What to Check Before You Use a Font or Logo

When a neighborhood café refreshes its menu, “it’s a free font” can sound like enough. Free to download does not always mean cleared for commercial use. Imagine the café sending a font file and its logo to a designer for a seasonal menu. Checking where the file came from and whether it can appear in print, social ads, and video captions can prevent a redesign later.

Check what the font license actually covers

Save the source and the license notice with the file name. Read whether the grant covers personal use only, printed menus, web images, video captions, or paid advertising. A font may be allowed in a printed menu but have separate terms for embedding it in an app or using it in an ad. If the terms are unclear, send the designer the actual license page or wording instead of asking only whether the font is “usually okay for business.”

Send the logo master and say what must stay fixed

A low-resolution screenshot can lead a designer to redraw or stretch a mark. When available, provide a vector master and a transparent-background version, then specify which lockup to use. A practical note might say: “Keep the original proportions, use only the two approved background colors, and do not combine the logo with another mark.” If it does not fit a square post, request a new layout instead of squeezing the logo.

Look at other brands in the photo

A neighbor’s sign might be prominent behind the menu shoot, or another company’s logo could appear on a product or screen. If it is not part of a collaboration, consider changing the angle or removing it. If it is sponsored placement, check the platform’s current guidance so the relationship is not hidden in a post that reads like an independent recommendation.

Give feedback that the designer can use

“Make it feel on brand” means different things to different people. Try something concrete: “Use a readable sans serif for the descriptions, make prices one weight bolder, place the logo at the lower right without changing its proportions, and keep other brands out of frame.” At final delivery, check that the font use matches its terms, the logo has not been cropped or altered, and the print and online files are both included.

Clear permissions and good design can go together. Send a short brief with the font source, logo master, intended uses, and changes to avoid.