Adobe Photoshop CS5 Typeface/Font fee for commercial use?

[T33882569399n]

I own Adobe Photoshop CS5 that I still use to this day.
I am in the process of opening a storefront on Spring(print on demand service), and I would like to use my Adobe Photoshop CS5 to create my text-"designs", that I will print on the merchandise I intend to sell on my storefront.

So, my question is...are the typefaces/fonts(not sure which word is the right word) in my Adobe Photoshop CS5 available for commercial use or do I have to pay something to somebody before I use the typefaces/fonts on my merchandise(and sell it)?

For example I would like to use the typeface/font called Courier New and Impact, that I see in my Adobe Photoshop CS5, in my designs. Am I free to do that, or as I asked above, do I have to pay something to be allowed to do that?

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

@T33882569399n any fonts associated with CS5 install are free to use on merch/commercial use. What you can't do is zip and distribute the actual font for profit.

[T33882569399n]

Well that's good to hear!

But why does this website here for example https://www.fontles.com/impact-font/ claim that the font Impact(one of the fonts/typefaces I want to use from my Adobe Photoshop CS5, for my designs) is for personal use only.

And I've seen other websites, and other peopple online, also saying you need to contact the creator/owner of the font, and get some kind of license to use it. And this is so confusing, because some say it's free, other people say no you need a license...and I've also heard that it was free before, but not anymore. Really confusing! And I want to get to the bottom of this. Don't want to get in any legal trouble in the future, if I use these fonts/typefaces on my merchandise.

But this is also why I came here to ask this question, who is better to ask than the source(Adobe), since they are the ones who made these fonts/typefaces available through my Adobe Photoshop CS5, for me to use.

Any idea why the different claims?

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

@T33882569399n this is a user-to-user community forum, not direct contact with Adobe.

Looking at this site - Impact was not one of the fonts installed with Creative Suite so you must have acquired it from another source.

https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/using/fonts-included-with-creative-suite.html

[T33882569399n]

This site was just a random site that showed up in the google search results. I've never used this site, or any other like it, to get fonts/typefaces. I just had to give you an example of what I mean by some sites(and people on sites like reddit, quora etc) are claiming. I have only istalled APCS5 on my laptop, and desktop, and on both the laptop and desktop, the Impact font is available. I've never downloaded any other fonts/typefaces in my life. Never needed to because I'm not a designer or anything like that. But since now I intend to use APCS5 to create designs that may earn money, I had to research online what is allowed/legal to use for commercial use. This is where all of these sites I'm referefirng to came up, and started casusing all of the confusion. And this is what finally led me to with the home of finding the right answer.

PS: First I tried contacting Adobe through email(at least an email that showed up on Google), but got no response. Then I tried Chat, and they told me to come here and ask.

[T33882569399n]

*This is where all of these sites I'm refereirng to came up, and started causing all of the confusion. And this is what finally led me to come here with the hope of finding the right answer.

[Mike_Gondek]

Geoffrey Lee designed Impact font for the Stephenson Blake foundry in 1965  The font was sold to Microsoft, Monotype URW and others. That fonties site did not create that font and as they put for personal use only as they did nto purchase the right to distribute as Monotype did. 

If you absolutely want to avoid legal trouble, purchase the font.

[T33882569399n]

As I mentioned to Kevin, this site was just a random site that showed up in the google search results. I've never used this site, or any other like it, to get fonts/typefaces. The Impact font shows up both on my laptop and desktop, when I installed APCS5.

[mglush]

Hi!

As Kevin mentioned, if you purchased a copy of CS5 then all of the Typefaces that came with it are free for you to use. Check the disc that came with the program if you need a refresher on what they are.

Second, just a note about Typeface/fonts. Typefaces are the general name for a family of fonts. A Typeface would be Futura, Bodoni, Gill Sans, and the fonts would be the variations like Bold, Italic, Regular, and Bold Italic—Futur Bold, Garamond Italic, etc.

Michelle

[T33882569399n]

Ok so I can feel safe to use all of the fonts, without worrying?

Thanks for the clarification 🙂

[Stephen Marsh]

I own Adobe Photoshop CS5 that I still use to this day.

To be "clear", you own a perpetual license to use Photoshop CS5, you don't own Photoshop.

For example I would like to use the typeface/font called Courier New and Impact, that I see in my Adobe Photoshop CS5, in my designs.

Just because an installed font is available in Photoshop, has no bearing on the license for the font (fonts are licensed software too).

[mglush]

Thanks for the clarification Stephen!

Michelle

[Lumigraphics]

Courier New and Impact are Windows system fonts. Microsoft allows commercial use.

[T33882569399n]

Oh really!? Where can I see that information, do you happen to have a link or something? That would really give me a peace fo mind.

[Lumigraphics]

You can Google for "Windows system fonts" which finds this article

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/fonts/windows_10_font_list

[T33882569399n]

I was exactly on this site 10min ago 🙂

And you are right, Courier New and Impact belong to Microsoft, so this explains why I see them in my Adobe Photoshop CS5, but the license part is still a bit confusing...it sends me to a FAQ page where I see this...

''

Can I sell things I print from Windows or make using these printouts, say a book, logo, advertisement, report, t-shirt, or crafts that use fonts that come with Windows?

Unless you are using an application that is specifically licensed for home, student, or non-commercial use, we do not restrict you from selling the things you print and make using the Windows-supplied fonts.

''

When they say ''Unless you are using an application that is specifically licensed for home, student, or non-commercial use''...do they mean the Photoshop version I own, or the Windows version?

If they mean Windows, according to System Information, I see that Windows on my Desktop is Home, while Windows on my laptop is Pro.

When It comes to Photoshop, when I look at the cs/disc, it says Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended, can't see if its home or pro...

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

You're way overthinking all this. You can use your computer and Adobe software for commercial purposes. If you are this concerned about fonts and their usages either avoid them altogether or purchase a license for the two fonts in question.

Honestly unless you plan to make millions, I highly doubt either Adobe or Microsoft would come after you for using a font in an etsy listing.

[T33882569399n]

Kevin, when it comes to me overthinking all of this...you are probably right! haha

Its just that now, since I've started to make money of my hobbies(YouTube, and soon the storefront where I want to sell merch), where I use these fonts, I just want to do everything properly.

But you are right, Adobe or Microsoft will probably not care for a nobody like me with a few thousand YouTube subscibers, who want to makes a few extra bucks with merch.

But my problem is, like you said, I'm overthinking...I'm awlays like "What if my channel grows from the few thousand people, to many thousands of people, and I actually start making a living of YouTube and the merch..."

And there is no probem with buying the fonts if I have to, but this is what Im trying to figure out. Do I really have to? And the fonts are not cheap either. So why buy them, if I actually have the rights to use them commercialy already. So thats why Im asking all of these stupid questions(which I apologizie for).

[Stephen Marsh]

@T33882569399n 

If you have legal concerns, ask a lawyer who specialises in the appropriate area of law.

You get what you pay for!

[T33882569399n]

Kevin is right, I'm just overthinking...it's fine...contacting a lawyer, that will be taking it waaaaay too far haha

I was just hoping to see a more clear answer regarding these typefaces, like i've seen for other typefaces where it clearly states the typefaces/fonts are for commercial use.

I'm sure I'll be fine...

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Not a lawyer but I think the distinction here is you are using a font for a design - not selling the font or packaging it outright for sale.

[T33882569399n]

Yes thats correct, i just want to make my design with these typefaces/fonts...let's say I want to sell a t-shirt that says "I love New York". For that design I want to use the Courier New. For the coffee mugs, I want a design that says "I Love Coffee In The Morning", and here I would like to use Impact etc etc

For my YouTube channel I use Courier New for my logo, and I use Impact in the thumbnails and sometimes in the videos.

I have no intention of selling the typefaces/fonts like I own them or something.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Here comes a curve ball "I Love New York" phrase is trademarked already. Not just the I (heart) NY by Milton Glaser. The state of NY owns that phrase.

[T33882569399n]

That was just an example, Im not going to actually use these phrases for my designs.

Im creating my own 🙂

[T33882569399n]

Kevin, do you know what I find a bit funny...?

I was just browsing through the adobe fonts, and I found the font/typeface Courier...which looks almost exactly like Courier New, and is designed by the same person(Howard Kettler). If I didn't put them side by side, I wouldn't have been able to notice the difference. Even the google font library has a font, again, basically the same as Corier and Courier New, and it goes by the name Courier Prime(Which is also to be found in the Adobe fonts library).

Googles Courier Prime font license states:

These fonts are licensed under the Open Font License.

You can use them in your products & projects – print or digital, commercial or otherwise.

Adobes Courier font license according to the FAQ:

Can I use the fonts to create products I will sell commercially, such as t-shirts, posters, books, magazines, or other printed merchandise?

Yes. You can use the fonts for any kind of merchandise, whether you’re designing a t-shirt for a friend or product packaging for a client. Other printed products, such as books or magazines, are permitted as well. There is no limitation on the number of impressions or items you may produce.

Its so strange that these typefaces/fonts are basically the same, but on one platform(Adobe, or Google of course) it cleary states its free for commercial use, but on Microsoft platform you have no idea lol

So now I have to just figure out how to download the Adobe Courier typeface/font to my computer 🙂

This is difference by the way...almost identical. Wouldn't have been able to notice the difference if I didn't put them side by side.