Desktop font licenses are measured by the number of Users, a metric that has, at times, caused some confusion. Because we try to be as flexible as we can in the licensing options we offer, we allow customers to count Users a few different ways, depending on their unique circumstances and requirements.
At its core, a User is a single person who uses a font. If you purchase a 50 User Worry-Free Desktop license, 50 people in your company or organization are allowed to access and use the font.
Practically, customers can apply this definition in a few ways, each requiring counting those Users a little bit differently:
1. Install the Font(s) Directly on User Devices
Most commonly, customers will install the font(s) directly on the devices of people within their company or organization. Each person with the font(s) installed counts as a User. They can install the font on any number of their devices simultaneously, while still counting as only a single User.
Number of Users = Number of people who have the font(s) installed on their devices
2. Deploy the Font(s) Using a Font Server
Many companies use font servers to manage access to fonts across an organization without needing to install the fonts on individual machines. In this case, every person who accesses the font(s) would count as a User, despite only installing the font(s) on the server itself. If the customer is unable to track usage of the font(s), a User would be anyone with access to the server.
Number of Users = Number of people who access and use the font(s) on a font server
3. Install the Font(s) on Shared Devices
Less commonly, customers install the font(s) on shared devices (like in a computer lab or a library) and want the font(s) to be available for anyone who uses the computer. Provided that the device is limited to one person at a time, the number of Users would be the same as the number of devices.
Number of Users = Number of shared devices having the font(s) installed
Notes: These definitions and expectations apply to Worry-Free Desktop licenses on Fontspring. We recommend reading the licenses of non-Worry-Free licenses on our site carefully to see if they include other restrictions or requirements on Users.