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WHY WE CHOSE VALUE-BASED FONT LICENSING
A more thoughtful way to license fonts for real-world brand use.
When font licensing was first developed, most designers worked in traditional desktop publishing environments. Fonts were used by a handful of people, usually on just a few computers, and licenses were priced accordingly, typically by counting how many users would install the font. This user-based model worked fine in the early days of digital design.
But times have changed. Design workflows are more complex, brands operate across dozens of platforms, and the role of typography has grown far beyond the desktop.
Today, a font is not just a tool for a designer. It’s a core part of a brand’s identity. It appears everywhere: in logos, packaging, social posts, investor decks, websites, videos, and more. It represents how your company speaks, looks, and feels across every customer touchpoint. In short: fonts now live at the heart of how modern brands express themselves.
That’s why we’ve moved away from the outdated user-based model and introduced a value-based licensing system. Instead of tracking how many people install the font, our model considers the overall scale, visibility, and impact of the brand using it. A five-person coffee startup and a 500-person multinational company might use the same font, but the value they gain from it is very different.
Our licenses are structured to reflect that difference in scale fairly and transparently. For example, our Brand License is priced according to the size of the company using the font, not how many people install it. Why? Because a brand with more employees is likely producing more materials, reaching a wider audience, and benefiting more from the typeface’s visual presence. This model avoids the confusion of counting “users” and focuses instead on the bigger picture: how the font is being used and how much it matters to the business.
Another benefit of value-based licensing is clarity and simplicity. You no longer need to worry about how many designers, interns, or team members are “using” the font. If you’re using the typeface for your brand, in any kind of visual, print, or digital output, a Brand License applies. If you’re embedding it on your website, you need a Web License. If your agency is working on your brand with our fonts, they need to be covered too, either under your Subcontractor License or with a separate license of their own.
This model ensures that licensing matches how fonts are actually used today and how design really works in modern branding teams. It allows us to support smaller studios fairly, while offering a clear path for growing brands to scale their use confidently and legally.
We also know that licensing can feel confusing, especially when terms differ between foundries. For a detailed overview of our standard licensing options, you can visit our Standard License Guide.
Our standard shop licenses are designed to cover most common use cases clearly and transparently. However, every brand works differently. If your setup requires something more tailored, such as Ads, App, or Server licensing, or if you are not sure which license fits your situation, whether you are a solo designer, a creative agency, or a global brand, feel free to contact us. We will work with you to find a solution that matches your needs: info@rellence.com
