Font licenses explained for hobby sellers
You found the perfect font, used it on a poster or a cut file, and now you want to sell it. Can you? It depends entirely on the font's license. Here's how font licenses work in plain words, which free fonts are safe for commercial work, and a quick check to run before you sell anything.
Not legal advice. This is a plain-language overview. The license that comes with each font is what counts, so always read it.
A font license covers the software, not the letters
A font file is software, and its license says what you may do with that software: install it, use it in designs, embed it in a website or app, modify it, or share it. Most licenses treat two things differently:
- Using the font to make something (a poster, a logo, a T-shirt design, an image of text).
- Distributing the font file itself (sharing it, bundling it in a product, selling it).
Most problems for hobby sellers come from the first point: a font that was only licensed for personal use ends up on products for sale.
"Free for personal use" is not free for selling
Many free font download sites host fonts labelled "free for personal use" or "demo". That usually means you can use them for your own non-commercial projects, but you need to buy a commercial license from the designer before using them on anything you sell, in client work or in marketing. Demo versions may also be missing characters.
The fix is simple: look for the license note on the download page and in the files (often a readme or license.txt), and if commercial use isn't clearly allowed, assume it isn't.
The SIL Open Font License (OFL)
The SIL Open Font License is the most widely used open-source font license. According to the official OFL site, you can use OFL fonts in books, posters, artwork, logos and on websites, with no acknowledgement required. You can also modify and redistribute them.
The main conditions, from the license text:
- The font may not be sold by itself. It can be bundled with software, as long as the copyright notice and license come with it.
- Modified versions may not use the font's Reserved Font Name, if it has one.
- The font itself must stay under the OFL. That requirement does not apply to documents and designs made with the font.
In practice: designs made with an OFL font can be sold. Selling the font file can't.
Google Fonts
Google Fonts is the easiest safe source for hobby sellers. According to the Google Fonts FAQ:
- All Google Fonts are open source and free.
- You can use them commercially, including in products you sell.
- You can use them in logos, and on any surface: print, websites, apps, e-books, store fronts, even jewellery.
- Text you turn into an image or vector graphic can be modified (stretched, spaced, reshaped), because the result is an image of text, not a new font.
- Most use the OFL; some use the Apache license or the Ubuntu Font License, each with their own redistribution conditions.
Paid font licenses
When you buy a font from a designer or marketplace, the license usually spells out what's included. Common things to check:
- Desktop
- Install on your computer and use in designs, print and images.
- Web
- Embed the font file on a website with CSS. Often a separate license.
- App / e-book
- Embed the font inside software or digital publications. Often separate.
- Merchandise / print on demand
- Some licenses limit the number of products sold, or exclude items where the text is the main design. Check carefully if you sell on print-on-demand platforms.
Subscription libraries
Subscription sites give access to many fonts and graphics for a monthly or yearly fee. Their licenses often depend on whether your subscription is active, so read how they handle what happens after you cancel.
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Creative Fabrica
Creative Fabrica sells fonts, graphics and craft files, and offers a rotating freebies section. According to Creative Fabrica, freebies include its commercial license, and some are only free for a limited time. With a subscription, work you create while subscribed can keep being used and sold after you cancel, but you can't make new work with the downloaded files once your subscription ends. Check the current license terms and price on their site before you buy.
Honest take: if Google Fonts covers your style, you don't need anything else. Paid libraries are worth it for decorative, script and craft-specific fonts that the free catalogue doesn't have.
Before you sell: a five-point check
- Where did the font come from? Note the source URL.
- What does the license say about commercial use and merchandise?
- Is it a full version, or a "demo" or "personal use" file?
- Save a copy of the license file and a screenshot of the download page with the date.
- Do the same for every graphic and photo in the design, not just the font.
For the rest of your toolkit, see The Design Toolkit. Using music or sound in videos? The same license habit applies: see royalty-free music, sound effects and stock footage.