Many foundries like to give you an option to license a font in different formats and customers always ask which format is better. The answer is that your decision should be based on the programs that you will be using the fonts in.
Here are some suggestions on choosing the right desktop format.
OpenType (.otf) fonts typically have additional features that can only be accessed by programs that support them. OpenType works best in software like Adobe® Illustrator® and Adobe® InDesign®.
Although Microsoft Word 2010 supports some OpenType features, not all characters can be accessed if the font has a massive amount of alternates. For example, trying to access all the alternate swashes in Feel Script in PowerPoint would be painful. Don’t do it.
Also, you’ll only be disappointed further because OpenType fonts don’t embed well in PowerPoint.
If your workflow includes Microsoft Office programs, like Excel and Powerpoint, then we recommend licensing TrueType formats over OpenType. And if the font doesn’t have a TrueType version, contact us and we can suggest an alternate typeface that may work for you.
We’re introducing a new series for buyers. Every month we will pick two foundries from FontShop and highlight key points that you should pay attention to in their EULA.
The first foundry we’ll highlight is OurType because of their exceptional basic EULA that allows web and mobile embedding. Yes, I said their basic EULA allows you to embed the font you licensed into one (1) website and one (1) mobile app. The standard license also allows embedding the fonts into PDFs and e-Publications! Since OurType delivers OpenType, TrueType, and EOT/WOFF files with their product you’ll have everything that you’ll need to create documents, a web site, and a mobile app.
Now for the fun part. The basic license allows OurType fonts to be used in a single (1) location for up to 5 users, but you can extend the license to support additional locations and users. You can not share the fonts with third parties that do not have a license for the same fonts. And you can not send the font files to a service bureau or a printer, but you can deliver your files as press-ready PDFs with the fonts embedded. If your website or mobile app allows users to create content using the font, then an additional license (Online Editing-Publishing) will need to be issued.
Phew! Hope you got all of that. If you have additional questions you can always email FontShop’s Support Team for help.
EULA highlights will be posted every other Monday. Stay tuned for Dalton Maag.
February 25, 2013 – 2:21 PM
Are your fonts looking garbled or acting wonky for no reason? Do you think it’s possibly the new font that you installed causing issues, even though it worked perfectly last week? Or are fonts mysteriously missing from your drop down menu in one program, but appear in another? If you said yes to any of the above questions then you may have to clean your Font Cache.
Here are some ways to clean your cache, please note that you will have to restart your computer after cleaning. So, save and quit all programs beforehand.
Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7
The Windows operating system has a font cache file that is located here:
C:\Windows\System32\FNTCACHE.DAT
Delete this file, and restart your system. A new FNTCACHE.DAT file will be created on startup.
Mac OS X
Our support team recommends Font Finagler or Font Nuke to help cleanse your system’s cache. Check out our help section for more details on how to use Font Finagler to clear your Font Cache.
Once you’ve cleared your font cache, you’ll want to open a few programs to make sure that your fonts are behaving. Everything should be back to normal, but if it isn’t you can always contact FontShop for help.
Posted in Buyer's Guide
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Tagged 7, Cache Cleaning, Font Cache, Font Finagler, Font Nuke, Help, Mac, Missing Fonts, OS X, PC, Support, Vista, Windows, XP
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January 7, 2013 – 2:21 PM
Every year FontShop adds more foundries, new fonts, and tools to help you find the perfect font for you project. We also know that it can get a bit overwhelming to sort through all the products and features we offer, so we added a Contact Us tab.
It is always located on the right and you can find a person to chat with or submit a support request.
We look forward to working with you in the new year.
December 10, 2012 – 2:28 PM
Does your current font license support your needs? If not, then FontShop can help you find out. Send a message to Sales with your questions and we’ll help you sort everything out.
You may need a Multi-User license, MUL for short, if you purchased a basic license in the past and your company has grown and needs to accomodate multiple locations or additional users.
We can also help you extend your license to support web and mobile.
November 26, 2012 – 2:24 PM
November 19, 2012 – 2:54 PM
We’re rounding up previous guides to help you demystify licensing webfonts on FontShop.
Need help finding webfonts on our site?
Read am I buying a webfont?
Confused about what webfont formats are and how to use them?
Then check out what is EOT or WOFF.
Don’t know the difference between a desktop license and a webfont license?
Read up on how our webfonts are licensed.
Do you have a Typekit account and you want to link your webfonts to your account?
Then find out if your webfont can be linked to Typekit.
November 12, 2012 – 2:10 PM
Last week we went over the Character Set tab and how you can view OpenType features that are available within a font. But did you know you can test OpenType features in the Custom Sample Tool Bar? To access the additional controls, click on the gear icon located on any page that shows renders.
Then read up on how to use OpenType Feature Controls here .
November 5, 2012 – 3:32 PM
Located on every product page, the Character Set tab will show you every glyph that is available within a specific font. Since an OpenType font can contain over 65,000+ characters, this feature will help you scan through a font quickly for particular features you need. We’ll use FF Tisa Sans Pro Regular as an example. A quick glance shows that there are 892 glyphs that make up the font.
Previewing each and every glyph can be tedious so we’ve listed all the OpenType features available within the font. Just click on a feature to filter a specific Character Set view. As you can see below, FF Tisa Sans Pro Regular has true Small Caps.
Try it today when you’re making your font selection. If you don’t see a feature you need, then feel free to contact FontShop for help.
October 29, 2012 – 2:00 PM
Do you love fonts and lists? Then FontLists were made just for you. Curated by FontShop experts, these lists may help you find the fonts you need.
Use it to find fonts by Alternates, Genre, Award Winners and more.
October 22, 2012 – 1:30 PM
With over 150,000 fonts to choose from, FontShop is a great place to browse for the perfect typeface you need. To help you with your journey we created the History section.
The History section, located in the upper right corner of FontShop, keeps track each font or product that you view on our site. If you’re logged in, then up to 250 products can be stored. Use it when you want to go back and see a font you may have forgotten to add to your Favorites.
October 15, 2012 – 3:51 PM
Saving your favorite fonts on FontShop is easy. On every product we license you can click on the star icon to add the font to your Favorites.
You can access your starred fonts by clicking on Favorites in the right hand corner of FontShop.
When you’re in your Favorites, you can also add tags to all the fonts you’ve gathered. These tags are only visible to you when you are logged into your account.
You can use tags to group script fonts, compare fonts for particular project, or even bundle them in specific genres.
You’ll need to have an account to store your favorite fonts, so sign up for account now. If you already have an account, make sure you’re logged in.
October 8, 2012 – 3:00 PM
Finding the perfect typeface for your project doesn’t have to be hard. We’ve loaded FontShop with lots of tools to help you with your journey and we’ll go over those tools in upcoming Buyer’s Guide posts. But if you need help right away, here are a few tips.
Need to find a quick answer about the fonts we license? Just click the HELP link, located on the top right corner of FontShop.
Are you trying to find a the name of the typeface your client is asking you to use, but you have no idea what it is? Send an image to Research for assistance.
Do you need a formal quote or would you like to pay by invoice? Contact Sales.
Have a general question, but you don’t know where to send it. That’s easy! Send it to Info.
FontShop is always here to help.
October 1, 2012 – 1:21 PM
An End User License Agreement, EULA (pronounced ‘yoo-la’) for short, are the terms that you agree to when you license a font on FontShop. EULAs tell you what you can and can’t do with your software.
They can vary slightly from foundry to foundry and we’ve added shortcuts on each product page for your convenience.
Please keep in mind that a Basic License can always be extended to a Multi-User license. Webfonts are licensed based on the number of pageviews your site receives in a month. And if you find that the EULA can’t support your needs, then please contact us and we’ll find a solution for you.
September 24, 2012 – 2:17 PM
TrueType (.ttf) and TrueType-flavored OpenType (.ttf) work best in Microsoft® Office. Typically, PostScript-flavored OpenType (.otf) contain additional features and glyphs that apps like Excel®, Word®, and PowerPoint® can not access. Also, PowerPoint® only allows TrueType fonts to be embedded into a saved presentation.
So when you are purchasing a license for a font, make sure that you are getting the correct format. You’ll want to select PC TrueType or TrueType-flavored OpenType. Any font that has a TT icon is a TrueType font and you can use the legend below to help guide your way through the different formats on FontShop for all the products we provide.
Don’t worry, TrueType works with Macs and choosing the correct OpenType-flavor is easy!
Here are some suggestions on choosing the right desktop format.
