What do I need to know about using fonts when designing for Minted?

We rely on you, our designers, to surface interesting new fonts. You are encouraged to use fonts in your submissions that are not currently on the Minted Font List.

Here’s what you need to know about using fonts at Minted:

• Minted licenses all the fonts that we use for print and online. We are not able to distribute fonts, so each artist must purchase his or her own.
  
  • It's very important for us to ensure we are in compliance with all font licensing requirements. We only want to use font designers’ work in ways they allow.
• We evaluate each font you use in your winning design. If we don’t have a commercial license for it, we determine whether it makes sense (and is possible) to purchase one. If not, we will notify you.
  
  • You as the artist do not need a commercial license to use the font in your submission, but Minted needs the correct licensing to make sure we can use the font.
• We require all designs that use a non-Minted font in their submission to suggest a potential “font swap” when submitting final files in case we are not able to acquire the license. You can learn more about our font swap process in this FAQ article.

More information about font licensing at Minted:

• Policies around fonts are complicated. Foundries set their own terms for how their font software may be used.
• Some allow fairly unrestricted use, while others explicitly forbid things like using a font on a product for sale, or when the text can be changed and previewed online.

Fonts in designs on Minted are used in two different ways, and each requires different licensing:

Editable Text

• Editable text, such as names, dates, etc., must have special licensing in order to allow customers to edit type within a design on our website.
• This licensing is called a server license.
• Our Minted Font List tells you which fonts we currently have this licensing for. We often add new fonts to this list.

Non-Editable Text

• Rules around text that is not editable by the customer varies greatly from foundry to foundry (and sometimes even between fonts from the same foundry!).
• When you submit final files, we look at the EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) for each font in your design to determine if we are allowed to use it.
• Generally, one of three things happens:
  
  • a) The standard EULA specifies that you as the designer are permitted to outline the font and give your design to us for use on a product for sale.
  • Outcome: We publish your design (yay!)
  • b) The standard EULA forbids the use of the font on products for sale and requires purchase of a separate Commercial License in order to be used on a product for sale.
  • Outcome: If we are able to obtain the commercial license, we will do so on your behalf and publish the design.
    
    • The factors that we take into consideration when deciding whether to pay for a commercial license are:
      
      • The cost of the license
      • Whether the font seems critical to the look & feel of the design
      • The number of other designers who have requested the font
  • c) The foundry does not offer any type of license that would allow us to use the font in a product for sale.
  • Outcome: we will use the font swap you provided when submitting final files.