Font Licensing Gate
Typography quality and font rights are separate gates. A beautiful pairing cannot ship when its source, files, or allowed use is ambiguous.
Scope
Use for webfonts, desktop/brand working files, mobile/app embedding, print, video/social exports, PDFs/e-books, variable fonts, icon fonts, wordmarks, and third-party design-file handoff.
This workflow records evidence and risk; it does not provide legal advice. Qualified human/legal review owns interpretation of ambiguous or high-value proprietary EULAs.
Workflow
- Inventory existing use. Find font files, CSS imports, framework loaders, package dependencies, design tokens, PDFs/decks, logos, screenshots, and brand documents. Record actual family, style, weight, variable axes, format, and locations.
- Identify the source. Record foundry/author, canonical product/page URL, acquisition method/date, account or order reference without secrets, and the exact license/EULA file or URL captured for review.
- Inspect files. Font identity inspection is mandatory for approval. Use font metadata tooling to record internal family/subfamily, PostScript name, version, copyright, license strings/URLs, supported axes, glyph coverage, and file hash. If tooling is unavailable, document manual verification of every field and block approval until all fields are recorded. A font filename is not identity proof.
- Map intended uses. Explicitly classify web self-hosting/CDN, desktop creation, app/software embedding, print, logo/wordmark, social/video raster output, PDF/e-book embedding, client/contractor transfer, modification/subsetting, and redistribution.
- Compare rights to use. Record each use as allowed, restricted, ambiguous, or not reviewed. Do not infer that free download, browser access, repository presence, or a similar family name grants rights.
- Choose the implementation. Select files, subsets, unicode ranges, preload,
font-display, fallbacks, variable/static instances, and caching/CDN policy. Do not upload proprietary font binaries to public Git unless redistribution is explicitly allowed.
- Build specimens. Use real brand/product copy at desktop and smallest supported phone: headline, longest paragraph, CTA, labels, numerals, punctuation, italics, every weight/style, fallback state, and 200% zoom.
- Verify production. Capture computed fonts, loaded resources, weights, fallback readability, layout shift, reflow, and browser/platform coverage at the exact preview/production URL.
- Package evidence. Store the rights record and specimens beside the brand/release evidence. Store restricted EULA/order material only in an approved private location and reference it without secrets.
- Review lifecycle. Record owner, verifier, approval, acquisition/renewal date, expiry or seat/pageview/app limits when applicable, and next review.
Required Record
For each family:
family: Example Family
foundry_or_author: Example Foundry
source_url: https://example.invalid/font
files:
- name: ExampleVariable.woff2
sha256: <sha256>
version: "1.000"
axes: [wght, wdth]
license:
name: Example Web License
evidence: <private path or canonical URL>
reviewed_on: YYYY-MM-DD
uses:
web_self_host: allowed
desktop_creation: allowed
app_embedding: ambiguous
logo_wordmark: allowed # only when the EULA permits wordmark use
social_video_raster: allowed
redistribution: prohibited
implementation:
weights: [400, 600, 700]
preload: [ExampleVariable.woff2]
fallback: system-ui
owner: <name>
verifier: <different name>
status: approved | blocked | review-required
Hard Stops
- unknown foundry/author or source;
- missing license/EULA evidence;
- family metadata contradicts the claimed font;
- public redistribution is not explicitly allowed;
- unreviewed proprietary app embedding, client transfer, modification, or logo use;
- faux bold/italic or unavailable weight;
- no fallback/mobile specimen or computed-font production proof;
- license limits or renewal state cannot be established.
Handoff
Once rights are approved, use typography-art-direction for voice, hierarchy, pairing, loading, reflow, and accessibility. Keep the approved rights record linked from the brand pack and every flagship release using new fonts.
1---2name: font-licensing-gate3description: Use when acquiring, selecting, distributing, embedding, self-hosting, or shipping fonts so typography decisions have verified source, files, permitted uses, and production evidence.4---56# Font Licensing Gate78Typography quality and font rights are separate gates. A beautiful pairing cannot ship when its source, files, or allowed use is ambiguous.910## Scope1112Use for webfonts, desktop/brand working files, mobile/app embedding, print, video/social exports, PDFs/e-books, variable fonts, icon fonts, wordmarks, and third-party design-file handoff.1314This workflow records evidence and risk; it does not provide legal advice. Qualified human/legal review owns interpretation of ambiguous or high-value proprietary EULAs.1516## Workflow17181. **Inventory existing use.** Find font files, CSS imports, framework loaders, package dependencies, design tokens, PDFs/decks, logos, screenshots, and brand documents. Record actual family, style, weight, variable axes, format, and locations.192. **Identify the source.** Record foundry/author, canonical product/page URL, acquisition method/date, account or order reference without secrets, and the exact license/EULA file or URL captured for review.203. **Inspect files.** Font identity inspection is mandatory for approval. Use font metadata tooling to record internal family/subfamily, PostScript name, version, copyright, license strings/URLs, supported axes, glyph coverage, and file hash. If tooling is unavailable, document manual verification of every field and block approval until all fields are recorded. A font filename is not identity proof.214. **Map intended uses.** Explicitly classify web self-hosting/CDN, desktop creation, app/software embedding, print, logo/wordmark, social/video raster output, PDF/e-book embedding, client/contractor transfer, modification/subsetting, and redistribution.225. **Compare rights to use.** Record each use as allowed, restricted, ambiguous, or not reviewed. Do not infer that free download, browser access, repository presence, or a similar family name grants rights.236. **Choose the implementation.** Select files, subsets, unicode ranges, preload, `font-display`, fallbacks, variable/static instances, and caching/CDN policy. Do not upload proprietary font binaries to public Git unless redistribution is explicitly allowed.247. **Build specimens.** Use real brand/product copy at desktop and smallest supported phone: headline, longest paragraph, CTA, labels, numerals, punctuation, italics, every weight/style, fallback state, and 200% zoom.258. **Verify production.** Capture computed fonts, loaded resources, weights, fallback readability, layout shift, reflow, and browser/platform coverage at the exact preview/production URL.269. **Package evidence.** Store the rights record and specimens beside the brand/release evidence. Store restricted EULA/order material only in an approved private location and reference it without secrets.2710. **Review lifecycle.** Record owner, verifier, approval, acquisition/renewal date, expiry or seat/pageview/app limits when applicable, and next review.2829## Required Record3031For each family:3233```yaml34family: Example Family35foundry_or_author: Example Foundry36source_url: https://example.invalid/font37files:38 - name: ExampleVariable.woff239 sha256: <sha256>40 version: "1.000"41 axes: [wght, wdth]42license:43 name: Example Web License44 evidence: <private path or canonical URL>45 reviewed_on: YYYY-MM-DD46uses:47 web_self_host: allowed48 desktop_creation: allowed49 app_embedding: ambiguous50 logo_wordmark: allowed # only when the EULA permits wordmark use51 social_video_raster: allowed52 redistribution: prohibited53implementation:54 weights: [400, 600, 700]55 preload: [ExampleVariable.woff2]56 fallback: system-ui57owner: <name>58verifier: <different name>59status: approved | blocked | review-required60```6162## Hard Stops6364- unknown foundry/author or source;65- missing license/EULA evidence;66- family metadata contradicts the claimed font;67- public redistribution is not explicitly allowed;68- unreviewed proprietary app embedding, client transfer, modification, or logo use;69- faux bold/italic or unavailable weight;70- no fallback/mobile specimen or computed-font production proof;71- license limits or renewal state cannot be established.7273## Handoff7475Once rights are approved, use `typography-art-direction` for voice, hierarchy, pairing, loading, reflow, and accessibility. Keep the approved rights record linked from the brand pack and every flagship release using new fonts.
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