typefoundry

A typefoundry is a business that designs, produces, and licenses typefaces, or fonts. Historically, typefoundries cast metal type for letterpress printers; in the digital era they create scalable fonts used in print and on screen. In typography, a typeface is the design; a font is a specific digital file or a particular weight or style of that design.

The concept emerged in the early modern period with independent shops that supplied metal type to printers. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, large foundries mass-produced type and later adapted to phototypesetting. With the rise of digital typesetting in the late 20th century, many foundries became digital studios or licensed fonts directly to publishers, designers, and developers.

Modern typefoundries design glyphs, define metrics, kerning, hinting, and variable features. They release font families with multiple weights and styles, and produce formats such as OpenType, TrueType, and webfont variants (WOFF/WOFF2). Licensing varies by vendor and use, including desktop, web, app, and server rights. Some fonts are released as open source or under commercial licenses.

The work of typefoundries shapes readability, branding, and user experience. The industry spans independent studios and corporate publishers, and faces evolving technologies such as variable fonts, color fonts, and broader language support. Access to fonts ranges from curated catalogs to bespoke fonts for brands, reflecting diverse business models and licensing practices.