Typeface test-drive
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- blastofv
Has anyone ever heard of a trial-period sort of situation for a typeface? Like the font files are free for download, but they will become useless after 30 days or something? I can imagine foundries are really tight on this sort of thing, but I bet agencies would pay a monthly fee for direct access to typeface trials... anybody heard of anything like this? Or does anybody want to start that business up like this week so I can get some comps together?
I have to work up some typographically-elaborate comps, and my agency will def. buy the typeface family if the client buys the concept...
Flont and other similar services won't cut it...
- Zeitgeist0
Then why don't you just wait and buy it if the client approves the concept?
- blastofv0
The problem is I need to use it quite extensively for my comps...
I'm pretty sure there's nothing out there, but it can't hurt to ask.
I'm just not sure my agency is up for dropping a couple hundred bucks for a font on a preliminary concept, but if I bitch enough they may go for it.
- Baskerville0
get in contact with a type foundary.
We sometimes use Dalton Maag who are great for working with on projects.
If we want to see what a typeface will look likw in our work. We email them the file in illustrator or whatever and they put the font in for you and then send it back as outlines.
It works really well. They do all kinds of customisations etc on typefaces as well as designing their own:
bruno maag's a really nice guy.
Not sure if they deal with guys in the US though, worth a try. Just call them up and explain the situation.
- MLP0
when we were looking at some hoefler fonts for a newspaper redesign, they required we bought a seat to test it.
baskerville's idea sounds cool, but who's going to sit and set all your headlines for you?
- Zeitgeist0
I see what you're saying...
I also see Hoefler's side of it. You're being paid to do the comp, why should they be expected to provide a free typeface for it?
- jim_0
how about a "rights-managed" system where you pay per use until you buy, at which time you receive a credit for what you've paid?
- rasko40
how about you choose something similar and show type samples to the client.
It's not ideal but how many clients really appreciate the subtleties of type anyway, and does your conecpt really rely so heavily on the typeface chosen?
- johndiggity0
how about everyone stop stealing fonts so they're not outrageously expensive in the first place?
- rasko40
hehe you sound like the people who believe that credit card companies need to charge 19% because of fraud.
- blastofv0
great thoughts, and I'll see if I can work out something like Baskerville's suggestion
I'd love it if there were an in-between option though, and I'm sure there's money to be made by the type foundries with something like this
I'm currently laying it out with a similar typeface, and it will probablly stay that way unless I find a creative solution, but it's a boxing theme with a throwback to the typographic styles of the old 30s, 40s, 50s boxing posters, fight cards, etc., so it's a pretty specific look that I need to achieve
I just don't want to squirrel my way into a pirated version if possible, although I know that's the industry norm
- PonyBoy0
hehe you sound like the people who believe that credit card companies need to charge 19% because of fraud.
rasko4
(Jul 17 06, 06:07)
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Enter response:hahaha! spot-on. :)
Although... there are some fonts I just don't stop using... ever... and they are solid intellectual property that some folks may make a TON OF $$ off of...
... i can see both sides of that argument now.
- Baskerville0
my response was not a suggestion, it's what a well know english type compnay actually does for lots of studios. They literally replace the font in your artwork so you can see the difference.
If it means they sell 20 licesnses for one of their font then it's worth their while.
- jim_0
after 30 days ink becomes invisible if typeface not licensed
- Typographica0
A self-destructing font is the holy grail of the font industry. Everyone wants it (at least the sane ones), but no one knows how to make it happen. Fonts are essentially complex little applications that have to work in every app that has a font menu. Once you start messing with the format, it takes years to standardize support. (OT isn't even supported by Microsoft Word yet, and they helped create it!)
So, from the manufacturer, suppllier, and user end it's a good idea. The technology just ain't here yet.
Until then, Baskerville is right on. If you know what you want to use, contact the foundry. Every shop (except maybe the big fatties like Linotype and Monotype) have a keen interest in helping their clients spec their fonts. So they are likely to help with simple comping.
I know FontShop will do this to an extent. If we sell it, give us a call or email.
- MLP0
my situation was a college newspaper redesign so it was a committee of students redesigning it and not getting paid (aside from weekly salaries which are usually around $100 for the art director and design editors).
doing comps for a client is a totally different situation i feel... as someone is paying you, so you can incorporate that into your costs to buy the font.
- blastofv0
what if the font files were linked via the internet to a database which monitored the length of the trial... I guess there'd need to be a new font management application that linked back to the foundry
so you download a trial version of the font to your trial-specific font manager, and it checks the temporary/trial license every time you use the font, and then it stops giving you access after 30 days
or maybe the vector information is stored online only? so there's a web-based font manager, and you need to establish an account in order to test-drive the typefaces?
I know it'd be complicated, but something along those lines should be doable, right?
- blastofv0
...because like Typographica said, a font is a a mini-application that's called up every time you set type in Quark, Illy, or whatever, so why not sit the font files that you're 'calling' online and then restrict access for trial purposes?
Right?
- Typographica0
Font makers will never be able to get customers to agree to fonts that "call home". Ask MS how well that went over.
- blastofv0
Font makers will never be able to get customers to agree to fonts that "call home". Ask MS how well that went over.
Typographica
(Jul 17 06, 10:17)That's understandable in an anti-big brother sort of way, but I would be happy to put up with it if it meant I could sample fonts before committing to the purchase... and I would definitely pay for access to a service like that.
Oh well, wishful thinking. Unless someone wants to go into business with me to make it a reality.
Seriously.
- blastofv0
that sort of thing could have implications for HTML/CSS generated text as well – what if we could call on something like Tarzana from an online database for our body copy in a standard web page? Wouldn't matter any more that the user doesn't have it installed on their computer...