FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
INSTALLING AND USING
To Use Almaz Studio in software applications you’ll need to install the font. Follow these simple steps :
Windows
- Download the .zip file from the site, saving it in a folder
- Extract the file from the archive with the shell (right click) or with software (e.g., WinZip)
- Open Control Panel and double-click the Fonts folder
- Go to the “file” menu and select “Install new font”
- Browse to the location where you extracted the .zip file, and click OK.
Macintosh
- Download the .zip file from the site, saving it in a folder
- Extract the file from the archive with the shell (right click) or with software (e.g., Unzip)
- Add the font using the System Font Book.
Notice: Some of our fonts are distributed as trial version – they have the same name of the full version but have limited character sets.
If you have already installed a trial version of our fonts and have bought the full commercial version, you should remove in font book the font files of the trial version before installing the full version to avoid installation issues.
In our typeface download page you get access to both .otf (post script OpenType) and .ttf (true type OpenType) versions of the typeface.
They are virtually identical for most basic uses and both contain any OpenType feature enclosed in the typeface. We sometimes offer non-OpenType ttf versions, labelled “compatibility packs” (only useful if you’re using very old operative systems or software).
For web font license we provide a basic web pack containing ttf, woff, svg and eot. We are in the process of discontinuing svg format and to implement woff2. Please notice that you’re allowed to use tools online like fontsquirrel.com to optimize and convert our font files to web font formats.
Special characters like swashes, alternates, and ligatures use open type technology to substitute character sequences with special glyphs. Not all existing software support OpenType (notably Silhouette Studio).
Open type features are supported in different ways.
Support of OpenType features in Adobe software changes slightly from software to software. For example, you have access to Stylistic Sets in InDesign and Photoshop, but not in Illustrator while you have access to Stylistic Alternates in illustrator and photoshop but not in InDesign.
A common workaround to these software limitations is to use the glyph palette:
in Adobe InDesign or Illustrator, choose Window > Type & Tables > Glyphs;
in Photoshop, choose Window > Glyphs (if you want to access easily glyph replacement, click the Show menu and choose Alternates for Selection in the glyphs panel). You can also use the find & replace menu to apply substitutions globally in your document (link).
To access stylistic sets in InDesign, choose Window > Type & Tables > Character. Click the fly-out menu at the panel’s upper right, choose OpenType > Stylistic Sets. To apply a different set, deselect the first one and then pick a different one, or leave multiple sets selected to apply them together. InDesign’s OpenType menu also provides options for swash, contextual alternates and titling alternates. In Adobe applications, enabling each alternate individually provides different combinations of characters, as does enabling more than one at the same time.
To access contextual, stylistic, and titling alternates:
in Photoshop, choose Window > Character, click the panel’s fly-out menu, and choose OpenType to reveal a list of options;
in Illustrator, choose Window > Type > OpenType and then click the panel’s fly-out menu to get a list.
In Apple applications (TextEdit, Pages, Keynote, iBooks Author, etc.) choose Format > Font > Show Fonts or press Command-T. Click the gear menu (circled) and choose Typography. In the resulting panel, click the triangle next to the Alternates section and then turn on any of the alternates in the list to change the highlighted text. If the font also includes stylistic sets (not all of them do) you’ll see a section named Alternative Stylistic Sets.
Microsoft Word users be aware that Open Type works in Word only since Word 2010. To enable OpenType ligatures, right-click on some text, select Font, select the Advanced tab, and select “Standard Only” from the Ligatures combo box. This enables the standard ligatures, that we use for extra glyphs in all our open-type enhanced fonts.
For some of our typeface we provide a “compatibility pack” with only the extra characters and swashes, so that you can type them in any software – but generally if you need to use special characters within a software that doesn’t support OpenType, the best option is to generate your designs with some open type enabled software and then export a vector or bitmap image you can work with.
To access stylistic sets and contextual alternates in Word 2010 and higher, choose Format > Font and in the dialog box that opens, click Advanced and then click the Stylistic Sets menu. The switch for contextual alternates lies beneath that menu.
LISENCE
If you want to use our fonts in a commercial project, you must buy the rights to do so by paying a license fee that varies according to usage and number of users. Check the difference between our licenses on our licensing page.
You can find below a quick overall view of all licenses we provide:
If you’re designing an artwork for print or digital advertising, and are the sole author of the design you need the Standard Desktop.
If the font will be installed by up to 5 people (small design studios, agencies, companies or other legal entities) for desktop use (designing an artwork for print or digital advertising), you need the Business license.
Both the Personal and Small Studio licenses apply to web/app use of your design as long as it stays in rasterized form.
If you’re designing a Logo, Trademark Logo you need the Logo License
If you want to use the font(s) on a website as dynamic text using @font-face and CSS you need a Web@font-face license in addition.
If you plan to embed the font(s) for use in computer software’s, web/mobile applications and games for dynamic text generation, you need the App/Game/Server License.
If you want to embed the font(s) into an electronic publication just like an eBook, eMag, newspaper, or one interactive PDF you need the Business/E-Book/Publishing License.
All the above licenses don’t apply to broadcast use (designing logos or dynamic text for broadcast/tv/cinema). If you plan to use the font as part of dynamic or static typesetting for broadcast use, you need the Broadcast License.
If you want everybody in your agency/corporation to install and use the font(s) at unlimited locations, and cover a 360° communication plan (all desktop usages as well as web usage and broadcast usage, that are otherwise subject to separate licensing), a Worldwide License is necessary.
Finally, you can be interested in a Custom Font License. This full buyout license is an option for who wants to own the exclusive rights on a tailor-made font with unrestricted licensing for: graphic and logo design; marketing, advertising, brand communications and packaging; print and digital use.
It means that the trial version of our typefaces can be used freely in all your no-profit or non-commercial projects.
We consider non-commercial all projects where both you and the client are not earning money: school work, pro-bono assignment, charity and institutions. A personal website or portfolio is considered commercial if it offers goods or services or has the aim to attract commercial work.
An unpaid work for a commercial client is still considered commercial project (and it’s not healthy for you).
Please consider that numbers 0 to 9 are not included in the trial version of our typefaces as we had to make them recognizable to limit unfair use.
If I use your fonts for my blog/YouTube channel, do I need to pay a license for it? And does this count as broadcast use? If you design a logo for a commercial activity, then the usage is considered commercial and you have to acquire a license for the font.
A YouTube video or a blog is considered not commercial if it’s not promoting goods or services and doesn’t have any advertising revenues.
For standard web video distribution (online sharing, social networks and blogs) no broadcast license is necessary. It’s required only for any traditional or mixed broadcast system as television or film. You have to choose between the Personal License or the Business/Small Studios License.
If I design a logo for a client, must be the font licensed to me or to the client?
When you sell a design work (a logo, a cover design, an illustration or a website) to a client, what you’re selling are creation fees and usage rights for the finished design. The client buys from you these rights assuming you have used tools (software, images and fonts) you are licensed to use. You don’t usually have to provide the client with those design tools (original images or typefaces you used) because he’s not going to work with them. If the typeface is licensed to you as a designer, you’ll be able to use it in all future projects and you can bill it to your client as expenses (as you would do with stock photos).
If the client wants to receive a copy the typeface (e.g., he wants to update/edit your design in the future), the license can be entitled to him. In this case, you’re not allowed to use the typeface after client payment as the license is then transferred to him.
During the purchasing process of our website, you can enter the name of the licensee that can be different from the person who buy the font.
We usually advices single designers to get a personal license for smaller works where the client doesn’t require the typeface files, or add a personal license for the client use otherwise. Studios requiring multiple installations for them and their clients can buy adequate numbers of business licenses for them and for the client, each allowing up to five users.
For other cases, where the client is going to require the typeface for internal distribution on larger scale, either multiple business licenses or a single worldwide buyout license are advised.
Distributing our fonts is allowed only for noncommercial uses.
That means you can pass them to friends to try and use for non-commercial purposes, and try and install freely as many copies you want to test the design.
You can spread the word of Almaz Studio and have good karma back. But no reselling or inclusion of our fonts in print, web or cd compilations (free or paid) is allowed without permission. Our fonts cannot be purchased for the purpose of resale.
If you have personal or studio license, you are allowed to pass the files to your service bureau for printing. The broadcast license and worldwide license allow redistribution of our fonts to all the employees of the licensed corporation.
PAYMENT
Our website accepts payments with PayPal account or Credit Card, both using PayPal POS that accepts all main Credit Cards. The reason we choose PayPal service as Payment Gateway is because of great security. But you can select “Pay with Bank Account or Credit Card” after you click the “Proceed to PayPal” button.
What is the purchasing process?
When your online payment has been processed, a confirmation email will be automatically sent to the email address you have registered. If you do not receive an email after 10/15 minutes, please check your spam folder or contact us. The confirmation email includes the link to access to your license page and download your font files, license and invoice/receipt.
If the problem is technical (e.g., you get an error message or an unexpected result) please try again to follow the procedure with a different browser, after having checked that your browser allows cookies (requested for transaction procedure). Or try with another credit card (sometimes for some reasons PayPal doesn’t accept some credit cards because of some limitations of the credit card itself). If the problem persists, contact us – if possible, sending a screenshot of the error message or unexpected result. Please notice that all payment is handled through third party services (PayPal) over which we have not control.
If your problem is an accounting one (e.g., need an invoice before payment, or you can pay only with wire transfer), please contact us and send us correct information about your company (Name, Address, Contact Email, Country, Vat Number or similar business registration). If you’re buying the license on behalf of a client or third party, add the same data for his business. We will send an invoice with payment information for wire transfer. As soon as wire transfer is finalized, you’ll receive the license file and the full version font files (in case you’ve only downloaded a trial version).
OTHER
The font(s) purchased is non-returnable and non-refundable. Please check your order carefully before making the purchase and if you are unsure about something, contact us before the purchase or before placing another order. If you encounter any error message during the purchasing process, please take a screenshot of the page and send it to us via email.
I would like variants of some letters, or maybe some more symbol, or a bolder version…
Modifying our typeface for your need is not a trivial task and we must budget it accordingly. The changes we usually get asked can fall into one of three categories:
- debug – maybe an accented letter is missing, a diacritic is not showing properly, or a foreign character is not drawn correctly. We consider this standard maintenance and debug work for our typefaces and we’ll gladly accept your feedback and provide you with an updated version, that will also be uploaded on our website to provide both new and existing users with a corrected release of the typeface.
- minor change – if we are requested to change few letters, or provide some minor alteration to an existing typeface (e.g., change dot shape in punctuation, or something similar) we will be however forced to create a variant version of the typeface that we will budget according to your requests, providing you with an expected delivery time and a price tag. You can factor a base price of 50 to 200 euros per glyph, considering the additional work requested to revise metrics and export the new typeface.
- major change – if you need a fully customized/redesigned version of one of our typefaces, either due to changes in design or in weight/form, you’ll have to provide us with a detailed brief that we will answer with a proposed budget and time for delivery. Such changes include devising a completely new weight, adding a new language set (e.g., Cyrillic, Greek or Arabic), or introducing substantial changes in letter shape and visuals). Such heavily customized can also be licensed on an exclusive basis if requested.
Font design is part of our ongoing design activity at Almaz Studio. You are welcome to contact us with enquiries regarding custom font creation for your project. Our services range from custom modifications of our fonts, to handwriting conversion into digital format, to full specimen design.
Custom Versions of Our Fonts
You can request modifications of our licensed fonts – e.g., bolder, alternate letters, or different languages. This is our most basic service.
Full Specimen Design
This is a complex design process. Our fonts are usually generated as part of our logo design process in our corporate identity work. So usually, we have a small subset of letters on which to base the font.
Title fonts are faster and easier to develop, while text fonts (which usually have to be at least made in the three basic styles, bold, regular, italic) require more time and a bigger budget.
Additional matter of consideration is:
- weights – each weight can be developed in italic or little caps form. Usually, we design a regular and a bold version, and at least one italic.
- format – True type are our basic choice, but we can provide OpenType too, with ligatures, full character sets and alternates.
- language – if the font has to be used in various languages it can need non-basic character sets. This must be considered.