Help and FAQ
Below is a collection of the questions we get asked most frequently—e.g., How do I install these things, anyway? Please take a moment to peruse these FAQ for answers to any puzzles you might have. (If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please feel free to get in touch with us directly.)
1. How do I try before I buy?
2. How will I receive my font(s)?
3. Which format should I use?
4. How do I install my font(s)?
5. May I install my font(s) on more than one computer?
6. How about installation by multiple users or at more than one location?
7. Aren’t your typefaces available as webfonts?
8. What about emedding? May I embed in PDFs, apps, eBooks, elsewhere?
9. What if I’m unhappy with my purchase—can I get my money back?
10. Who designed these things, anyway?
11. What would it cost to turn my great-grandma’s handwriting into a font?
12. I’d like to include a font credit—how shall I word it?
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1. How do I try before I buy?
We offer two ways to try out our fonts before purchasing a license. The quickest and easiest? Simply visit our Type Tester page, choose the font (and style) you wish to play with and the background you’d like to see it against, then type yourself silly! If you wish to run a test in an application, you may also download and install a demo of any of our fonts—but these have only upper- and lowercase characters and lack both the “E” and “e.” If you have trouble or questions about either option, please feel free to send email to fonts@3ip.com or give us a call at (207) 596-6768.
2. How will I receive my font(s)?
Since our secure checkout system uses real-time credit card authorizations, you’ll be able to download your font(s) immediately upon successful completion of your order. The final page in our checkout sequence will have a download link for each font you’ve ordered. You should also receive an email message (from fonts@3ip.com*) with a link to your personal download page that’ll be accessible for 48 hours after your order. Beyond this time, you may contact us directly in the event you ever lose copies of any font whose license you’ve purchased here. Please feel free to call us at (207) 596-6768 or send email to fonts@3ip.com. (*If you don’t receive email confirmation, please check your spam/junk folder—and consider adding this address to your approved sender list.)
3. Which format should I use?
All our professional typefaces come with plenty of OpenType features, and we now deliver both PostScript-flavored and TrueType-flavored OpenType formats within our standard desktop packages. Either will work just fine in any modern operating system. Although we personally use the former format, for regular folks who haven’t the foggiest understanding of font formats, I generally suggest that Windows users install TrueType-flavored OpenType (extension .ttf) and Mac users install PostScript-flavored (extension .otf). Just don’t install both! (Web Licenses contain all available formats for installation on a server.) For more detailed info about formats, go here.
4. How do I install my font(s)?
Installing and using webfonts is probably best done by a webmaster or design professional—but you’ll find basic installation instructions within our webfont packages. You may also wish to check out Fontspring’s excellent webfonts-installation pages. (Feel free of course to contact us directly with questions.)
For standard desktop fonts, if you’re using a recent operating system, you should be able to install by simply looking in the download folder for the font data file you wish to use (the one with an extension of either .otf or .ttf, depending on which format you prefer), then double-clicking its icon. Here are more detailed steps:
Windows OS:
Your font(s) will be delivered within a .zip archive, which you’ll first need to “unzip.”
1. Right-click the .zip file and select “Extract.”
2. Right-click either the .otf (OpenType) or .ttf (TrueType) file, and select “Install.”
For a full list of TrueType installation options, visit Microsoft Typography.
Macintosh OS:
Your font(s) will be delivered within a .zip archive, whose contents you’ll need to extract. First double-click the file to extract its contents to a place you will remember.
On newer Macs, the easiest way to install a font is simply to double-click either the .otf (OpenType) or .ttf (TrueType) versions of the font that you’ll find within the font folder—but not both!.
If your version of Mac OS has the Font Book utility, you might wish to use this application for installation.
Note: If you get a “serious error” validation alert, simply drag the font to your Desktop and install from there. (This alert is due to tighter security on newer versions of the Mac OS—not an indication of the trustworthiness of our fonts!)
Important note: Do not install more than one format of the same font on your computer.
5. May I install my font(s) on more than one computer?
Yes, once you pay the basic license fee, our standard End-User License Agreement (EULA) lets you install your font(s) on up to five (5) CPUs—computers, printers, etc.—at one location. Plus, you may make a backup copy. Note also that our EULA permits you to send copies of your font(s) to a printer or service bureau—but only for use on individual jobs of yours. After the printer/service bureau’s staff outputs your work, they must then delete the font(s) from their system(s). (Of course they may always buy a license of their own and use the font themselves for any job.) Please see our EULA for full license limitations.
6. How about installation by multiple users or at more than one location?
We offer a sliding-scale fee schedule for multiple-user licenses at one location. When ordering, simply enter the total number of CPUs you intend for installation, and our checkout system will automatically calculate the license fee. (The maximum number you may enter is 295 CPUs, whose fee is the same as an unlimited site license.) To install your font(s) at fixed computers in more than one location, you must buy a separate license for each location. (For regional or worldwide licenses, please contact us directly via email, at info@oldfonts.com, or phone, at (207) 596-6768.) Please see our EULA for full license limitations.
7. Aren’t your typefaces available as webfonts?
Absolutely! In fact, we now sell webfont packages directly from this site. We offer licenses for individual fonts only (i.e., not packages), for installation on a single server (or array) in four tiers: 1) up to 10,000 pageviews per month (PV); 2) from 10,001 to 100,000 PV; 3) from 100,001 to 1,000,000 PV; 4) more than 1,000,001 PV. These licenses are perpetual, and we trust you to purchase the license that applies to you. When ordering, simply specify the pageview range you need. We also offer a “Full License” package that includes both desktop and webfonts at a combined discount, but only at the 10,000 PV/month tier. (For a Full License quote with more than 10,000 pageviews, please get in touch directly via at fonts@3ip.com.) Please see our Webfonts EULA for limitations.
8. What about emedding? May I embed in PDFs, apps, eBooks, elsewhere?
Neither our standard Desktop End-User License Agreement (EULA) nor our Webfonts EULA permits embedding of our copyrighted font data such that it’s possible for unlicensed parties to capture that data and recreate our typefaces—although this does not typically concern routine PDF distribution. (Subsetting is OK.) See our App/Game EULA for use an embedding in games and other apps. If you wish to use one of our fonts in an eBook, film, TV show, or other medium, we’ll be glad to quote you a price for a license—simply send your inquiry to fonts@3ip.com or give us a call at (207) 596-6768.
9. What if I’m unhappy with my purchase—can I get my money back?
Yes, of course! We want only happy customers. If our fonts don’t meet your expectations—or you’re unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason—simply get in touch with us, and we’ll credit your account in the amount of the purchase price. (We’ll also ask that you delete any of our font data from your computer and/or other equipment.) Just give us a call at (207) 596-6768 or send email to fonts@3ip.com.
10. Who designed these things, anyway?
Meet the type designers!
11. What would it cost to turn my great-grandma’s handwriting into a font?
Kind of a lot. That’s ’cause it ain’t easy—at least not the way we do it. Each character in a font takes at least an hour or two to design and refine; all characters must be tweaked and adjusted to look good together; often, you’ve got to endure the indescribable tedium of creating hundreds (or thousands) of kerning pairs. And when you consider that—counting alphabets, punctuation, accents and diacriticals, ligatures and other glyphs—a professional typeface has many hundreds of characters... Let’s just say the time adds up. Short answer: it’d cost a whole lot of money to turn your great-grandma’s handwriting into a font. That is, unless we like it enough to want to sell the font as a member of our type library, in which case it’s free, and you’ll get complementary copies of all our typefaces! (We’d have to retain ownership of the font, however.)
12. I’d like to include a font credit—how shall I word it?
First, thank you! Font credits are encouraged and appreciated. You might, for example, use something like: Lamar Pen™ font ©2003 by Brian Willson/Three Islands Press (3IP) (If you don’t know the year, feel free to send us email.) Please also let us know how/where you’ve used the font—and thanks very much again!
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