Are you one of those habitual newsletter sign-uppers like me? 🙋♀️ Most of the time I skim them (or hit unsubscribe a year later during my inbox detox). But last week, one stopped me in my tracks, I read the entire thing.
Shoutout to Stacy at Blanc Salvage, a brilliant font designer, whose recent newsletter lit a fire under me. It sparked convos with a couple of my designer friends and reminded me why we need to talk more about this stuff in our industry.
Her point was simple but powerful: Typography isn’t just a design choice, it’s a business tool. And once you see it that way, you can’t unsee it.
The Real Cost of Font Shortcuts
I’ve seen agencies crank out brand after brand with the same font suite. Maybe they switch up the weights, but otherwise it’s copy-paste.
The problem? Clients who refer each other end up with nearly identical brands. Nothing feels unique. Everything starts looking cookie-cutter. And instead of elevating your client’s brand, the sameness cheapens the whole experience.
This gets even trickier with template-based projects (hi Showit, Tonic, Northfolk). Fonts are often the single detail that sets a “custom” project apart. So if you’re recycling the same $25 trending typeface, you’re blending into the crowd, not standing out.
The Agency Owner Wake-Up Call
I’ve literally worked with agencies who cap their entire font budget at $50 for a full brand suite. Y’all, we need to talk about this.
If you’re charging premium prices for strategic branding, your typography budget has to match the positioning you’re promising your clients.
Here’s the truth: quality fonts usually start around $50 each depending on licensing. That’s not your designer trying to pad the invoice, that’s the actual cost of professional typography that does its job legally and effectively.
Setting Client Expectations From Day One
The easiest way to avoid font budget meltdowns? Talk about it on day one.
During your discovery calls, practice saying something like:
“Part of creating your elevated brand identity involves selecting typography that supports your positioning and ensures legal compliance. Quality fonts typically cost $50+ each for web and desktop licensing. That investment ensures what we build is beautiful and legally sound.”
Awkward at first? Maybe. But you know what’s worse? Surprising a client with font costs after they’ve already fallen in love with the mockups. That feels like a bait-and-switch, and it kills trust.
The Licensing Conversation We’re Not Having Enough
Let’s talk licenses because this is where a lot of designers get fuzzy:
- Desktop License → for design work on your computer
- Web License → for website use
- Commercial License → needed for client projects
- Extended Commercial License → sometimes required for industries or large distribution
Here’s the kicker:
- If your client hands you a font they bought with a personal license, you can only use it for that project, never again.
- Clients usually need both web + desktop licenses. Manually converting files is ILLEGAL (yep, even if it feels like a hack).
- That “free” font you grabbed? Always check the fine print.
Doing your due diligence here matters. I’ve seen too many designers end up in sticky situations because they didn’t understand licensing. Don’t let that be you.
White Label Designers: This Affects You Too
When you’re working white label like I do, font strategy isn’t optional, it’s crucial. You’re representing the agency’s brand standards, staying inside their budget, and making sure the client never feels a gap in the process. That means you need clear systems in place.
One of the first things I ask new agency partners in my SOP form is:
- What’s your typical font budget range?
- Is that per font or for a full suite (and does it include both web + desktop licenses)?
- Who’s actually paying for fonts, the agency or the client?
I’m not asking to be nosy, I’m asking so I don’t get 10 hours into a project, fall in love with the perfect premium typeface, and then get told, “Yeah, that’s too expensive.” Some brands need that elevated font to hit the vibe we’re going for, and I want to know upfront if it’s on the table.
Having this conversation before the project kicks off saves so much frustration. Everyone’s on the same page, expectations are set, and there are no mid-project surprises when font invoices pop up.
Finding the Right Typography (Beyond the Usual Suspects)
Here’s my hot take: stop treating Creative Market like a shopping cart. Use it like a search engine instead.
When I find a font I’m obsessed with on CM, I click through to the designer’s profile, stalk their site (👀 in a friendly way), and, if possible, buy direct. Because when you buy straight from the type designer, more money lands in their pocket where it belongs.
Doing this has connected me with some insanely talented designers like Meg Burke and Taylor Penton. Plus, pro tip: don’t just browse “popular” fonts. Hit “newest” and you’ll find fresh gems from indie type designers who aren’t flooding every template on the internet.
The Ripple Effect of Better Typography Choices
When we treat white label font choices as strategy, not shortcuts, we create ripple effects that help the whole industry:
✨ We support independent type designers. Our purchases keep them creating the fonts we fall in love with.
✨ We educate clients. When clients understand the value of typography, they become better, more invested clients.
✨ We stand out. Unique fonts keep our work from blending into the cookie-cutter crowd.
✨ We protect everyone. Licensed typography = fewer legal headaches for us and our clients.
Making the Business Case
Here’s the bottom line: typography is infrastructure.
Just like you wouldn’t cheap out on hosting or email marketing, you can’t treat fonts as an afterthought. Good typography signals professionalism, creates brand consistency, saves time, and keeps your designs competitive while everyone else is leaning on overused freebies.
Your Next Steps
Ready to treat fonts like the business tools they really are? Try this:
- Audit your projects. How many reused the same free fonts? No shame, just notice.
- Practice your script. Be upfront about font budgets in discovery calls.
- Review licensing. Make sure you actually know what’s legal for commercial use.
- Set realistic budgets. Sometimes a client can’t afford $200 in fonts — but that convo still has to happen early.
Build relationships. Connect with independent type designers whose work fits your style.
The Bigger Picture
Stacy’s newsletter reminded me that we’re all in this together, type designers, brand designers, agency owners, and clients. When we treat typography like the business tool it is, everyone wins.
So let’s normalize the slightly awkward budget convos. Let’s buy direct when we can. Let’s stop leaning on the same three fonts in every project. And let’s raise the bar by treating type with the respect it deserves.
Because at the end of the day? Your fonts are working 24/7 to represent your clients’ businesses. Shouldn’t they have the right tools?
Big thanks again to Stacy at Blanc Salváge for sparking this whole conversation. Go check out her gorgeous typefaces at blancsalvage.co.
And if you’re ready to get deeper into building sustainable white label partnerships (where process, pricing, and typography strategy are handled like pros), The White Label Way course has everything you need.
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