Answers to frequently asked questions
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Where does the name "Village" come from? Who are the members of Village? Are all Village designers American? Is Village some giant corporation? How did you assemble the members of Village? How do I join your group and have my types distributed by Village? Who chooses the types distributed by Village? Most fonts are free. Why do I have to pay for yours? What does that little heart mean? Most of your typefaces have been designed by men from Europe or North America. Why is that? Most of your typefaces only support the Latin alphabet. Why is that? What is the Incubator? Who are the members of the Incubator? How do I join the Incubator and have my types published by it? How do you decide which types to publish through the Incubator? What typeface is used in your logo? Who designed your site?
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What forms of payment do you accept? Do you accept purchase orders? Do I have to pay tax when I order from you? Do I have to pay VAT when I order from you? Is Village's e-commerce engine secure? How long does it take to receive a font ordered from your website? Can you send me fonts on a CD-ROM? Can you send me fonts to try, and then I will buy them later if I use them? Can I license a single weight of one of your typefaces? What is a "weight pair"? What is a "set"? Why do you offer font sets? Can I substitute components of font sets? There are different licensing terms for each foundry. Why is that? What's a "EULA"? I'd like to clarify the terms of a license. How do I do that? Can I license all of the typefaces you offer? Is there a discount if I do that? Can I license type over the phone? Can I license type via fax? Can I license type via email? I bought a font license, but it turns out I don't need the font after all; can I have a refund?
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What does the little heart mean? What forms of payment do you accept? Do you accept purchase orders? Do I have to pay tax when I order from you? Do I have to pay extra shipping and handling for products? Do I have to pay VAT when I order from you? Where are your products available? I have a shop and would like to sell your products. How can I do that? Can I come by your store to pick up a product? Can I order a product for overnight or two-day delivery? Is there a price break if I order 2 or more products? Can I order a product over the phone? Can I order a product via fax? Can I order a product via email? I bought a product from your site, and I've decided I don't really want it. Can I send it back to you for a refund?
Where does the name "Village" come from?
We just liked the idea that we could get together some talented friends under a kind of co-op, a strong group with strong individual voices. That despite being scattered around the world, we could band together for the benefit of the group, sharing knowledge and expertise.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept major credit cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover — as well as PayPal and bank (wire) transfers. Customers can order using credit cards on vllg.com using our secure e-commerce engine. PayPal and bank transfers can be arranged quickly via telephone, fax and email. If you wish to pay by check, please contact us to discuss.
Which browsers does vllg.com support?
vllg.com supports all “modern” web browsers which include: Firefox 2+, Safari 2+ and IE7+. The website is best experienced in Firefox and Safari.
What is the "Taste Test"?
The Taste Test is our program which ensures that our customers never overpay for their type licensing. When customers license a single weight (or more) of any typeface we offer, then return later to buy a family set they are credited the amount of the original sale.
What does the little heart mean?
The heart indicates products which are available exclusively from Village.
Who are the members of Village?
Village is founding members Tracy and Chester Jenkins and member foundries A2-Type, Feliciano Type Foundry, Karsten Lücke Type Foundry, Klim, Kontour, LuxTypo, MCKL, Schwartzco, Type Supply, and Urtd. Village also runs the Incubator and Constellation foundries.
Do you accept purchase orders?
We only accept purchase orders from existing clients and in worst-case scenarios; from educational institutions which only use POs, for example.
Where are the Small Caps in your fonts?
Many of our OpenType format fonts have small caps programmed as features. Just use your software’s OpenType controls to apply the Small Caps feature to your selected text. Basic OpenType format Small Caps fonts are provided as separate files. Legacy format Small Caps fonts are provided as separate files.
How does the program work?
We know that you might want to try out one or two weights of a typeface to decide if it’s right for a project you’re working on. While the MudTyper and PDFs are very useful, there is nothing quite like trying out a typeface yourself. So, you visit vllg.com and license your “trial” font (or fonts) and work with it for a while. A couple of hours, a couple of months, or a couple of years. If you decide you want to get a family set, just come back to vllg.com and purchase a license online. Send us a note on the checkout page or via email and we will deduct the original cost of your “trial” fonts from your family order.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept major credit cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover — as well as PayPal and bank (wire) transfers. Customers can order using credit cards on vllg.com using our secure e-commerce engine. PayPal and bank transfers can be arranged quickly via telephone, fax and email. If you wish to pay by check, please contact us to discuss.
Are all Village designers American?
No. Our members and designers hail from… (present members only)
Canada: Patrick Giasson, Chester Jenkins
China: Keith Chi-hang Tam
Finland: Sami Kortemäki
Germany: Akiem Helmling, Karsten Lücke
The Netherlands: Bas Jacobs
New Zealand: Kris Sowersby
Norway: Magnus Rakeng
Portugal: Hugo d’Alte, Mário Feliciano
Spain: Jordi Embodas
Switzerland: Sibylle Hagmann
and the United States: Tal Leming, Greg Lindy, Jeremy Mickel, Christian Schwartz
Do I have to pay tax when I order from you?
No. Where applicable, all taxes are included in the price you pay.
Where are the Lining Numerals / Old Style Numerals in your fonts?
Many of our OpenType format fonts have small caps programmed as features. Just use your software’s OpenType controls to apply different numeral styles to your selected text. Legacy forms fonts with several numeral styles are provided as separate files.
Can you give somes examples?
Sure. Here are three:
You license the Upright Italic weight of Odile for US$50. Two weeks later you license the Odile family for US$200. We refund US$50 on your family order so you pay US$150. Your total cost is the family cost: US$200.
You license the Book weight of Apex New for US$50. Four months later you license the Apex New Central set for US$200. We refund US$50 on your order so you pay US$150. Three months later you license the full Apex New family for US$300. We refund US$200 on your family order so you pay US$100. Your total cost is the family cost: US$300.
You license the Auto 1 Office package for US$300.
Three days later you license the complete Auto package for US$680. We refund US$300 on your family order so you pay US$380. Your total cost is the family cost: US$680.
Do you accept purchase orders?
Not for products, sorry.
Is Village some giant corporation?
No. We are a very small independent distributor, publisher and designer of typefaces. Village consists of two partners in Brooklyn, with member foundries around the world, ranging in size from 1 to 3 people. We are registered and based in New York City, with our studio in the creative hub of DUMBO.
Do I have to pay VAT when I order from you?
No. We do not charge VAT or any other taxes. Where applicable, taxes are included in the price you pay.
Where is my receipt?
When you ordered, you were provided with a PDF receipt to download. If you have a user account with us, you can always download the file again. Our automated system also sent you a text receipt via email. If you didn’t receive it, please check your email spam filters. Many free email services filter our receipts into spam folders. Amongst the guilty parties: Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail.
Which typefaces are in the Taste Test program?
All of them.
Do I have to pay tax when I order from you?
No. Where applicable, all taxes are included in the price you pay.
How did you assemble the members of Village?
Our core group was assembled by invitation, and new members are either invited, or have approached us to request membership. We have curated our group very carefully around the Village aesthetic and philosophy.
Is Village's e-commerce engine secure?
Yes. Very secure. We have an Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer certificate, which is the most secure possible solution. Our certificate is from Comodo, a respected and international provider of security products. From the Comodo site: “The EV SSL certificate was designed to strengthen e-commerce security and combat phishing attacks to make EV SSL the most complete SSL certificate available. […] Obtaining an Extended Validation SSL certificate requires a rigorous validation performed by Comodo, a registered Certificate Authority (CA). This is required to ensure that the company behind the site meets Extended Validation standard. These strict validation guidelines help keep the green address bar associated with only trusted organizations to maintain the highest level of security and trust with visitors.”
Does the Taste Test apply to sets?
Yes. The Taste Test covers all possible licensing situations.
Do I have to pay extra shipping and handling for products?
No. Our products all come with three prices; one for orders sent within the United States, one for orders sent to Canada, and one for orders sent anywhere else in the world.
How do I join your group and have my types distributed by Village?
Please contact us to discuss potential membership. We have curated our group very carefully around the Village aesthetic and philosophy, and only add member foundries on rare and extraordinary occasions.
How long does it take to receive a font ordered from your website?
Only a few seconds. When you send your order to us through our e-commerce system, our merchant bank asks your credit card issuer to release the agreed funds. When your credit card issuer says “yes” to our merchant bank, our system creates a PDF receipt for you, along with a email receipt and a download link for the file(s). This whole process usually takes only a few seconds.
Can I extend the number of computers covered by my license?
Yes. You can always extend your licensing to cover more computers. All of our licensing is cumulative; it is our policy never to over-charge our customers.
Do I have to pay VAT when I order from you?
No. We do not charge VAT or any other taxes. Where applicable, taxes are included in the price you pay.
Who chooses the types distributed by Village?
The individual foundries make decisions about releases in consultation with fellow Village members.
Can you send me fonts on a CD-ROM?
Sorry, no. All fonts licensed through vllg.com are available as download only.
Where are your products available?
Our products are available exclusively from vllg.com. We have had limited numbers of some products for sale through a few shops, our favorites of which are Project No. 8 in NYC and Reform School in L.A.
Most fonts are free. Why do I have to pay for yours?
Your computer shipped with a large number of fonts already installed; these have all been licensed or commissioned specially, so their designers and publishers have already been compensated. You pay to license our types in order to have access to new and unique typographic tools for your communication. (Sounds grandiose, we know.)
Can you send me fonts to try, and then I will buy them later if I use them?
No. We do not provide fonts for trial except under extraordinary circumstances. If we give away our work, that sends the message that we do not value our typefaces. And if we don’t value them, why should you?
I have a shop and would like to sell your products. How can I do that?
Sorry, we are not currently selling wholesale to new merchants.
What does that little heart mean?
The heart indicates fonts and products which are available exclusively from Village.
Can I license a single weight of one of your typefaces?
Over 90% of the types we distribute are available as single weights. We follow directions from our member foundries, most of whom are happy to license single weights.
Can I come by your store to pick up a product?
Yes and no. We do not have a store, just a small studio, so we only allow in-person pickup of products by special arrangement. Please do not drop by unannounced.
Most of your typefaces have been designed by men from Europe or North America. Why is that?
We select Village members and Incubator designers solely on the quality and inventiveness of their work, and on no other basis. We welcome submissions from all, regardless of age, race, sex, or nationality. Our members and designers are men and at least a couple of women from North America, Northern and Southern Europe, China, and the South Pacific.
What is a "weight pair"?
A weight pair is the roman & italic fonts of a specific weight of a typeface. For example, National Light and National Light Italic comprise the National Lights weight pair.
Can I order a product for overnight or two-day delivery?
Yes, if you call us to place your order, and give us at least 4 hours to prepare your shipment. The extra cost for UPS or FedEx will be added to the product’s price.
Most of your typefaces only support the Latin alphabet. Why is that?
Most of our members and designers are based in countries which use the Latin alphabet. Some of our designs cover other scripts, and we hope to add more designs with more language support. Our members support certain languages and scripts based on their clients’ needs and personal interests. We do offer a couple of typefaces which support the Cyrillic script, and one which supports the Hebrew script. We aim to widen our customer base and language support in the coming years.
What is a "set"?
Sets are either large groups of several related fonts, or small groups from within a larger family. For example, the Flama Complete set contains all weights of all widths of Flama. There is also a Flama Essential set which contains 6 selected fonts from the Flama family.
Is there a price break if I order 2 or more products?
No. Sorry.
What is the Incubator?
The Incubator is Village’s foundry for new work from under-represented designers. Incubator typefaces are almost always the first published typefaces from young designers who work with Village partners and members to hone their work for publication.
Why do you offer font sets?
Because many of the typefaces we offer come with large comprehensive families, a font set is a way to offer a useful set of fonts at a lower cost than the complete family, or if the same fonts were to be ordered piece-by-piece.
Can I order a product over the phone?
Yes. We would be happy to take your order over the phone; we will then process your card and send you a receipt via email.
Who are the members of the Incubator?
The Incubator publishes work by: Hugo d’Alte, Jordi Embodas, Jeremy Mickel, and Keith Chi-hang Tam. Work is currently being prepared for release from nearly a dozen incredibly talented young designers.
Can I substitute components of font sets?
No. Sorry.
Can I order a product via fax?
Yes. We would be happy to receive your order via fax; we will then process your card and send you a receipt via email. We recommend following up a fax order with a confirmation email.
How do I join the Incubator and have my types published by it?
Please contact us to discuss potential publication. Half of the designers of Incubator typefaces have approached us’ the other half we have approached. We are always on the lookout for interesting new work.
There are different licensing terms for each foundry. Why is that?
Our member foundries all have their own license tables and End User License Agreements (EULAs), although there are large areas of overlap between them. Our members all dictate their own terms of use and pricing. As their distributor it is Village’s job to do as they request.
Can I order a product via email?
Yes. We would be happy to receive your order via email; we will then process your card and send you a receipt via email. If sending credit card information via email we highly recommend splitting credit card numbers across 2 or more email messages.
How do you decide which types to publish through the Incubator?
The types published through the Incubator are selected by the Village partners because we found something interesting and worth sharing with a larger audience. We ask ourselves, “Do I like this typeface? Would I want to use it?” Besides the Village partners, Incubator typefaces are usually reviewed by two or three Village members.
What's a "EULA"?
EULA is the acronym for End User License Agreement. This is the agreement between the type foundry and the customer which sets out the rights and responsibilities of each.
I bought a product from your site, and I've decided I don't really want it. Can I send it back to you for a refund?
Sorry, but we can’t refund money on product purchases once they have been shipped. We are happy to provide a complete refund if your product has not yet been shipped.
What typeface is used in your logo?
Our present logo is made up of 7 different typefaces: V is Elido from Kontour (coming soon); I is Stag Dot from Schwartzco; L1 is Feijoa; L2 is Bello; A is Section; G is Router from Incubator; E is Litteratra from KLTF.
I'd like to clarify the terms of a license. How do I do that?
Some of the licenses are a little hard to parse, so we are always happy to help. It’s easiest to send us an email to discuss licensing issues, so that we can have a written record of any discussion for future reference.
Who designed your site?
Our site was designed and programmed by BuzaMoto. Tracy Jenkins directed and created all of the imagery for the site. Additional code has been wrangled by Original Glazed.
Can I license all of the typefaces you offer? Is there a discount if I do that?
We can work something out. Call us to discuss your needs.
Can I license type over the phone?
Yes. We would be happy to take your order over the phone; we will then process your card and send you a receipt and your licensed types, all within a few minutes.
Can I license type via fax?
Yes. We would be happy to receive your order via fax; we will then process your card and send you a receipt and your licensed types. We recommend following up a fax order with a confirmation email.
Can I license type via email?
Yes. We would be happy to receive your order via email; we will then process your card and send you a receipt and your licensed types. If sending credit card information via email we highly recommend splitting credit card numbers across 2 or more email messages.
I bought a font license, but it turns out I don't need the font after all; can I have a refund?
Sorry, but we can’t refund money on font license purchases. There is no way for us to verify that you no longer hold copies of the font software, so we cannot provide a refund.