The short version
- A font licence is permission to use a typeface in specific ways; you never own the font itself.
- A desktop licence covers installing a font on computers and making static designs such as social posts, print and logo artwork.
- A web licence covers embedding a font on a website with @font-face, and an app licence covers building it into software.
- The SIL Open Font License allows commercial use in all of these places for free, but forbids selling the font files on their own.
- Small brands should keep a simple record of every font they use, its licence type and where the licence file is stored.
On this page
Font licensing is how type foundries say where their fonts may be used. When you buy a font, you buy a licence for particular uses: a desktop licence to install it and make images, print and logo artwork; a web licence to embed it on a website; an app licence to build it into software. Each is sold and measured separately. Open licences such as the SIL Open Font License cover all of them for free. For a small brand the practical question is simple: list where your fonts appear, then make sure a licence covers each place.
The main types of font licence
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A small brand needs it when
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A small brand needs it when
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A small brand needs it when
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A small brand needs it when
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A small brand needs it when
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The split exists because each use carries a different risk of the font file escaping. A designer's computer keeps it inside the studio. A website sends the file to every visitor's browser. An app hands it to every device it's installed on. Foundries price and restrict each use accordingly.
Which font licence do you need
Work from what you actually make. Most small brands need a desktop licence for their team and a web licence for their site, and nothing more. Foundries write their own terms, so treat the tables here as a map, read the licence itself, and ask a lawyer when the stakes are high, such as a trademark.
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Open licences: the SIL OFL and Apache
The SIL Open Font License was written so that fonts could be shared and built on freely. Under it you may use the font for anything, commercial included: print, logos, websites, apps and ebooks. You may embed it, modify it and bundle it with software. The main limits: you can't sell the font files on their own, a modified version must stay under the OFL, and it can't use any name the designer has reserved. Google Fonts uses the OFL for most of its library, with a few families under the Apache License, which is similarly permissive. Free fonts for commercial use lists safe places to find them.
Open licence (OFL)
- Free for every use, commercial included
- No limits on users, page views or apps
- You may modify and redistribute the files
- You may not sell the font on its own
Commercial licence
- Paid, and priced by use
- Separate licences for desktop, web and app
- Limits on users, page views or installs
- Usually forbids sharing files outside your company
Logos, agencies and other awkward cases
Using a font in your logo
Many desktop licences allow logo artwork, and the OFL allows it outright. Some foundries ask for an extended licence for logos or trademarks, so search the licence for the word "logo" before you commit. A logo usually outlives everything else in a brand, which makes this the one licence worth checking twice. Wordmark design and logo design basics cover the rest of that decision.
Working with a freelancer or agency
If a designer buys a font to make your logo, the licence is often in their name, not yours. Ask them to buy it in your company's name, or buy it yourself and give them access under your licence's terms. Otherwise you may own the logo but not the right to keep using the font for your menus and posts.
Fonts from a subscription
Fonts that come with a subscription, such as Adobe Fonts with Creative Cloud, are usually licensed only while the subscription runs, and the files can't be shared. Designs you made remain usable, but new work in the font needs an active plan.
How to keep your font licences in order
- 1
List every font you use
Check your website, your logo files, your templates and your team's computers. Small brands are often surprised to find five or six.
- 2
Find each licence
Receipts, OFL.txt files or a foundry account. If you can't find one for a font, replace the font or buy a licence.
- 3
Match licence to use
Make sure web fonts have a web licence and the number of users or page views fits.
- 4
Store the proof with your brand assets
Put the licences next to your logo files and brand style guide, not in someone's personal inbox.
- 5
Review once a year
Traffic grows, teams grow and apps get built. A yearly glance catches limits you've outgrown.
FONT LICENCE RECORD
Font: Fraunces (variable)
Used for: Headlines, logo, website headings
Licence: SIL Open Font License 1.1
Covers: Desktop, web, app, logo
Source: fonts.google.com
Downloaded: 2026-10-01
File kept: Brand/Fonts/Fraunces/OFL.txt
Font: (commercial body face)
Used for: Body text, menus
Licence: Desktop, 3 users + Web, up to your page view limit
Bought by: The company, not the designer
File kept: Brand/Fonts/Body/licence.pdfFonts in your design tool
Online design tools load fonts on a server, which some desktop licences don't allow. Open licensed fonts are always fine. In Gradiently, the brand kit (part of Pro) takes a heading and a body font as uploaded font files, so check that your licence allows use in a web based tool before uploading a commercial face. Once it's in, new designs start in the same pair. Brand fonts helps you choose them.
A licensed heading and body pair, used the same way everywhere, is what makes type part of a brand.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a desktop and a web font licence?
A desktop licence covers installing a font and making static designs, print and images. A web licence covers embedding the font file on a website so browsers draw live text with it.
Do I need a licence to use a font in my logo?
Yes, but many desktop licences and the SIL Open Font License allow logo use. Some foundries require an extended licence, so search the terms for logo.
Can I share a font with my designer?
Commercial licences usually forbid sharing files outside your company. Open licensed fonts can be shared freely.
Is the SIL Open Font License free for commercial use?
Yes. It allows commercial use in print, logos, websites and apps. It only forbids selling the font files by themselves.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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