Fontsamlinger

Fontsamlinger, or font collections, are organized repositories of typefaces and related materials. They can refer to physical archives of metal type, punches, specimen books, and printing hardware kept by printers, type foundries, libraries, and museums, as well as digital collections consisting of font files, metadata, and licensing information.

Historically, font collections began as sets of printed specimens and metal type used to showcase a foundry’s range of designs. As typography shifted to digital production in the late 20th century, many institutions began digitizing their holdings and creating online catalogs. Modern font collections typically group items by era, script, language, or design style and may include accompanying notes on history, kerning data, licensing terms, and provenance.

Access to font collections varies. Physical collections are usually consulted on-site by researchers or researchers’ staff, while digital collections are accessed through databases, libraries, or vendor platforms. Licensing arrangements differ widely, with some fonts released under open licenses and others restricted to specific commercial terms. Digital formats commonly found in collections include TrueType (TTF), OpenType (OTF), and web-oriented formats such as WOFF and WOFF2.

Preservation and scholarship are central goals of font collections. They support research in typographic history, design practice, and font ecology, and they aid in the long-term digital preservation of rare or legacy typefaces. Notable contemporary repositories include large public and institutional libraries as well as commercial platforms that curate extensive font libraries for design and development use.