So it is with graphic designers and their fonts. It’s pretty difficult to design a parts list without a condensed typeface or a wedding invitation without a script. Before buying fonts, however, you should first know your options. There are basically four ways that fonts can be purchased: as libraries, in packages, in volumes, and as individual fonts. Type libraries are very large packages of fonts from a single foundry or supplier. Font packages are smaller collections put together by font foundries or font resellers. Volumes are normally all the weights of a typeface family or a logical collection of fonts from a very large family. Individual fonts are single weights or versions of a typeface design.

Libraries
Type libraries are the largest assortment of fonts that can be purchased. They represent a considerable investment, usually containing in excess of 1,000 fonts and costing several thousand dollars. Within the libraries, however, average prices of individual fonts are at the lowest prices obtainable. Where individual fonts generally run between $25 and $50, a library of 1,500 fonts sold at $5,000 means that the individual font price is below $3.50.

Type libraries are almost always assemblages of the total offerings from a font foundry. Typical examples are the FontFont, International Typeface Corporation/ITC, Adobe, Linotype, and Monotype libraries. Type libraries are cross-sections of type styles and families. Some libraries, like P22 or GarageFonts (available through several outlets, including Fonts.com), are as small as 200 or 300 fonts, while the major foundries’ offerings can range from 1,200 to over 3,500 fonts.

Packages
Font packages are generally organized around a theme, a range of applications, or a collection of designs that their providers think will supply a basis for a broad range of uses. These can contain as few as 25 fonts and as many as 250. Typical examples might be a group of faces that will work well for signage, a group for setting wedding invitations, or a collection of fonts from a specific typeface designer. They could also be simple cross-sections of foundries’ offerings. Prices of font packages range from about $100 for 25 fonts to $500 for 125 fonts.

Volumes
Font volumes usually contain a typeface family or part of a very large family. Sometimes they contain a complete family in a non-Latin language like Greek or Cyrillic. A typical volume of four roman weights plus italics will cost about $80. A very large volume, such as a “super” family of serif and sans designs, complete with complementary small caps and old style figures, can cost as much as $500.

Individual fonts
Individual fonts vary in price from free to as much as $100 per font. Generally, however, they run from $25 to $50, with OpenType fonts claiming a slight price premium. The majority of font sales are singlefont purchases.

How many fonts?
Think of your font collection as a palette of paints that might be used by an artist. While an artist could probably get by with just the primary colors of red, blue, and yellow, a larger palette provides more freedom and subtleties of application. Similarly, bundled “system” fonts (those included with software applications) will not take you very far. A single-person or small design studio could probably get by with about 200 well-chosen text/display typefaces (basically, text families that can also be used at large sizes) and 20–30 display-only typefaces. A medium-sized studio or design office should provide its staff with 1,200—or so—typefaces to work with. And a large design agency, branding firm, or college design department should have at least one complete typeface library.

Building a basic type collection
The idea behind building a versatile type collection is, first, to provide a broad cross-section of fonts, then to add depth to the resource. Since many design applications also have fonts bundled with the software, these could be considered as part of the additional fonts a designer should have. The crosssection should have at least one family from each of the major typeface styles:

• Old style
• Transitional
• Neoclassical or Didone (also called Modern)
• Slab serif
• Glyphic
• Grotesque (a basic sans serif design)
• Geometric sans
• Humanistic sans
• Script type styles (at least one formal script, a calligraphic script, and a casual script)

Buy families
Purchase the complete volume when you are buying a typeface family. Why? First, the per-font price is less expensive than purchasing individual weights over a period of time. If you purchase a typical four-weight family with corresponding italics one font at a time, it can easily run over $230. Purchase the same family as a volume and the cost drops to around $170. The second reason is to maintain font design consistency. For example, just about every foundry offers a Baskerville design. If you purchase the roman and italic of ITC’s Baskerville and then six months later purchase Monotype’s or Linotype’s bold and extra bold, they will not match the design of your first purchase. If you have a project that calls for even one or two faces from a family, it’s worth considering purchasing the complete volume.

Create depth
Depth is added by purchasing additional families of type styles that tend to get used often, as well as additional weights and proportions of the larger and more important serif and sans serif families. A full suite of fonts from at least one sans serif family will also prove itself invaluable. The most used and most popular typeface styles are:

• Old style
• Transitional
• Grotesque
• Geometric sans
• Humanistic sans

Display designs
The 25 (or so) display faces in your collection can be virtually any designs that are distinctive enough to stand out from the crowd, but not so eccentric that their use is impaired. For example, a typeface that looks to be made from flowers may be distinctive, but its use will be limited … to, well, ads for flowers. Papyrus (an Apple system font, by the way), on the other hand, is very distinctive but also can be used to set display type in everything from restaurant menus to annual reports.

Libraries: Make it your call
Type libraries are large purchases—so large that in many cases your organization’s purchasing manager will want to make the choice. Don’t let this happen. Since you will be spending several thousand dollars on the acquisition, be sure the purchase provides the creative tools you need. While price is clearly an issue, more important is the quality and selection of the tools you will be purchasing.

New tools
Typeface libraries are continually growing things. You will be adding to your collection of fonts as new projects come along and as new typefaces are provided to the market. Add to it like you would any valued set of tools—with care, and an eye toward a good deal.