If you are choosing a characterful typeface such as Fierce for a new identity, one question usually arrives just after everyone has agreed that the logo looks rather good: can I use a font in a logo?
The short answer is usually yes—provided you have the correct commercial licence. But using a font to create a logo and registering that logo as a trade mark are two different things, and that small distinction can save a surprisingly large amount of faff later.
Can I use a font in a logo?
Yes, you can normally use a font in a logo when its licence expressly permits commercial logo use. Buying or downloading a font does not automatically give you every possible right to it. What you receive is permission to use the font software under a particular set of terms—known as an End User Licence Agreement, or EULA.
The current Simon Stratford font licence allows licensed font software to be used to create a company logo. That means you can typeset a business name, export the finished artwork and use that logo commercially within the limits of the licence.
So far, so civilised.
Can I trademark a logo that uses a font?
Possibly—but logo use and trade mark registration must both be permitted. In the UK, a trade mark can include words, a logo, colours or a combination of these. However, the Intellectual Property Office accepting a type of mark does not automatically give you permission to claim rights over somebody else’s typeface design.
Under the standard Simon Stratford EULA, you may use the font software to create a company logo, but you may not include the typeface design itself in a trade mark registration. If you intend to register a stylised logo made with one of my retail fonts, contact me before submitting the application. We can establish whether you need written permission, an extended agreement or custom lettering created specifically for the brand.
This is the bit worth remembering:
- A font licence controls how you may use the font software and letterforms.
- A trade mark protects a sign that distinguishes your goods or services from those of other businesses.
- One does not silently override the other while nobody is looking.
What is the difference between a word mark and a logo mark?
A word mark generally protects the name or words themselves, rather than one particular visual treatment. A figurative or logo mark protects a specific visual presentation, which may include lettering, symbols, shapes or colours.
If you register the business name as a word mark without claiming the typeface design, the font may not form part of what you are trying to protect. If you register the stylised lettering as part of the logo, the typeface design becomes much more relevant. The correct approach depends on the proposed mark, the font licence and the countries in which protection is required, so obtain advice from a qualified trade mark professional before applying.
Why does a normal font licence not give me exclusive logo rights?
Retail fonts are normally licensed on a non-exclusive basis. You may have excellent taste, but sadly you are not the only person allowed to have it. Other designers and businesses can legally buy and use the same typeface.
A standard font licence therefore allows use; it does not transfer ownership of the typeface or promise that nobody else will use similar letterforms. Registering those letterforms as if they were exclusively yours could conflict with the designer’s rights and with the rights already granted to other customers.
If exclusivity matters, a retail font may be the starting point rather than the finish. Custom lettering or a bespoke typeface can be designed around the brand, its personality and the rights it genuinely needs.
Does converting the logo to outlines change the licence?
No. Converting type to outlines does not cancel the font licence. Outlining is a useful production step because it turns live type into vector shapes, allowing printers and other suppliers to open the finished logo without installing the font. It does not travel backwards through time and make the original font software irrelevant.
You still used the font to create those shapes, so the EULA still applies. Outlining the finished artwork also does not give you permission to redistribute the font file, claim ownership of the original typeface or register its design when the licence prohibits that use.
Can I alter the letters to make the logo unique?
Only when the licence permits modification or the font designer gives you written permission. Moving letters, adjusting spacing and converting approved artwork to outlines are not necessarily the same as redesigning the underlying letterforms.
The Simon Stratford standard EULA restricts customisations, adaptations and derivative versions of the font software and typeface. If the logo needs redrawn terminals, combined letters, a unique ligature or substantial changes to individual characters, ask first. I can often create the alterations properly, without the logo ending up looking as though it has been repaired with a small hammer.
Who needs to own the font licence—the designer or the client?
The licence must cover the person or business installing and using the font. If an agency or freelance designer is producing a logo for a client, the safest arrangement is to establish who the licensee is before work begins.
- The designer or agency must be properly licensed to install and use the font.
- The client needs suitable rights if its own team will install the font or use it to create further material.
- Do not send the font file to a client, printer or supplier unless the licence specifically allows that transfer.
- Supply finished logo artwork as appropriate vector and image files instead.
- Ask for written clarification when several organisations or users will need access.
Does the logo licence cover websites, apps and packaging?
Not automatically. The finished logo and the font software are different things. Placing a fixed logo image on a website is not the same as uploading the font and using it as a live webfont. Embedding the actual font in a website, app, game, electronic publication or server normally requires the relevant licence extension.
For Simon Stratford fonts, the standard licence also has limits covering large-volume commercial use, personalised products, broadcast or streamed content and other specialist applications. Check the full EULA and ask if the identity will appear across a large campaign, extensive packaging run, television, streaming or an embedded digital product.
When is custom lettering the better choice?
Choose custom lettering when the logo must be genuinely distinctive, exclusive or designed for registration from the outset. A retail font is quick, affordable and often entirely appropriate. Custom work becomes more valuable when the brand needs something nobody else can buy tomorrow afternoon.
Custom lettering or a bespoke typeface is worth considering when:
- the visual logo needs exclusive letterforms;
- trade mark registration is planned in several territories;
- the brand needs a distinctive character or ligature;
- an existing retail font is close, but not quite right;
- the identity will be used across packaging, advertising, entertainment or digital products;
- the company wants clearer ownership and usage terms agreed in advance.
I design custom fonts and lettering for brands, agencies, packaging, advertising and entertainment. The scope, deliverables and rights can be agreed around the real project rather than forced into a licence written for general retail use.
Logo font licensing checklist
Before presenting the logo to the board, the client, your mum or anyone else with veto power, check the following:
- Is the font licensed for commercial logo use?
- Does the licence allow the typeface design to appear in a trade mark registration?
- Are you registering the name, the stylised logo or both?
- Does the licence permit modifications to the letterforms?
- Who will install the font and who therefore needs to be licensed?
- Will the font itself be embedded on a website, in an app or in an electronic document?
- Will the identity exceed any print, packaging, broadcast or campaign limits?
- Have you checked for similar existing trade marks?
- Do you have written permission for anything not clearly covered?
Frequently asked questions
Can I use any commercial font in a logo?
No. A commercial font is still governed by its own EULA. Some licences permit logos, others restrict them, and some require a separate logo or corporate licence. Read the terms for the exact font and version you intend to use.
Can I use a free font for a business logo?
Only if its licence permits commercial use and logo creation. “Free” may mean free for personal use, free for a trial or free under particular open-source terms. The price is not the permission.
Can I trademark my business name if its logo uses a font?
You may be able to register the name as a word mark separately from the stylised logo. That does not automatically permit registration of the typeface design. Check the font EULA and obtain professional trade mark advice for the proposed application.
Does changing a few letters make the logo mine?
Not automatically. Minor edits do not erase the original licence or transfer ownership of the underlying typeface. Significant modification may also be prohibited without the type designer’s permission.
Can I give the font file to my client or printer?
Usually not unless the licence expressly permits transfer. Supply finished outlined artwork and ask the client or supplier to obtain its own licence if it needs to install or use the font.
Do I need custom lettering for every registered logo?
No. Many effective logos begin with licensed retail type. Custom lettering becomes the better option when exclusivity, extensive modification, international registration or a highly distinctive identity is important.
The simple answer
You can use a Simon Stratford retail font to create a company logo under the standard licence. You cannot include the typeface design in a trade mark registration without a separate agreement. If registration, modification or unusually broad use is part of the plan, sort out the rights before launch—not after the packaging has been printed and somebody has booked a very expensive meeting.
Browse my retail font collection, discuss custom lettering or a bespoke typeface, or contact me about the right licence for your project.
This article provides general information about font licensing and the Simon Stratford EULA. It is not legal advice. Trade mark rules and applications vary by territory, so consult a qualified trade mark professional where necessary.
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.