• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
Locked
2

Adobe fonts for commercial use? Need license?

Explorer ,
Apr 26, 2011 Apr 26, 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi,

I am using Illustrator CS5 and need to design a logo for print.  However, I was wondering if someone could please shed some light on whether or not I am allowed to use one of the Adobe fonts that came with my application for commercial use such as a logo?  Also, what is the difference between the Adobe fonts you can purchase here on this web site versus the fonts that come installed with AI CS5?  Would I necessarily have to purchase a license on Adobe.com to use a specific font for a logo?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

TOPICS
How to

Views

181.8K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines

correct answers 1 Correct answer

Apr 27, 2011 Apr 27, 2011

You certainly may use any of the fonts bundled with Adobe applications for a logo or similar static content. You may also embed the font in the resultant PDF file or EPS file that you create for the logo for placement in other content. What you cannot do is give out the font file itself to others. By having the font embedded in the PDF or EPS (PDF is the preferred format, by the way), you avoid any such problems or limitations. Note that this is true for Adobe fonts, but not necessarily fonts fr

...

Votes

Translate

Translate
replies 102 Replies 102
New Here ,
Oct 25, 2013 Oct 25, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Dear Dov

I am confused about if i  use Adobe to creat a static picture that has the fonts bundled with Adobe software, will it be legal to use it in a commercial game?

Thank you

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Oct 25, 2013 Oct 25, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

As long as the font itself isn't in the game, i.e. the “static picture” is a raster image or vector outlines - in other words, you are generating live text from an embedded or downloaded font dynamically, you are OK.

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Oct 25, 2013 Oct 25, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I am still confused, do you mean that if I design a game logo or dialogue text in the game, which contain the font charaters bundled from Adobe, that'll no be allowed?

For my case in more details, if I embed my newly-created logo picture (based on an Adobe-licensed font and Photoshop) into the game. The logo-type is definitely not 'editable'. Also, a large portion of game content is not 'editable' since it's titles, legends, and explanatory stuff. For cohesiveness, I DO use the Adobe font as displayed text in the game (player names, points, whatever). This displayed text might be considered 'editable' since it is a variable and most of it changes for each game play event(e.g when player is hit, his health is going to drop and you will see his health valuse decreases on the screen).

Will this be allowed if Ibuy the license from Adobe?

Thank u!!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Oct 26, 2013 Oct 26, 2013

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

If you need to dynamicallly use the font, i.e. create text using the font, you need access to the font while the game is running and effectively you must embed the font with the game somehow. That usage is not included with the standard Adobe font license.

For this type of advanced font licensing, contact Adobe directly at <font-licensing@adobe.com>.

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Mar 19, 2014 Mar 19, 2014

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi Dov, hope this thread still has life in it.

I'm using starling and a bitmap font in an app that I'm building in Flash Builder.  I'm using AmericanTypewriter. 

I'm dynamically generating text during the game, but I'm building it from the sprite sheet bitmap (which was created from the font).  Is this allowed?  Or is this the same as though I were using the font directly to dynamically generate the text?

I feel like the path of font -->  bitmap logo is similar to font --> bitmap letters --> generated words.  But until I hear back from you (which I hope I do) I'm going to visit Mr. Free Font Shop.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
May 03, 2015 May 03, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Have you or someone else here ever found out the answer to this?

I'm having similiar problem in my thread:

Is it legal to use adobe fonts as bitmap in a game?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
May 04, 2015 May 04, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I only use free for commercial use fonts for all of my embedded, digital stuff now. The big foundries are still lost in the sauce with licensing so I've just given up on them all together.

Google and Font Squirrel have a huge library of fonts that are free to embed.

I use Typekit for some of my web based stuff but not for apps.

Sorry to say, but this issue forced me away as a font customer...

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jun 17, 2015 Jun 17, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hey -

A month late but I just saw this.  

Yeah, I use free fonts and then try to customize them as much as possible with glyphDesigner.   I do stand by the argument that using bitmap fonts would be parallel to using bitmaps made from fonts (and there for not triggering payment) but, you know,until I know for sure, I figured I wouldn't mess with it.

Hope things worked out for you.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Jul 23, 2015 Jul 23, 2015

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

yes i ended up using free font too..

cross post from my thread if anyone looks for this info:

---

Just to update this, ended up using a free font as a basis for the bitmap one from i think Google Fonts - under OpenSIL license... i also learned that many of the free fonts on web are under license that is only free for personal use, so worth checking each particular font... the biggest free repositiories i've found are google fonts (https://www.google.com/fonts), fontsquirrel.com, dafont.com and openfontlibrary.org. with google fonts having the most clear license- all under one license..

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jun 17, 2017 Jun 17, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hello,

I have a commercial project involving a printed children book.

The book will be published and sold in bookstores.

Can I use one of adobes polices (Giddyup Std) for free ?

Or do I need a special licence in order to have it on a printed book ?

Where can I find such Licence ?

thanks 😃

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Jun 18, 2017 Jun 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi. Giddyup Std cannot be used "for free." If you'd like to use Giddyup Std for your book, you can purchase a license from Fontspring. At Fontspring, Adobe's fonts are sold with Adobe's EULA, which makes no distinction between personal or commercial use. Either is fine.

Please read the EULA before you buy, so you understand all the license terms.

I hope that helps.

-Christopher

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Jun 18, 2017 Jun 18, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

And to be perfectly clear, you don't buy the font, but rather you buy a license to use the font

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jul 27, 2017 Jul 27, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hello again,

I have another question concerning this Giddyup Std font (or any other font)

If we decide to buy the license to use the font, in a published children's book, can we then edit it slightly to better fit some requierment of the book ?

The book is meant to be readable by children around 6 to 8, when they first start reading.

Some of the letters are prouving troublesome.

Would it be legal for us to slightly change 4 or 5 letter slightly to make it easyer for them ?

thx 😃

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

“Would it be legal for us to slightly change 4 or 5 letter slightly to make it easyer for them ?”

Hi. You asked this a while ago; sorry I missed it. Adobe's own EULA (i.e. for fonts licensed from Fontspring) allows modification like this. Typekit's license does not, and many other foundry EULAs do not -- so you'll want to read the license terms carefully.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Mar 25, 2016 Mar 25, 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hello,


I want to know if it is okay to use adobe fonts for printing on fabric to sell? Does this fall under commercial use?

Thanks you!

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Mar 26, 2016 Mar 26, 2016

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

It depends on your end user license agreement (EULA). If the Adobe font you're using came directly from Adobe, or was bundled with an Adobe product, then its use is covered by Adobe's standard font license terms, which make no distinction between personal and commercial use — either is fine.

Also, Adobe fonts (but not others) licensed from Fontspring come with Adobe's font EULA.

Of course, you should always know which EULA covers any font you're using, and read its terms carefully!

Regards,

Christopher

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Apr 05, 2017 Apr 05, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi,

I have Creative Cloud for students, for my internship i need to make a logo and business card and some other things that need to be printed and will be used commercial. Can I use one of the Adobe font that's in my Illustrator and Indesign? I want to use Century Gothic.

Or do i need to buy a license for my client?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Apr 05, 2017 Apr 05, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Century Gothic is not a font provided by Adobe as part of the Creative Cloud subscription. It is a font that is commonly installed with Windows and/or Microsoft Office. If Century Gothic (actually a Monotype copy of ITC Avant Garde) is on your system, it was by virtue of either Windows or Office.

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi,

My client is a small alternative record label, and would like to use the title of the record to produce some merchandise such as t-shirts and sweaters. I have used an Adobe font. How does it work for that?

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Sep 04, 2017 Sep 04, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Your question depends entirely on the license agreement that applies to the font software you're using. That is, an Adobe font can be licensed from different resellers with their own end user license agreement (EULA), so you need to be sure from where you got your font(s).

If you use sync fonts from Typekit, then work produced using those fonts can be distributed and used for commercial purposes. For example, you could sync Myriad Pro Italic from Typekit, create a design and print it on a t-shirt, and sell that t-shirt to anyone you like. You'll find more about this on our licensing FAQ page.

Adobe fonts purchased from Fontspring also use Adobe's own font EULA, which allows commercial use. (Note that other non-Adobe fonts on Fontspring come with a different EULA.)

Regards,

Christopher

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Sep 22, 2017 Sep 22, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hello Christopher,

I am an adobe illustrator subscriber.I want to sell printed tshirts for commercial.Can i use typekit and illustrator fonts on my tshirt designs for free?

or do I have to buy a license?

Thanks.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Guest
Sep 25, 2017 Sep 25, 2017

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

You can use any Typekit sync (desktop) fonts to create designs for products that you sell commercially. (The same applies to fonts you purchase through Typekit Marketplace.) There is much more to the Typekit license, including various restrictions, so make sure you read and understand the entire Typekit terms of use.

Regards,

Christopher

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Feb 21, 2018 Feb 21, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Dov,

Although you say in your reply that PDF is the "preferred" format, it is still just as legal to embed fonts in an EPS which is used in commercial print is it?

cheers

mark.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Feb 21, 2018 Feb 21, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

For the fonts licensed from Adobe for which PDF embedding is permitted, EPS embedding is also permitted. Do not assume that this is necessarily true for fonts licensed by any other means.

          - Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Feb 26, 2018 Feb 26, 2018

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi Dov,

I just wanted to ask something please.
With the fonts within Font Folio 9, are we able to convert some letters to outlines, then change the shape of the letters to suit our designs, logo etc? I note that it says in the EULA that only some are able to be modified, I was unsure what this meant though, is this the actual font software or the letter once it has been converted to paths?.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines