Our upgrade policy for major versions

Typically, typefaces are developed and published before the author moves on to the next project. In the case of Monolisa, we follow a different approach since it’s a project that evolves based on your feedback. In this sense, it is a software project.

Major versions require major effort

When we release a major version of the typeface, it implies a significant amount of rework, as we had to revisit hundreds of glyphs. This means it takes considerable effort; essentially, you end up with a new typeface internally, and often, there are software changes underneath too.

After a major version is released, we maintain it in form of patch releases. Typically this means doing minor improvements, such as adding new glyphs based on demand, or fixing issues. This kind of work does not imply having to perform a “rewrite” on the typeface itself and it is something we do as a form of support. As a customer, you will have access to these improvements even if you don’t want to upgrade to the next major version.

For example, in version 2, we reworked the typeface to support variable weight available in the Complete plan, so you can get exactly the weight you want instead of a preset. This rework triggered necessary changes at the infrastructure side as we had to redevelop a big chunk of it to support our customize feature that allows you to freeze features to the font files to gain access to the features in environments that do not allow you to adjust the way the typeface is rendered.

Good typeface has long term value

Investing into good tools has long term value especially when you use them a lot. Typeface falls into this category as you likely spend hours simply reading every day. In this sense buying a typeface is an investment. It is also an investment for us in sense that it requires a considerable amount of effort to maintain the product, and by purchasing the typeface or upgrading, you support our continuing work. Our work is literally funded and guided directly by our customers.

Upgrading is optional

If you are happy with your current version of the typeface, you are still of course free to use it and we provide access to it. You can upgrade at any time, and to compensate for your earlier support of the project, we offer a fair discount for you.

Conclusion

In summary, we consider each major version as a distinct cycle of the product that is maintained until the next major rework occurs. By upgrading, you help to keep the project healthy over longer term and allow us to sustain its continuous development. In this sense, everybody wins.