Font Licenses

Font Licenses define how fonts can be used, modified, and distributed. Fontist tracks license requirements and prompts for acceptance when needed.

License Types

Open Source Licenses

License	Install	Embed	Modify	Commercial	Notes
SIL OFL 1.1	✅	✅	✅	✅	Most common for fonts
Apache 2.0	✅	✅	✅	✅	Google Fonts default
MIT	✅	✅	✅	✅	Permissive
GPLv2	✅	⚠️	✅	❌	Copyleft
LGPL	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	Linking exception

Proprietary Licenses

License Type	Install	Embed	Modify	Commercial
Freeware	✅	Varies	❌	Varies
Shareware	⚠️	❌	❌	❌
Commercial	⚠️	⚠️	❌	⚠️
Bundle-only	✅	✅	❌	✅

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SIL Open Font License (OFL)

The most common open-source font license, created specifically for fonts.

Key Points

• Free to use - No cost for any use
• Free to share - Redistribute freely
• Free to modify - Create derivative works
• Reserved Font Name - Some fonts restrict use of original name
• Bundle allowed - Include in software packages

OFL in Practice

# Example OFL font in formula
name: open-sans
license:
  type: OFL-1.1
  url: https://scripts.sil.org/OFL
  requires_confirmation: false

---

Proprietary Fonts

Some fonts require license acceptance before installation.

Fontist License Handling

# Fontist shows license requirements
fontist install "Calibri"

# Output:
# This font requires license acceptance.
# License: Microsoft Software License
# View license? [y/N]

Accepting Licenses

# For CI/CD, accept all licenses
fontist install --accept-all-licenses "Calibri"

In Manifests

# Manifest with license handling
Calibri:
  - Regular
  - Bold

# Install with license acceptance
# fontist manifest-install --accept-all-licenses manifest.yml

---

License Metadata in Formulas

Formulas include license information:

name: example-font
description: Example font with license info
homepage: https://example.com/font

copyright:
  - Copyright (c) 2026 Example Foundry

license:
  type: OFL-1.1
  url: https://scripts.sil.org/OFL
  requires_confirmation: false

# OR for proprietary:
license:
  type: Proprietary
  url: https://example.com/license
  requires_confirmation: true
  text: |
    END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
    ...

---

Fontist License Error Handling

Exit Code 4: Licensing Error

When a font requires license acceptance but it wasn't provided:

fontist install "Some Commercial Font"
# Exit code: 4
# Error: License confirmation required

Handling in Scripts

#!/bin/bash
fontist install "Font Name"
case $? in
  0) echo "Success" ;;
  4) echo "License required, accepting..."
      fontist install --accept-all-licenses "Font Name"
      ;;
  *) echo "Error: $?" ;;
esac

In Ruby

begin
  Fontist::Font.install("Font Name")
rescue Fontist::Errors::LicensingError
  # Handle license requirement
  Fontist::Font.install("Font Name", confirmation: "yes")
end

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Embedding Rights

What is Font Embedding?

Embedding includes the font inside a document (PDF, EPUB, etc.) rather than requiring the recipient to have it installed.

Embedding Types

Type	Description
Installable	Font can be installed and used
Editable	Font can be embedded for editing
Preview & Print	Font can be embedded for viewing only
Restricted	No embedding allowed

Checking Embedding Rights

# Fontisan can report embedding rights
fontisan analyze font.ttf --embedding

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Common Font Sources & Licenses

Source	License	Notes
Google Fonts	OFL-1.1, Apache-2.0	Free, open source
Adobe Fonts	Proprietary	Subscription required
Monotype	Proprietary	Commercial licenses
System fonts	Varies	OS license applies
Microsoft ClearType	Proprietary	Windows bundle

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Best Practices

For Projects

1. Document font licenses in your project
2. Use OFL fonts when possible
3. Verify embedding rights before PDF generation
4. Keep license files alongside fonts

For CI/CD

1. Use --accept-all-licenses carefully
2. Document which fonts you use
3. Audit license compliance periodically
4. Consider commercial alternatives for proprietary fonts

Example: Documenting Font Usage

# fonts.yml with license documentation
# Project: My Documentation
# Generated: 2026-03-10

Roboto:  # OFL-1.1 - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Roboto
  - Regular
  - Bold

Source Code Pro:  # OFL-1.1 - https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Code+Pro
  - Regular

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See Also

• Requirements - Specifying font needs
• Formulas Guide - How formulas work
• Exit Codes - License error (code 4)
• SIL OFL - Open Font License