What Is Adobe Fonts?
Adobe Fonts (formerly Typekit) is a subscription service included with Adobe Creative Cloud plans. It provides access to thousands of commercial typefaces for use in design tools and on websites.
What the Adobe Fonts License Covers
With an active Creative Cloud subscription, you can:
- ✅ Use fonts in Adobe design applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma via plugin)
- ✅ Embed fonts on websites via the Adobe Fonts CDN (
use.typekit.net) - ✅ Use fonts in PDFs and digital documents created with Adobe tools
What It Does NOT Cover
- ❌ Self-hosting Adobe Fonts — you must use Adobe's CDN or their provided kit; downloading and hosting
.wofffiles on your own server violates terms - ❌ Use after cancellation — when your subscription ends, your right to serve those fonts on your website ends
- ❌ Redistribution — you cannot share font files with clients or third parties
- ❌ App embedding — mobile and desktop apps require separate licensing
The Cancellation Problem
This is the most common Adobe Fonts compliance issue:
- A designer sets up an Adobe Fonts kit during development
- The website launches with fonts served from
use.typekit.net - The designer's Creative Cloud subscription lapses — or the company switches design tools
- The fonts stop loading — or worse, they keep loading without an active license
If fonts continue to serve after subscription cancellation, that is unlicensed use.
How to Check If You Use Adobe Fonts
Look for these signals on your website:
- Network requests to
use.typekit.net - A
<link>tag referencingtypekit.netoradobe.com/fonts - JavaScript from Adobe's font embedding kit
FontScanner automatically detects Adobe Fonts CDN usage and flags the specific typefaces loaded.
Alternatives If You Cancel Adobe
If you are moving away from Adobe Creative Cloud:
- Purchase perpetual web licenses for the fonts you need from the foundry or MyFonts
- Switch to open-source alternatives — many Adobe Fonts have OFL equivalents
- Remove the fonts from your CSS and replace with licensed or free alternatives before cancellation
Do not simply let the subscription expire while fonts remain embedded.
Adobe Fonts vs. Direct Foundry Licenses
| Aspect | Adobe Fonts | Direct Foundry License |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Included in CC subscription | Per-font or per-family purchase |
| Web embedding | Via Adobe CDN only | Self-hosted or CDN per EULA |
| After cancellation | Must remove fonts | Perpetual (usually) |
| Font selection | ~20,000 fonts | Specific fonts you purchase |
Conclusion
Adobe Fonts is convenient but tied to an active subscription. Before cancelling Creative Cloud, audit your live website, identify every Adobe-served font, and either purchase direct licenses or migrate to alternatives.