Adobe website should list retired fonts somewhere officially in documentation

Report · Apr 25, 2020

House Industries retired their fonts on March 5, 2020.

I only now know this since Adobe sent me an email on February 27, 2020 that I just saw now after digging through my emails.

Can Adobe add an official documentation list of retired fonts?

It's an easy push from Github or wherever you host the Adobe Fonts documentation. It's ridiculous that fonts just "disappear" by retiring and then there's no record of the font ever being offered through Adobe Fonts. Even Windows has better documentation for font history.

Report · Apr 27, 2020

Bump. Come on Adobe, fix this. Business users need proactive notification way more than 7 days before a font retires.

Report · Jun 01, 2020

Font Bureau and Carter & Cone retired their fonts on June 15, 2020.

*Note that almost 100 fonts from Frere-Jones Type, previously listed under Font Bureau, will not be impacted. You’ll still have access to user favorites like Interstate, Nobel, and Griffith Gothic.

Report · Jul 07, 2020

While I know there was some advance notification sent about Bureau and Carter & Cone retiring their fonts on June 15, 2020, the whole process creates a great sense of vulnerability. What certainty do we have that fonts will have any longevity? Why would we use Adobe Fonts if we have no certainty they will stay around? And once fonts are gone why can we not find any documentation of what was removed? How hard would it be to create a list of all retired fonts?

Report · Jul 07, 2020

"Retired" is a bit of a misnomer. What is happening is that the font foundary has pulled its fonts from the Adobe Fonts site and is now reselling licenses directly. This is not something Adobe has control over. You can contact the owning foundaries for licensing and access to the fonts.

I am not an Adobe employee so I do not know why the notices are sent with only a week between notification and loss of access. I imagine it is because Adobe isn't aware that the foundaries intend to remove their fonts until a short time before it happens.

Report · Jul 08, 2020

Thank you! I didn't know how else to say the foundries are pulling their fonts, but to say the fonts have been retired. I recognize Adobe doesn't have a lot over control that but that still doesn't resolve the issue. Why should I use Adobe Fonts if there is no guarantee the fonts won't be removed. I understand it is a service Adobe is offering and I as a paying subscriber have the right to choose to use it or not to use it.

But, let's say for a second I work for a small non-profit (which I do). This organization has a very small budget to buy design assets or do marketing. Adobe Fonts is a great solution since I have to pay for CC license anyways. The access helps me practice better design, further advance the general quality of non-profit marketing, and add better quality work to the world of design. However, if a foundry pulls their fonts that I use (which they have the right to do), I am now in a tight spot of either having to rework all my art with new fonts or purchasing relatively expensive fonts which the organization can't afford.

In this scenario, I realize I made a decision to use a service Adobe provides and I assume the risk. That said, it isn't much of a service if there is no certainty the fonts are going to stay around. I am not trying to gripe. I am just trying to give a perspective from one user.

Report · Jul 08, 2020

I wish I had a good answer for you, but I don't. You could use one of the fonts developed by Adobe; there are about 200 of them, and you'll never have to worry about those being removed from Adobe Fonts.

As for the rest, the only thing I can suggest is that you follow a suggestion made by Dov Isaacs: treat fonts from outside foundaries as "trials". If you want to use them and guarantee permanent access, contact the foundaries directly for licensing. A lot of companies have special programs and discounts for non-profits.

When you get down to it, Adobe Fonts is basically a convenient way to examine fonts from multiple foundaries to see if you like them without having to chase around the entire Web to find them, but unless you choose a font owned by Adobe, there's always the risk that the owning foundary can pull it. I don't think Adobe even charges for it as it's not available as a subscription.

Report · Oct 28, 2020

It might be good advice to look at Adobe Fonts as an extended trial, but that's not how it's marketed.

So your concerns are reasonable.

Adobe Fonts is marketed as a value add to its various subscriptions, and Adobe has been pushing the subscription model for a number of years. Adobe Fonts is also a solutuon for effective delivery of type to websites.

(I find Adobe's subsctription service a great solution overall and am happy with it — but I share your concern.)

You're not being unreasonable in wanting Adobe to ensure their agreements with font foundries provide for some measure of stability. Your wish for at least a reasonable notice time for fonts no longer being available is even more reasonable.

If that stability is not part of the deal, there should be a big red warning sign on the service.

Report · Oct 30, 2020

Yes! And combined with the fact that Adobe often decides I'm not using my fonts if I haven't used them in a couple days, I don't immediately realize what the actual problem is. I've got several ads I have to rework now on short notice because the fonts I was using disappeared.

Report · Oct 30, 2020

And shoud also list the updated fonts.
In some cases my artwork is final and someone (Adobe, font foundry, someone) decides to update a font kerning.

And if the font is updated in the site, my final artwork is not that final now, because i will have to check if something moved out of place.

Meaning new proofs, more time to verify the artwork, etc, etc, etc