
Font Management Workflow:
The Key to Creating Efficiencies and ROI for Creative Teams
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Font Management Workflow:
The Key to Creating Efficiencies
and ROI for Creative Teams
Font management workflow is the practice of implementing strategic font management practices into your larger creative workflow to increase efficiency and productivity. By “creative workflow,” we mean the routine processes that allow creative teams to produce and deliver a creative project: from ideation, feedback and revisions, and finalization to securing the necessary creative asset licenses and production, or going “live.”
The many moving parts of creative workflows mean font management workflow often gets overlooked, especially under tight deadlines. However, neglecting font management can significantly harm a team's success because of the risk font usage introduces into creative projects. Then, as standards slip, problems tend to escalate, creating even more challenges.
Bottom line: font management tools can dramatically elevate the efficiency of creative teams’ tech stacks—and in turn a creative team’s productivity—but without purposeful, defined processes, font management alone can’t deliver a return on investment (ROI) worth talking about.
Creative Workflow Basics
Creative workflow could apply to many different types of teams undertaking creative work. In this section we will explain components of the creative workflow for in-house creative teams at brands, print production teams, creative agencies, and freelancers who move fluidly from one creative team to another.
In-House Creative Workflow
For in-house teams, routine and consistency may make it easier to standardize processes. Generally, a campaign or project will be strategized, then deliverables will be outlined and assigned. Then, it’s time for designers, videographers, and copywriters to bring creative vision and tactics to the project, presenting deliverables to internal and external stakeholders for approval.
Creative assets in use will need to be organized, shared, and ultimately audited for licensing compliance. Auditing can be much easier for brands, but this depends on how many brand kits they work with, and the complexity of each brand kit. If only a handful of fonts and stock images are approved for standard use, this can make project reviews relatively straightforward.
Print Production Creative Workflow
For creative teams working in print, production, publishing, and packaging, final deliverables are frequently tangible products for consumers. After concepting and art direction, layouts will be tested and measured to ensure everything meets specifications, whether it’s for the page count of a book or dimensions of a branded packaging container.
Project reviews will ensure that all creative assets in use are compliant with End User License Agreements (EULAs). Final deliverables will have a “proof” printed for accuracy, quality control, client approval, risk reduction, and to prevent unnecessary production runs. Once the proof is approved, the “run” will be printed, which could be anything from a few hundred pieces of branded packaging to a thousand editions of a book, or a million magazines.
Creative Agencies
In creative agencies, projects flow in from third-party clients. Whether dealing with many clients or just a few demanding ones, agencies often manage a large volume of fonts and creative assets. These assets include both those provided by clients and those chosen by art directors and creative directors to enhance client projects.
Designers and creatives develop work based on the creative brief, while account or project managers may provide feedback before presenting it to the client. After receiving client feedback, revisions are made to meet their requests. It's crucial to review each project to ensure compliance with font licensing, as both the agency and client can face legal consequences for discrepancies.
Agencies deliver the final assets to clients for launch, and full-service agencies may also handle distribution, such as buying ad space or updating websites.
Freelancers
A freelance graphic designer’s workflow typically starts with receiving a client brief, outlining project goals, timelines, and creative expectations. They gather necessary assets, such as brand guidelines and fonts, then brainstorm and create initial concepts.
After designing, they share drafts with the client for feedback, which may require revisions. Throughout the process, freelancers manage assets, ensuring they comply with licensing requirements. Upon approval, final deliverables are sent to the client. Freelancers must also handle project timelines, invoicing, and file storage independently, ensuring a smooth, professional process.
A Shared Purpose
While the terminology and specifics may vary across different creative teams, the core workflow remains consistent from receiving a brief to delivering the final product. In all cases, the essential process includes:
Brief // Creative Work // Review // Revisions // Project Audit // Final Delivery
This workflow remains the same, regardless of team structure. That’s why, no matter the industry, creative teams benefit from supportive tech stacks that provide a clear path to collaboration, sharing, creating, and project auditing.
How Font Management Fits Into Creative Workflows
Font management is the discipline of organizing, activating, and distributing fonts. The term can also apply to verifying licensing for fonts.
Traditionally, font management is implemented during the design and editing stages of the creative process. Font management software allows designers and other creative to quickly play with fonts to achieve desired aesthetics, as well as use auto-activation to rapidly access designated fonts.
However, recent developments in font management software can support various stages of the creative workflow. Font management software can distribute designated fonts for a project at the very start of a project, when a creative brief is provided.
Font management software can also uplevel project reviews. Extensis Connect + Insight allows users to rapidly scan Adobe files for licensing issues. This type of process automation can save teams hours of busy work, and improve review accuracy.
Here are six types of font management tools commonly used by creative teams, including in-house teams, agencies, print production, and freelancers:
- 01 Font Managers
- 02 Cloud-Based Font Libraries
- 03 Font Licensing Management Tools
- 04 Collaborative Font Sharing Platforms
- 05 Font Backup And Archive Tools
- 06 Font Compliance Auditing Tools
Font Managers
Tools like Extensis Connect allow designers to organize, preview, activate, and deactivate fonts across projects.
Cloud-Based Font Libraries
Services like Adobe Fonts and Google Fonts offer a vast selection of fonts that can be easily synced and used across various design platforms.
Font Licensing Management Tools
Solutions like Extensis Connect help teams monitor and manage font licensing, ensuring compliance with licensing agreements and mitigating legal risks.
Collaborative Font Sharing Platforms
Tools like Monotype Fonts allow creative teams to collaborate on font usage by centralizing font libraries and sharing them across departments or clients.
Font Backup And Archive Tools
Font Compliance Auditing Tools
Who Benefits From Font Management
Font management software benefits teams holistically. From individual designers saving time with plugins, to IT distributing fonts more efficiently, to creative directors and operations pros protecting reputations and the bottom line with accurate project reviews, creative workflows thrive when font management is prioritized.
Designers
Font management has long been seen as a tool for individual contributors primarily, whether in-house or freelance. The reason for this is that using fonts in design work is incredibly time-consuming when not supported by robust software. It’s estimated that efficient font auto-activation saves designers 34 hours of labor a year.
Font management software can also support designers’ flow state during projects. Plugins let designers spend more time in their creative application of choice, without hopping from tool to tool and losing focus.
Administrators And Account Management
Font distribution can be time-consuming and burdensome for IT. It’s not uncommon for dozens of fonts to be used in a single publication, or under the art direction of a larger brand. Font management can benefit creative workflows by quickly distributing the right fonts to the people for the right projects, at the right time. This ensures accuracy across projects, without wasting time manually uploading fonts.
Leadership
Font management benefits day-to-day creative workflows by saving time and streamlining processes, but its value extends beyond that, particularly for company leadership. One major advantage is ensuring font licensing compliance, which safeguards the organization from potential legal risks.
Creative teams may unintentionally overlook licensing discrepancies, but some font management solutions can identify issues before projects go live. By preventing legal disputes related to unlicensed fonts, leadership can protect the company's financial and reputational standing, while also supporting long-term growth.
Why Font Management Matters
Font management is essential for any creative professional, whether you're a solo designer, part of an in-house brand team, or working as a freelancer in web development or content creation. Fonts are software, and most creatives work with extensive collections that, if mismanaged, can slow down systems and cause application issues. Poor font management can even affect the final quality of produced work. By organizing, categorizing, and accessing fonts efficiently, you streamline your workflow, saving time, reducing stress, and enhancing the overall quality of your creative output.
Efficiency And Productivity
Reduces time searching for fonts: With proper font management, creatives can easily locate and activate the fonts they need, cutting down on time wasted searching through large, unorganized font libraries. This boosts productivity and allows more time for actual design work.
Streamlines workflows with easy access to necessary fonts: By organizing and categorizing fonts, creatives can access them seamlessly across projects. This eliminates interruptions in the creative process, ensuring smoother, faster execution of ideas.
Collaboration
Simplifies sharing and synchronizing fonts across team members: Font management software allows teams to easily share and sync font libraries, ensuring everyone on a project is working with the same, approved fonts. This prevents issues that arise when team members use different fonts.
Facilitates smooth collaboration on projects: With fonts properly organized and shared, teams can collaborate without delays caused by missing or incompatible fonts. This helps projects move forward efficiently, whether in-house or across multiple agencies.
Consistency And Brand Integrity
Ensures consistent use of brand-approved fonts: Font management tools ensure that only brand-approved fonts are used across all marketing and design materials, preserving the brand’s identity and maintaining a cohesive visual language.
Avoids mismatched typography in marketing materials: Mismatched or incorrect typography can lead to inconsistent designs. Font management helps ensure that the right fonts are applied consistently across all touchpoints, preventing errors in typography.
Legal Compliance And Licensing
Helps track and manage font licenses: Font management tools can track the licensing status of fonts, ensuring that teams only use fonts they are legally allowed to. This protects against accidental use of unlicensed fonts.
Avoids legal issues related to unlicensed font usage: Misusing fonts without proper licensing can result in costly legal disputes. By tracking licenses and alerting teams to potential issues, font management ensures legal compliance, protecting both the creative team and the company.
Integrating font management into any creative workflow is key to ensuring efficiency, collaboration, brand consistency, and legal compliance, no matter the size or type of team.
Key Features Of Effective Font Management Tools
The following features make font management tools vital for any creative team, simplifying the process of finding, using, and maintaining fonts, while ensuring consistency, speed, and legal compliance across all projects:
Centralized Font Library
A centralized font library allows all team members to access the same fonts from one location. This ensures consistency across projects, whether you’re working solo or as part of a large creative team. By managing all fonts in one place, you can avoid the chaos of scattered font files and ensure everyone uses the right assets.
Easy Font Activation And Deactivation
Font management tools let you easily activate fonts when needed and deactivate them when not in use. This prevents your system from becoming bogged down by unnecessary fonts, improving both system performance and workflow efficiency. It’s especially useful for large teams with diverse project needs, keeping the creative process smooth and fast.
Font Categorization And Tagging
Effective tools allow fonts to be categorized and tagged, making it easy to sort and find fonts by style, project, or client. Whether you’re a freelancer or part of an agency, this feature saves time when searching for the right typeface and ensures you’re always working with the appropriate fonts.
Integration With Design Software
Seamless integration with design software like Adobe Creative Cloud allows for instant access to fonts within your design tools. This ensures that your workflow remains uninterrupted, as you won’t need to manually import fonts or worry about compatibility issues across platforms.
Backup And Synchronization Capabilities
Backup and sync features ensure that all fonts are safely stored and can be accessed by all team members, even across different devices or locations. This is essential for remote or distributed teams, as it guarantees everyone is using the same fonts and avoids the risk of losing important assets.
User-Friendly Interface And Customization Options
A user-friendly interface allows teams of any skill level to easily manage their fonts without frustration. Customization options help tailor the tool to your specific workflow needs, whether you’re working on short-term freelance projects or managing extensive design operations for an agency.
Make The Most Of Your Font Management Workflow
In any creative workflow, from freelancers to large agencies, font management is crucial for maintaining efficiency, consistency, and compliance. Managing fonts properly ensures smoother operations, reduces the risk of legal issues, and streamlines collaboration across teams. By investing in a robust font management solution, you can eliminate the hassle of disorganized font libraries, slow system performance, and mismatched typography, allowing your team to focus on what they do best: creating valuable work.
The right font management tools, like Extensis Connect or Extensis Connect + Insight, not only boosts productivity but also safeguards your creative process from costly font usage risks, including licensing risks. It helps teams work faster, maintain brand integrity, and avoid legal pitfalls.
To see how font management can elevate your workflow, explore the Extensis Creative Intelligence Suite today. For more information on font management and creative risk management solutions, check out our Resource Library for further reading, and take the next step toward unlocking your team’s full creative potential.
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