Choosing between the Font Giants
Fontfruits
Posts: 51
Comments
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Adobe, at least they do something useful, even though the direction over the last years has been somewhat questionable. Monotype is merely an oversized middle man, isn’t it?1
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Adobe. As a graphic designer in different teams, Adobe Fonts has been super helpful practically as there is fairly high confidence everyone in the team has it already, and I find myself and others experimenting more as there are no additional costs to try different fonts out.1
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I've already made this choice and I chose Adobe. There are SOOOO many reasons. Here's the top three:
1. The Adobe distribution channel isn't exactly a reseller situation. It's more like an OEM channel that allows us to add functionality for our customers
2. The Adobe use is a relatively closed system where specific kinds of use are permitted, that doesn't conflict with our licensing imperatives. In contrast, Monotype permits "add-on" licensing using their own documents which would create a conflict with ours.
3. Adobe isn't perfect but it's way more stable and sensible than Monotype
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From a consumer point of view, I prefer Adobe (with all its downsides) because has a very curated font library. Seems an Italian restaurant, while Monotype seems an all-you-can-eat.0
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I wouldn't exclude Type Network, Font Spring and Creative Market itself from this, they address different audiences, and even Adobe themselves retail their originals through TN and FS3
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Adobe has class and I think their products are excellent. That’s what I want to be associated with.1
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@Dave Crossland, TypeNetwork is a different animal. Closest analog is a publisher. Also Font Spring is owned by Creative Market. The whole question is a bit of a false construct because no one requires that you choose only one anyway.4
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JoyceKetterer said:@Dave Crossland, TypeNetwork is a different animal. Closest analog is a publisher. Also Font Spring is owned by Creative Market. The whole question is a bit of a false construct because no one requires that you choose only one anyway.1
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The problem with choosing one or the other (Adobe or Monotype) — and I take it as more an academic than practical question — is that Adobe’s licensing options are different and limited. Some designers/foundries think of a distributor as a supplement for their own direct licensing, and others really want a partner to handle everything so they don’t have to. Obviously I’m glad people generally like Adobe as a distribution partner, but Adobe can’t sell a self-hosted web license or an app license for you. Monotype can. (So can Type Network, and others.)
Is Type Network like a publisher? Sure, sort of. These days we try to think and act like an agency, representing our foundry partners for sales, consulting, and other professional services. I think all font distributors at least dabble in that, but every distributor has to choose a customer and business model to prioritize, and everyone is different. And I think designers and foundries have different goals with distribution, so it’s nice to have choices.
Since the OP refers to “Monotype Fonts,” I wonder if it was a more specific question about their subscription service, rather that broader distribution through MyFonts or whatever. (And by the way, I will never tire of wishing that Adobe and Monotype had just stuck with “Typekit” and “Mosaic,” respectively. It would be a lot less confusing.)4
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