Questions

[ErinShannon Designs]

Hi ladies,

Hoping you ladies can help with a few questions I have!

To date I have not done anything for anyone else, but I've had a lot of people asking me. But before I dive in and do this, I wanted to get some answers on some questions....

1. Fonts - since the layouts, etc are being used to make money, do I need to purchase commercial use fonts? Or are the free fonts I've accumulated ok to use?

2. I am considering having a business card made that I can hand out locally - my DH can print them for free at work - I just need to supply the graphics and fonts I want to use - do I need to purchase commercial use graphics or can I use scrap for hire graphics for this?

3. Also, are there designers that allow the use of their graphics on a blog that would be used to promote a business? I do not plan on putting up layouts and letting people purchase those exact layouts - everything I do would be custom - they can tell me they like the way I laid everything out, but they will not get an exact copy of my layouts. I want to use it for now as a place to display some samples, list pricing, contact info, etc. I have a domain that I have purchased a while back, I just need to get hosting for it, but until I see if this would be profitable for me, I don't want to make that investment, which is why I was going to go with the blog for now.

Thanks much for your help,
Erin

[mcardall]

1. Fonts - since the layouts, etc are being used to make money, do I need to purchase commercial use fonts? Or are the free fonts I've accumulated ok to use?
Some of the free fonts that you have accumulated are okay for commercial use. You just need to read the TOU file that either accompanies the font or go back to the site you found the font and see what KIND of font it is. If you can't remember where you found the font, Google it. A lot of the more popular fonts that you see in kit alphas and things like that are available for commercial use.

2. I am considering having a business card made that I can hand out locally - my DH can print them for free at work - I just need to supply the graphics and fonts I want to use - do I need to purchase commercial use graphics or can I use scrap for hire graphics for this?
That's a great question. You are probably going to want your business card to semi-match your website. I would suggest reading the TOU file for the graphics you would like to use. If that doesn't answer your question, email the designer. Many designers, especially those who allow S4H use, are willing to work with you on this. Some designers will allow you to purchase a commercial license for that product.

3. Also, are there designers that allow the use of their graphics on a blog that would be used to promote a business? I do not plan on putting up layouts and letting people purchase those exact layouts - everything I do would be custom - they can tell me they like the way I laid everything out, but they will not get an exact copy of my layouts. I want to use it for now as a place to display some samples, list pricing, contact info, etc. I have a domain that I have purchased a while back, I just need to get hosting for it, but until I see if this would be profitable for me, I don't want to make that investment, which is why I was going to go with the blog for now.
I also use a blog for advertising my business. Again, I would suggest that you read the TOU for the kit you want to use and then email the designer. They are small business owners, too, so they understand how difficult it can be to get started and break into the scrapbooking business. Some designers will allow you to use their products for free, some will charge a nominal fee.