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I wrote the business name of my client's using a font for a design I created. The client wants me to send him "that" - the name of his business in "that type of fancy/cool" font - as a logo to him. In other words he thinks it is a logo.

What should I say and how should I approach this situation, knowing that what he is requesting is not a logo? It's simply just a type of font... What he is requesting would fall under me sending him the type of font name/file.. but in my personal opinion I don't think that should be done due to purchasing fee's restrictions and such.

I should state that the font is free to use for personal use only. The purchased version is for commercial use, which I did purchase.

I would appreciate any recommendations on how to address these types of issues when clients request such things. Thanks in advance.

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  • The following link seems to add some clarity to what you're facing. Maybe not much, but I hope it helps at least a little. graphicdesignforum.com/forum/forum/graphic-design/typography/…
    – user4386709
    Jul 10, 2015 at 17:28
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    Great opportunity to up sell... "Are you certain you want to use this as a Logo when anyone can purchase the same font and use it as well?"
    – Scott
    Jul 10, 2015 at 17:32
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    The Coca-Cola logo is the product name with a particular font and colors. Sometimes other elements (circle, ribbon) are included, but certainly not always.
    – thelr
    Jul 10, 2015 at 18:33
  • @their no, it's not. The Coca-Cola logo is a hand-drawn logotype--not a font.
    – DA01
    Aug 10, 2015 at 18:01
  • You could simply tell him that its your own font and that he needs to purchase it. If you dont want to sell it you could simply tell him no
    – BlueWizard
    Aug 10, 2015 at 23:08

3 Answers 3

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First of all, it is possible to simple have a typographic logo solution. Logos do not have to be graphic marks or use an original font. If your client is happy with what you've made as a standalone logo, then you should be able to create outlines out of the logo and send him a vector form of the logo without going against the copyright. However, perhaps you'd like to encourage your client to have a more complete branding made for his company. Corporate branding really involves much more than simply a type treatment of the company's name or even a great logo.

You cannot send your client a copy of the actual font software, but you can send him the name of the font and like I said, a vector of what he's considering to be his logo.

Hope this helps a little.

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    Also, consider spending some time manually adjusting the kerning of the logo and producing versions targeting both small and large print sizes, from business card to posters / billboards. This should all be finally sent to the client in vectorized form.
    – Tobia
    Jul 10, 2015 at 22:13
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    Totally agree. This client has been very troublesome, if you know what I mean. I appreciate you taking the time in helping me out.
    – Javi Pagan
    Jul 10, 2015 at 23:36
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    Plenty of brands have used a wordmark like this, such as Jeep, JCPenney, Sears, Kohl's, and Google.
    – Damian Yerrick
    Jul 11, 2015 at 2:42
  • @tepples: American Airlines is perhaps particularly notable because it used the Helvetica typeface almost as soon as it was released, and yet has continued to do so for decades.
    – supercat
    Jul 11, 2015 at 23:13
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You are asking a few questions here:

Is simply typesetting a company name in a font a logo?

Yes, it certainly can be. Is it the best solution? Sometimes, but often it's not the best solution.

Can I send a copy of a commercial font I used to a client?

No. If it's a commercial font, meaning you purchased a license, then if the client wants to use the said font, they need to purchase their own license for the font.

Should a client use the font that's in their logo as a general font for the rest of their business communication materials?

Probably not. It can work, but usually you want your logo to stand on its own and then pick typefaces that compliment it, rather than directly compete against it.

Is just typesetting a company name in a typeface an adequate for corporate branding?

It can be, but usually you want to discuss with your client the importance of an overall brand identity and how to apply it consistently across their marketing and communication materials. This goes well beyond the logo itself. It should include typeface standards, color standards, and can expand into all sorts of things including iconography, photography, copywriting, page layout templates, business cards, advertising layouts, style guides, online guidelines, animation, etc.

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    I'm just adding something to this good response. DON'T let the client make design decisions like that. He just decided that that is his logo just becouse!
    – Rafael
    Jul 10, 2015 at 19:41
  • Amazing, how just reading all this, makes more sense, and clarifies a whole bunch. Thanks a bunch! This helps!
    – Javi Pagan
    Jul 10, 2015 at 23:35
  • @JaviPagan I'm glad I could help!
    – DA01
    Jul 11, 2015 at 1:09
  • While it doesn't usually make sense for it to be a general font for business communication materials, it may make sense to choose a general branding font (for setting product names in, etc) that matches that of the logo. I am looking at a Gatorade bottle in front of me that has most text in two fonts, one of which matches that of the "G" of their logo (a different, sans-serif, font is used for the flavor name and some of the text. The boring stuff - nutrition/ingredients/deposit/etc - is in a condensed Helvetica variant)
    – Random832
    Jul 11, 2015 at 11:56
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You can create a font with few logo of your client company. Instead of desinging a logo in a vector editor, you can do the same in a font designer. See a tattoo font.

It is reasonable for the client to expect logo as a font. He can size it like a font, and it can proportionaly change. The logo as a font also keep it borders margins propertionally.

Try a open source font designer app, with a open font.

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    This isn't really related to what the question is asking.
    – Scott
    Jul 11, 2015 at 7:21

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