Summary only, not legal advice. The licence text governs; confirm with the rights holder for your use. Read more
Client work & handing over files
Can you do client work with it, and can you give your client the files?
Delivering finished artwork is usually fine. Handing over font files usually isn't — the client needs their own licence.
Can I use it in work I make for a client?
Fonts
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Fonts | Allowed | Client work is explicitly covered.“Yes, you can use Adobe Fonts for commercial projects, including digital designs and print materials created for your own use or clients.” helpx.adobe.com |
| Envato Elements | Allowed | You can make end products for clients.“i. You can use an Item to create an End Product for yourself or for a client of yours.” help.elements.envato.com |
| Fontshare | Allowed | Work you create belongs to you or your client; the font files can't be handed over.“Derivative Work does not include any logo, document, graphic, image, website, application or other creative work created through the normal use of the Font Software, ownership of which remains with its respective creator or rights holder.” fontshare.com |
| Google Fonts | Allowed | OFL fonts can be used for any kind of design work.“Authors of fonts released under the OFL allow you to use their font software as such for any kind of design work.” openfontlicense.org |
| Creative Market | Conditional | Artwork can go to clients; editable files with the font only to other licensed users.“Licensed Users are permitted to distribute or embed the Font in editable Documents (including PDF, Microsoft Word® & Microsoft Powerpoint®) only to other Licensed Users.” creativemarket.com |
| Font Squirrel | Conditional | Covered by the commercial desktop use Font Squirrel describes; check the font's licence.“As far as we know, all the fonts on the site have free desktop licenses, meaning they can be used in commercial graphics and images free of charge.” fontsquirrel.com |
| MyFonts (Monotype) | Conditional | MyFonts advises entering the client as licence owner when buying for them.“Be sure to enter your client's name or their company name into the 'License Information' field during the checkout process.” myfonts.com |
| Fontspring | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
Stock & content
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | Conditional | The licence can be transferred to one client or employer.“Transfer the license to your client or employer.” stock.adobe.com |
| Canva | Conditional | You can transfer a design to one client under a written agreement.“You may transfer a Canva Design containing Content (Free or Pro) to a client for the client’s own use, subject to the following terms:” canva.com |
| Pexels | Unclear | Not addressed directly on the licence page. |
| Shutterstock | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
| Unsplash | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
AI image tools
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Firefly | Conditional | Covered by the general commercial-use statement.“For features without the beta label, you can use Firefly-generated outputs in your commercial projects.” helpx.adobe.com |
| ChatGPT / DALL·E (OpenAI) | Conditional | Ownership is assigned to you.“As between you and OpenAI, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you (a) retain your ownership rights in Input and (b) own the Output. We hereby assign to you all our right, title, and interest, if any, in and to Output.” openai.com |
| Leonardo.Ai | Conditional | On free plans Leonardo owns the output, which matters for client deliverables.“If you are on one of our free Subscriptions (Free Subscriber), as between the Parties, ownership of all Intellectual Property Rights in any Output you, or your Authorised Users, create while using the Platform will vest in us upon creation” leonardo.ai |
| Midjourney | Conditional | You own your outputs (not upscales of others' images).“With Midjourney, you own all the images and videos you create, even if you decide to cancel your subscription.” docs.midjourney.com |
| Ideogram | Unclear | Ideogram tells you to consider permissions before commercial use.“you should carefully consider whether you should utilize any User Output that is available on the Services for commercial purposes, and what permissions you may need from third parties to do so.” ideogram.ai |
Can I give the font/asset files to my client?
Fonts
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Google Fonts | Allowed | You may share the fonts, as long as the full package and licence go with them.“You are very welcome to share open fonts with friends, family and colleagues through removable media. Just remember to include the full font package, including any copyright notices and licensing information as available in OFL.txt.” openfontlicense.org |
| Adobe Fonts | Conditional | Finished files are fine; a client who needs to edit with the font needs their own licence.“No, your client does not need a separate font license if you provide them with graphics or documents that contain rasterized or properly embedded font data, such as PDFs, JPEGs, or PNGs.” helpx.adobe.com |
| Font Squirrel | Unclear | Not addressed; depends on each font's licence. |
| Creative Market | Not allowed | Font files go only to the licensed number of users; a client needs their own licence.“The Licensee is permitted to distribute the Fonts along with this EULA to the specified number of licensed users (“Licensed User[s]”) as indicated on the applicable order receipt (“Receipt”).” creativemarket.com |
| Envato Elements | Not allowed | Fonts can only be used by the subscriber, not a client.“a. The Font or Add-on can only ever be used by you, the Subscriber. This means that you cannot transfer the Font or Add-on to someone else, or allow it to be used by someone else, even another person within the same company or a client.” help.elements.envato.com |
| Fontshare | Not allowed | External designers, printers and clients must download their own copy.“You may not provide the Font Software directly to external designers, agencies, contractors, printers or other service providers.” fontshare.com |
| MyFonts (Monotype) | Not allowed | Flat images can be shared; font files and files with embedded fonts cannot.“Static graphics (i.e., “flat” images that do not contain embedded fonts) may be distributed, but you may not distribute raw font files or files containing embedded fonts.” myfonts.com |
| Fontspring | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
Stock & content
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | Conditional | You can share unmodified assets with contractors bound by the terms; not distribute the standalone file.“Share the unmodified asset with your employees and contractors who have contractually agreed to abide by the license terms.” stock.adobe.com |
| Canva | Conditional | Only as part of the Canva design, not as standalone content.“For the avoidance of doubt, this section 4A does not entitle you to transfer or sub-license Content to your client for use outside of a Canva Design, or on a standalone basis (unless the license terms allow this).” canva.com |
| Pexels | Unclear | Not addressed directly on the licence page. |
| Shutterstock | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
| Unsplash | Needs manual check | Licence page blocked automated fetching; needs manual verification. |
AI image tools
| Source | Verdict | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT / DALL·E (OpenAI) | Conditional | Ownership is assigned to you.“As between you and OpenAI, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, you (a) retain your ownership rights in Input and (b) own the Output. We hereby assign to you all our right, title, and interest, if any, in and to Output.” openai.com |
| Leonardo.Ai | Conditional | Paid plans assign ownership to you; free plans don't.“If you are on one of our free Subscriptions (Free Subscriber), as between the Parties, ownership of all Intellectual Property Rights in any Output you, or your Authorised Users, create while using the Platform will vest in us upon creation” leonardo.ai |
| Midjourney | Conditional | You own the outputs, so you can deliver them, subject to the exceptions.“With Midjourney, you own all the images and videos you create, even if you decide to cancel your subscription.” docs.midjourney.com |
| Adobe Firefly | Unclear | Not addressed on the pages we checked. |
| Ideogram | Unclear | Not addressed on the pages we checked. |