Hello,
Recently, I have seen a lot news about the type industry. I am not a professional, so I admit a don't know as much as I would like. Could someone please explain the type industry in its (almost) whole? This might be an unrealistic ask, but I feel as though the industry is a very confusing place and I just want a foray. You don't have to be super-detailed, just enough for me to know the big happenings. Thanks to anyone who responds.
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The type industry—as an industry—is one in which the supply is far greater than the demand. It became this way during the nearly four decades after the democratization of type-making technology in the late 1980s and, not long after, the adoption of universal font formats that are operable across the platforms on which fonts are used.
It should be noted that the industry includes a considerable number of highly skilled people who continue to do very fine and valuable work, despite the overpopulation of producers and product—and the growing availability of free fonts. Their number continues to grow as the métier of type design has become an academic course of study, which yearly graduates more people into the field.
That's the most general view of the "industry" I can think of. Others will have much more to say.
I would also include the software developers who create font editors and other font production tools and standards to be part of the "type industry."
1- they get something custom made
2- they license something existing (paid or free)
3- they use fonts bundled with their software or OS
For part 1, they go straight to foundries or individual type designers.
For part 2, they can get the fonts either directly from the foundries or via distributors. This can happen online or offline, via one time payment or annual fees or subscription to full libraries.
Foundries: these are either individual designers with their own label, or a small sized company, or large (like Monotype), or a small unit that is part of a much bigger company (Google, Microsoft, Adobe).
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/4865/myfonts-sales-reports#latest
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/4864/judge-rules-ai-generated-art-is-not-copyrightable#latest
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/4859/65-now-and-forever-font-bros#latest
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/4853/creative-market-a-new-era-of-font-creation#latest
https://typedrawers.com/discussion/4846/monotype-acquired-fontworks#latest