Font Licensing Questions (Web, Apps, PDFs, Redistribution)
Practical guide to understanding font licenses, legal web embedding, CDN usage, app distribution rules, and safe compliance workflows
In Simple Terms
Desktop license ≠ web license. Most commercial fonts require a separate web license (often priced per pageviews). Check before using.Safe options: Google Fonts (free for all uses), Open Font License (OFL) fonts, fonts explicitly marked "web license included."Never expose raw font files publicly. Use proper @font-face embedding. Keep license receipts and document font sources for audits.
In this article
Font licensing problems usually come from a single mistake: treating a desktop font purchase as if it automatically grants web embedding and redistribution rights. Many commercial fonts require a separate web license (often priced by pageviews) and separate licenses for apps, eBooks, PDFs, or server-side usage.
This page maps the typical license categories, the traps that cause accidental violations (CDN hosting, exposing raw font files, bundling fonts into apps), and a concrete compliance checklist you can apply before deployment.
This is operational guidance for engineers and site owners. It is not legal advice. When contract terms conflict with anything here, the contract controls.
Understanding Font Licensing
Core Concepts
1. License Type Is Usage-Specific
- • Desktop license: design work on a machine; does not imply web/app embedding
- • Web license: @font-face embedding; often limited by pageviews or domains
- • App license: bundling fonts inside desktop/mobile apps
- • eBook/PDF license: embedding fonts in distributed documents
- • Server license: use on servers for rendering, conversions, or dynamic assets
2. “Embedding” vs “Redistribution”
- • Web embedding typically exposes font binaries to end users
- • CDN hosting can be treated as redistribution if the license forbids it
- • Packaging fonts into an app is usually redistribution
3. Modifications May Be Restricted
- • Subsetting/format conversion sometimes allowed, sometimes not
- • Renaming font-family or editing outlines is often prohibited
- • Variable font axis reduction may count as modification
Common Licensing Questions
Question 1: “Can I use this desktop font on my website?”
Usually no. A desktop license commonly covers design work (creating images, PDFs for print, etc.) but not hosting the font as a webfont. A web license is commonly required for @font-face.
Question 2: “If I bought the font once, can my whole team use it?”
Depends on the seat count. Many licenses are per-user/per-seat. Some allow a defined number of workstations. Treat “team use” as a licensing variable, not an assumption.
Question 3: “Can I subset or convert to WOFF2?”
Only if the license explicitly allows modification or webfont generation. Some foundries allow conversion for web use; others require you to download web-ready files from them directly.
Question 4: “Can I bundle fonts into a mobile/desktop app?”
This is typically an app license. Shipping the font inside an app package is redistribution. Web rights do not automatically cover apps.
Question 5: “Can I embed fonts in PDFs I send to customers?”
Often requires a PDF/eBook license, especially when documents are distributed externally. Internal PDFs may be treated differently than customer-distributed assets.
Web Embedding and @font-face Rights
Key Takeaway
If you host a font file and the browser downloads it, you are distributing the font binary to end users. Webfont licensing is structured around that reality.
Typical Web License Constraints
- • Domains: limited to specific domains/subdomains
- • Pageviews: tiered pricing based on monthly/annual usage
- • Self-host vs provider-host: some require their hosted service
- • File protection: some require obfuscation or prohibit direct downloads
- • Modification limits: may restrict subsetting or conversion
CDN, Caching, and Redistribution
Safe Default: Self-Host on Your Domain
- • Keeps distribution within your controlled domain scope
- • Simplifies “allowed domains” enforcement
- • Avoids accidental third-party redistribution
CDN Hosting: Check License Language
A CDN is still “your” distribution if it is configured for your domain and controlled by you, but some licenses prohibit:
- • making font files publicly accessible outside your permitted domains
- • uploading to shared/public repositories
- • transferring font binaries to third parties
Caching Is Usually Allowed, But Not a Free Pass
Browser caching does not change licensing reality; it reduces repeated downloads. The licensing issue is the initial distribution event and whether your usage scope matches the license.
Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts, and Foundries
Google Fonts
- • Most are open source under licenses like OFL or Apache
- • Self-hosting is generally permitted under the license terms
- • Still check the specific font’s license file
Adobe Fonts
- • Typically provided as a hosted service tied to an Adobe plan
- • Self-hosting is often not permitted for those fonts
- • Web usage is usually via Adobe’s embed code/service
Commercial Foundries / Marketplaces
- • Web/app/PDF rights are frequently separate products
- • Some enforce pageview/domain caps contractually
- • Some require a specific webfont kit they generate
Compliance Checklist
Before You Deploy
- ☐ Identify license type: desktop vs web vs app vs PDF/eBook vs server
- ☐ Confirm permitted domains and subdomains
- ☐ Confirm pageview limits (if any) and expected traffic
- ☐ Confirm whether self-hosting is allowed or provider-hosting required
- ☐ Confirm whether conversion/subsetting is allowed
- ☐ Confirm whether bundling into apps/documents is allowed
- ☐ Store license proof (invoice + license text) in a single internal location
- ☐ Ensure font files are not committed to public repos unless license permits
Risk Mitigation and Safer Defaults
Default to Open-Licensed Fonts When Possible
If you cannot confidently prove the rights for web/app/PDF distribution, use an open-licensed font with clear terms and store the license file in-repo.
Separate “Design Fonts” from “Production Fonts”
- • Designers may use desktop fonts for mockups
- • Engineering uses only fonts cleared for web/app distribution
- • Avoid “it was in Figma so we shipped it” failure mode
Treat Font Files Like Licensed Binaries
- • Keep fonts in private repos
- • Avoid uploading to public CDNs or code sandboxes
- • Restrict access to teams that need the files
Preventing Future Licensing Problems
Process Controls
- Require a license record for every font in production
Invoice + license terms + permitted uses stored internally.
- Maintain an approved font registry
Engineers pull only from cleared fonts.
- Separate environments
Design files can use anything; production cannot.
- Audit quarterly
Check what fonts are actually shipped vs what is licensed.
Operational Template
Font: ______________________ Source: _____________________ License owner/entity: _______ License types purchased: - Desktop: Yes/No - Web: Yes/No (domains: __________, pageviews: __________) - App: Yes/No (platforms: __________) - PDF/eBook: Yes/No (distribution: internal/external) - Server: Yes/No (use case: __________) Allowed modifications (subset/convert): Yes/No Self-hosting allowed: Yes/No Provider-hosting required: Yes/No Proof stored at: ______________________
Summary: Avoiding Font License Failures
Font licensing is usage-scoped. Desktop rights do not imply web, app, PDF, or server rights. The safe workflow is to classify usage, verify permitted hosting and modifications, store proof, and ship only fonts cleared for the exact distribution channel.
When license terms are unclear, use an open-licensed font or obtain explicit written permission.
Written by
Sarah Mitchell
Product Designer, Font Specialist
Verified by
Marcus Rodriguez
Lead Developer