I need some definitives. I'm wondering what the deal with "free for personal use" really is...? My superficial research has given me little to go off of. I'm wanting to use a couple of the fonts for a website homepage. Is this cool? I've also tried to locate the font author and am coming up with nothing. Please, send me your nuggets of wisdom. And just give it to me straight, people.

s.

Private website? Nothing on offer for sale? No Google adwords? Nothing that smells like money? And why are you so scared to tell which font?

What is ‘personal use’ ?
Anything that is NON-PROFIT and NON-BUSINESS RELATED. Examples include; your personal website or blog (that does not contain adverts or pay-per-click links), your school homework or course work, your own birthday invitations (made and printed by you) and family scrapbooks.

What is ‘commercial use’ ?
Anything that is NON-PERSONAL, ANYTHING RELATED TO BUSINESS or ANYTHING THAT IS SOLD, including non-profit. Examples include; business websites, portfolio websites, school websites, church websites, logos, business cards, letterheads, brochures, leaflets, posters, merchandise, t-shirts, books, magazines, retail packaging, advertisements, TV broadcast and movie credits.

Well, okay, thanks for responding. I guess I'm just wanting some feedback designer-to-designer. Like, come on, is the entire design community not using these "free for personal use" fonts for anything other than legitimately personal shtuff? I've seen dafont fonts everywhere. Wanting some practical info. What's going on in the real world concerning font usage??

I am tagging my fonts for personal use only because I do not want them to be treated as if they are public domain fonts. Even so, most treat them as such.

If you want to release it as a free font with the intention of making money, do not be disappointed if it doesn't rake in the $$$$. If your intent is to make money, then you should have this in mind when you start making a font and upload the font to myfonts or any other vendors out there.

I did not intend and do not expect to earn money from my fonts and was surprised when the owner of http://demonstro.us gave me a donation for his use of K22 Eclair.

- 22