When shopping for fonts on Burntilldead Studio, you will notice that fonts are sold under different license categories: Desktop License, Webfont License, and App / Embedded License.
For web developers, UI/UX designers, and business owners, this raises a crucial question: “If I already bought the Desktop License to design my website mockup in Figma, why do I need a separate Webfont or App License to launch the live site?”
At Burntilldead Studio, we want to make technical font licensing crystal clear. Here is a straightforward breakdown of how file formats, installation methods, and licensing tiers work across digital platforms.
1. Desktop License (.OTF / .TTF)
- Where It Is Installed: On your personal computer’s operating system (Mac OS or Windows).
- What It Is Used For: Installed locally so graphic design software (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Figma, Canva Desktop) can render text shapes.
- Outputs Allowed: Static image exports (JPEGs, PNGs, flattened PDFs), vector logos, print materials, and physical packaging.
- What It CANNOT Do: You cannot upload a Desktop font file to a web server to render live HTML text via CSS
@font-face.
2. Webfont License (.WOFF / .WOFF2)
- Where It Is Installed: Hosted directly on a website web server (WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, custom HTML/CSS server).
- What It Is Used For: Used in CSS code via
@font-face rules so that visitors’ web browsers dynamically load and render live, crawlable text on web pages. - File Formats Included: Compressed web formats (
.WOFF and .WOFF2) optimized for fast webpage loading speeds and cross-browser rendering. - How Pricing Works: Webfont licenses are tiered based on monthly website pageviews (e.g., 10,000 pageviews/mo, 50,000 pageviews/mo, 100,000 pageviews/mo).
Why Do You Need a Separate Webfont License?
When visitors load your website, their browser temporarily downloads the webfont file from your server to render text live. Because the font file software is active on a web server accessible to thousands of visitors daily, it requires a Webfont License.
Bonus: Using live Webfonts instead of static images improves your site’s SEO because search engines can crawl live text!
3. App / Embedded License
- Where It Is Installed: Embedded compiled code inside a mobile app (iOS / Android), desktop software, or electronic device.
- What It Is Used For: Used in UI/UX code so the mobile app interface dynamically renders text inside a native smartphone or tablet application.
- How Pricing Works: Licensed per mobile application title.
Practical Example: A Complete Digital Brand Launch
Imagine you are launching a new online fashion brand named Ethareal:
- Designing Logos & Banners in Illustrator: You buy 1 Desktop License for your designer’s computer.
- Hosting Live Product Titles on Shopify: You buy 1 Webfont License matching your site’s monthly pageview traffic.
- Launching an iOS Shopping App: You buy 1 App License/Extended License for your mobile developer team.
By choosing the correct licenses for each platform, your brand remains 100% legally compliant while delivering a seamless visual identity across print, web, and mobile.
Upgrade Your Digital Identity Today
Need high-impact webfonts or desktop display faces for your next digital project? Explore our full collection on Burntilldead Studio!
