Free vs premium fonts: what a licence really covers

A font file is not the same thing as permission to use it. The licence follows the way the font appears in your finished work, so start by describing the output rather than the software you use to make it.

Free Personal is a limited demo for personal, non-commercial use. It is useful for testing a style, making private studies or deciding which full family fits. It does not grant commercial rights, redistribution rights or permission to modify and repackage the font.

Desktop / Creator is the everyday commercial licence for finished artwork: client work, logos and logotype lettering, social graphics, packaging and products where the font is part of a rasterised or outlined design. The font file itself stays with the licence holder and is not shared with a client or audience.

Choose Web when the live font is served by a website. Choose App & Game when the font is embedded in software, a game or another interactive product. Choose E-publishing when readers receive a digital publication with the font embedded inside it. These are separate technical uses because the font is distributed to more people or devices.

When a project crosses categories, license each use that actually ships. Keep the receipt and the licence text with the project record, and check the current Letterlays licence page if the scope changes. If you are unsure, describe the distribution clearly before buying — a precise question is easier to answer than an assumption after launch.

This article is a practical guide, not a substitute for the full licence. The licence text at letterlays.com/license controls the legal terms.