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Do you want to know where to buy the best fonts online without supporting the Monotype/MyFonts empire? Here’s a list of the best online font shops that don’t belong to Monotype.
Monotype Imaging is a company that has been around for over 100 years. They are most well-known for their typeface designs and fonts, which they create and license to other companies. Monotype has acquired many other companies such as Linotype GmbH, International Typeface Corporation, Bitstream, FontShop, URW, and Hoefler & Co., just to name a few. This has given them the legal rights to some of the most popular font families. Due to the acquisition of Bitstream Inc. in 2012, Monotype got ownership of the online font shop MyFonts.
Monotype has such a large market share that they are able to dictate the terms of the type world. Many type designers have to sell on MyFonts since there are few alternatives. With hardly any competitors, Monotype’s concentration and centralization of capital have led to the distributor having more power over designers. As a result, they are able to set unfair rules. At WE AND THE COLOR, we have featured a large number of typefaces from well-known designers and foundries over the past few years. Some of the fonts were always only available on MyFonts or the other online font shops owned by the Monotype Empire, which I always thought was a shame.
Somehow I always have to think of the Empire from Star Wars when I think of Monotype. But just like in Star Wars, there are still some rebels of type designers and font distributors who oppose the overpowering empire. If a diverse, monopoly-free market and fair remuneration for designers are important to you, then you should take a closer look at these Monotype/MyFonts alternatives.
Envato Elements
Envato Elements is a subscription-based digital marketplace that offers a vast collection of creative assets for designers, developers, and other creative professionals. It provides a wide range of high-quality digital resources, including stock photos, videos, graphics, templates, website themes, fonts, and more.
With an Envato Elements subscription, users gain unlimited access to the entire library of assets, allowing them to download and use items for various projects without additional costs or limitations. The subscription model offers a cost-effective solution for individuals and businesses that regularly require creative assets for their work.
Envato Elements is known for its diverse and constantly expanding collection, which is curated from the contributions of talented designers and creators from around the world. The platform aims to simplify the creative process by providing a one-stop resource for accessing a wide variety of assets, eliminating the need to search and purchase individual items from multiple sources.
Overall, Envato Elements has become a popular choice for designers, marketers, and content creators who require a vast array of creative resources to enhance their projects and streamline their workflows.
Adobe Fonts
Adobe Fonts is a gigantic library of thousands of beautiful fonts that are available for use by Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers. The fonts are professional-grade and can be used for a wide range of projects, from logos and branding to web design and print collateral. Adobe Fonts offers an incredible variety of both serif and sans-serif fonts, as well as a broad selection of script, decorative, and hand-drawn styles. Best of all, Adobe Fonts is continually updated with new releases by some of the world’s leading type foundries, so there’s always something fresh and exciting to explore. Whether you’re a seasoned creative professional or just getting started with graphic design, Adobe Fonts is an invaluable resource.
As mentioned before, the service is included with a Creative Cloud subscription, which gives users access to a wide range of Adobe creative products and services. Adobe Fonts can be used with any Adobe Creative Cloud product, as well as Microsoft Office and other third-party applications. To use Adobe Fonts, simply sign in with your Adobe ID and select the fonts you want to use. Adobe Fonts will automatically sync with your Creative Cloud account, making it easy to access your fonts from any device or computer.
YouWorkForThem
Just like Creative Market, YouWorkForThem is an online marketplace that offers a wide range of creative resources including fonts and graphics. Regardless of your profession, if you’re looking for well-designed creative resources and typefaces that not everyone knows, YouWorkForThem is the perfect site for you.
Google Fonts
Google Fonts is a collection of free, open-source fonts that you can use on your personal or business website. Google Fonts offers a wide variety of fonts to choose from, including serif, sans-serif, display, and hand-drawn fonts. You can also browse by thickness, slant, and width. Google Fonts is easy to use—simply select the font you want to use and add the code to your website. Google Fonts is an excellent way to add personality to your website and make it stand out from the crowd. And best of all, it’s free!
Font Bundles
Font Bundles is an excellent resource for finding fonts at a fraction of the cost of other sites. The selection of fonts is amazing, and the prices are unbeatable. To be honest, you can find some quirky typefaces on Font Bundles, but there are also unique fonts that I would never have found anywhere else. The customer service is also top-notch. I had a question about one of the fonts I purchased, and they responded immediately and were very helpful. If you’re looking for a great deal on fonts, Font Bundles is the place to go!
As you can see, MyFonts and all the other online font shops owned by Monotype are not the only options you have. This is only a small selection and of course, there are also sites like DaFont, Font Squirrel, or Pixel Surplus, where you can also download a number of free fonts. By the way, there are also completely independent type designers who offer their typefaces for sale on their own websites. Feel free to browse through the Fonts category on WE AND THE COLOR to find professional typefaces created by the best designers. Header image by MarekPhotoDesign via Adobe Stock.
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