respect your work and your intellectual property—so it would follow to respect type designers (i.e. your colleagues) in the same way.
However, the original design might also be public domain and the free font might be an independent work based on public domain work, in which case, there would be nothing wrong legally. (Free fonts can of course come with tons of other problems, like technical issues, design quality issues, character set limitations, unclear EULA …)
In professional design work, I would suggest to get used to making the fonts part of the offer. You don’t have to have all the fonts. You suggest fonts as part of the design and the client or agency you work for will have to pay for your font license to do the job. That’s standard practice.
A couple of my fonts have made it to Fonts In Use. For example, there’s this one, where a typeface I designed back in the 1980s became the unofficial font used by protesters in Zimbabwe who overthrew the longtime dictator, Robert Mugabe.
