Subscription software has been speculated about for over a decade. Lots of us speculated about using a dumb terminal to access software in the cloud and the possible scenario of logging into your account and of finding new features that had appeared overnight.
Clearly, a version of that world is now a reality. I subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud and, for a set fee, I have an arsenal of creative tools for not much more than I was paying for upgrades to a few six-shooters.
Want to do the same with fonts? Monotype is now offering the Monotype Library Subscription—full access to fonts over 2,200 font families from Monotype, Linotype, Ascender, ITC, and Bitstream. (Yes, all those entities are now owned by Monotype.) The fonts are “Instantly installable and ready for use at any time.”
These are not cheap knockoffs, this is the high-end stuff. Original cuts by some of the great names in typeface design. The cost? $14.99 per month.
Skyfonts works with Windows or Mac. Here’s an introduction followed by a FAQ.
What do you think? Would you subscribe to a font collection?
Introducing the Monotype Library Subscription…
Here’s the End User License Agreement here….
I also asked the folks at MyFonts.com a few questions of my own:
Does the subscription include the use of web fonts used on a client’s website?
No not yet—it will in the future.
Does Skyfont work in tandem with other font utilities such as Suitcase and FontExplorer?
SkyFonts is standalone. It’s basically a delivery mechanism.
Is there any limit on the number of fonts that can be installed?
No.
From the type designer’s side, I asked if a portion of the royalties is allocated to all designers equally or is a designer’s royalty based on the number of end users who activate their particular typefaces?
I was told, “We’re not able to share any information about how royalties are distributed.”
Do the fonts expire or are they deleted? In other words, would they remain active until you next have an internet connection?
Once you download them onto your computer you don’t need an internet connection to use them. Skyfonts will automatically delete them from your device once you’ve canceled your subscription.
Interested in trying the service? Use the link above and I get a small commission for providing the connection. Thanks in advance.
Thoughts?