We usually use free fonts or system stacks, but larger clients are bringing their own brand fonts or asking for something more distinctive.
How do you decide when a paid font is worth it, and who handles licensing for websites, apps, and generated documents?
Commercial fonts can be worth the cost when typography is a big part of the brand. A distinctive family, more weights, or broader language coverage may give the design options that a free font doesn't.
I'd treat it as a project expense and build it into the price. The client doesn't necessarily need to be involved in every font choice, but make sure the license is set up to cover their actual use.
My preference is for the client to buy and hold the license. It makes ownership and handoff clearer when the project ends or another team takes over. If the client already has a brand font, ask for the relevant files or approved delivery method and check what their existing license permits.
That's a different approach from buying it yourself and passing along the cost. Either way, don't assume a payment receipt alone tells you who can use the font or where.
Read the actual license for each font. A web license isn't automatically permission for every part of a SaaS product, and generated PDFs, app embedding, and staging environments may have different terms. There's no universal answer across vendors.
Before buying, write down the uses you expect, including development and production. If the agreement doesn't make one of them clear, ask the foundry for clarification and keep that response with the license.
3v!gearshift_528:
Same goes for a client's existing license. Having the font in a brand toolkit doesn't necessarily answer whether it covers a new product or document workflow.
Keep the order confirmation, license terms, account details, and any renewal requirements somewhere the client can find them later. Some vendors look for unlicensed web use, so being able to locate the purchase record matters. Also check whether the license is perpetual or needs renewing rather than assuming it's a one-time purchase.
Free fonts and system stacks are still reasonable choices. If they meet the project's design and language needs, there's no need to add licensing work just because the client is bigger. Paid fonts make more sense when the brand or the required family has a specific need.
Answers are reviewed before publication.
b.91!shoelace:
Where would you start looking for fonts beyond the usual free libraries?
Keldrin_7m+4:
Look through independent type foundries as well as larger font catalogs. Check the available weights, language coverage, and licensing terms before getting attached to a family.