Would you rather buy a DVD for $20 or just rent it at a Redbox for as long as you need it for a dollar a day? When you are done watching the DVD, it is unlikely that you will keep watching it unless you really enjoy the movie so the cheaper way to go is to rent it and give it back when you are done with it. That is the idea behind SkyFonts, a cloud-based font rental service that allows users to rent thousands of typefaces.
Why would anyone pay for temporary access to a font when there are thousands available online, you ask? For one, the upfront cost of access to a large pool of content is lower than it would cost to own them, kind of like Spotify. Spotify, for example, allows you access to a huge database of music that would otherwise cost an arm and a leg to own if you bought each one. SkyFont allows users to access more than 8,000 fonts that you can try for free for up to five minutes which helps expand your design options and creativity. For the ones you enjoy, you can pay for them for as long as you use them then they are automatically deleted from your computer.
Vice president and general manager of Monotype’s e-commerce group Chris Roberts explains,“Though many trialing options exist, SkyFont succeeds like no other by allowing users to experiment with the actual fonts. We believe this could redefine the way designers search for type, while significantly altering the way fonts are purchased.” Of course there are many services similar to SkyFont, but the rental aspect differentiates it from the competition. So if you yearn for more creativity in fonts for your web development needs, SkyFont could be your answer!
