Sharp Type

We care about your privacy. Sharp Type uses cookies to improve your experience on this website. Read about how we use cookies in our Terms of Use. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies.

FAQ

General

Who works here?
Meet our team here!

Are you on social media?
Yes we’re on Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr

How can I find out about the latest font release?
Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media to get all of the latest news about releases, works-in-progress, and more.

I used a Sharp Type typeface for a project and would like to submit it to be featured on the News page.
We love seeing how our typefaces are being used. Please submit fonts in-use projects to info@sharptype.co be featured on our News page.

Licensing

This is a brief summary, so please visit our licensing page to learn more about the permitted uses. 

What is a font license?
A font license gives permission to the end user to use a font subject to the terms of that agreement, referred to as an End User License Agreement or “EULA”. The terms vary depending on how you use the fonts, which will determine the type of license you require. 

Sharp Type offers standard licenses that can be purchased through our e-commerce system for Desktop, Web, Applications. Please refer to our Licensing Agreement to learn more in order to understand the full usage terms of each type of license.

If you require a Broadcast/Webcast and Retail/Merchandise license, or anything beyond our standard EULAs, please contact us licensing@sharptype.co We offer corporate licenses by inquiry only.

Which license do I need?
This depends on certain variables. Please refer to our Licensing Agreement to learn the full usage terms of each type of license.

FAQ-license-chart.jpg

These standard licenses are available through our website. If you require a license beyond these uses for Broadcast or Retail Merchandise, or other purposes such as corporate licensing, contact licensing@sharptype.co.


I am a non-profit organization interested in licensing a Sharp Type font. 
Please reach out to us at info@sharptype.co.

Can I distribute the fonts I purchased to third parties, such as my design agency or partnering company?
It is prohibited to share the font software to unlicensed parties. Please reach out to us at licensing@sharptype.co if this is something you require. 

Can I adjust the typeface I purchased?
You are permitted to create logotypes and other brand assets using our fonts with modifications so long as they are exported as a rasterized vector. It is prohibited to make changes to the font software itself. This is only a brief summary, so please read about the desktop license to learn more about the permitted uses before you make your purchase.

If you are requesting a change in the font software itself, for example, shorter descenders and ascenders, or additional glyphs, see: Customizations. 

I am a graphic designer (freelancer or studio/agency) working on a project for a client. How does the licensing work in this case?
Both the designer and the client must purchase their own individual licenses that reflect the appropriate usage requirements. The agency must purchase a license to use the font to design the project, and the client must purchase a license for its usage. 

I am a graphic designer (freelancer or studio/agency) working on a project for a client. Can I purchase the license on behalf of my client?

The designer/agency can purchase the license on behalf of the client if they wish. However, be sure to include the client as the licensee during checkout by entering the appropriate information such as name, website, etc. 

You may also use the Share Cart feature to share the appropriate license the client needs to purchase.

Purchases & Upgrades

I purchased the wrong typeface. What should I do? 
We ask that you please be sure to double check your cart before you make your purchase. We understand accidents may happen from time to time. Please reach out to us at licensing@sharptype.co and provide your Order #. 

Do you accept types of payment other than credit cards? 
We prefer credit card payments. However, if this is an issue, please reach out to us at licensing@sharptype.co.  

What is the Share Cart feature?
When collaborating with multiple parties, sharing carts is an easy way to show your client which license to purchase. Add the appropriate license(s) to your cart, and click on the Share Cart button to generate a link that can be shared.

How do I upgrade my license?
When you have grown out of your existing license(s), you will be required to upgrade your license to reflect the increased usage requirements and metrics.

Navigate to your order under your Sharp Type account or visit the ‘Buy’ section of the typeface you wish to upgrade, add to your cart, proceed to checkout, and then just pay the difference between your first order and new order. You will then be upgraded to a new usage tier. 

For studios/agencies working with clients: Licenses are only permitted for a single end user. Therefore, an agency is not permitted to continually upgrade one license to use for multiple clients. Instead, the agency must purchase a unique license for each new client and new clients must have their own unique license. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to licensing@sharptype.co to upgrade.

What kind of upgrades are available?
Currently, you may only upgrade a specific item and license originally purchased in your order. For example, if you purchased a 1-3 CPU desktop license of Ogg Regular, then you may only upgrade to a higher license desktop tier of that style. In the future, you will be able to upgrade from smaller to larger font packages.

About our Typefaces

Do you offer fonts in different scripts?
Our standard offers language support for Latin-based languages. Refer to our PDF specimens for specifications on language support. Reach out to  info@sharptype.co if you are interested in commissioning a new script. 

What do your character sets include?
They vary based on typeface. For more specific details, please visit each of our typeface pages and PDF specimens to see all of the character sets and features. 

If there are specific characters or adjustments you would like made to one of our typefaces please reach out to us info@sharptype.co.

I would like to try a font before I buy it. Do you offer trial fonts?
Yes! Trial fonts can only be used for testing purposes, and include a limited character set of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and a period. If they are used for anything beyond personal testing, you must purchase a license. Please visit our Trial Fonts page to download. 

I’m interested in a work-in-progress typeface posted on your social media. Could I license it for a project?
Please reach out to us at info@sharptype.co specifying which typeface you would like to use and some details about your project. 

Do you offer variable fonts?
We will eventually be offering retail variable fonts, though the current state of the format is ever-changing and all applications do not fully support them and may result in unforeseen issues. For now, if you have a specific need and would like to test a beta version, please reach out to us at techsupport@sharptype.co

Customizations & Bespoke Work

Do you offer customizations of your typefaces?
Yes we offer customizations for our existing retail typefaces. Please reach out to us at info@sharptype.co

Can we commission Sharp Type to work on a bespoke typeface?
We are available to design bespoke typefaces. We encourage you to look at our Case Studies to see our previous work. Please reach out to us at info@sharptype.co with your project details to discuss.

Technical Support

What types of font files do you provide?
Desktop: OTF, TTF (OTF for Mac, TTF for Windows)
App: TTF, OTF
Web: WOFF, WOFF2, EOT


How do I install Desktop fonts?
Macintosh:
1) Double click the desired zip file containing the fonts
2) Double click the Mac folder
3) Right-click on the .otf file(s) -> Open With -> Font Book
4) When the Font Book window appears, click Install Font on the bottom right
corner.
Windows:
1) Double click the zip file containing the fonts
2) Double click Windows folder
3) Right-click on the .ttf file(s) -> Open
4) When the Font Manager window appears, click Install on the top left.

How do I use my webfont on the web? How do I add the font in CSS?
Depending on what browsers you are planning on targeting you can choose what files you serve. Sharp Type families are all delivered with 3 different web font formats (EOT, WOFF, and WOFF2). If you are strapped for file size savings and working with modern browsers, we recommend only using WOFF/WOFF2, but if you need a wider coverage for older Internet Explorers, you can also use EOT.

@font-face {
  font-family: ‘Your-Font’;
  src: url(‘/fonts/Your-Font.eot’);
  src: url(‘/fonts/Your-Font?#iefix’) format(‘embedded-opentype’),
       url(‘/fonts/Your-Font.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),
       url(‘/fonts/Your-Font.woff’) format(‘woff’); }
font-family: ‘Your-Font’, Times, serif; 

If you are still having complications, please reach out to techsupport@sharptype.co

Opportunities

What is The Malee Scholarship?
The Malee Scholarship is an annual scholarship founded by Chantra Malee and supported by Sharp Type. The Scholarship mission is to provide financial assistance and mentorship to young women of color who wish to expand their skills and pursue their ambitions in the world of type design. One recipient each year receives a $6,000 award and an optional mentorship with the Sharp Type team who will guide the recipient on a typeface project of their choosing. To learn more visit The Malee Scholarship

Do you offer internships?
Internship openings happen rarely, and on a case by case basis, but we encourage interested individuals to reach out. Please introduce yourself and email your portfolio to info@sharptype.co

I’m planning on releasing my typeface. Will you consider publishing it?
We occasionally work with collaborators and look forward to supporting emerging talent. Please introduce yourself and email your portfolio to info@sharptype.co and we will get back to you if interested.

By submitting your email you agree to receive updates about Sharp Type. You can unsubscribe at any time. View our full Privacy Policy.