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Obviously, it's not less work. Given the need to develop complex additional ligatures, it's likely more. > I doubt that a programmer who wouldn't spend $100 fo
by stupidcar 5y ago
Obviously, it's not less work. Given the need to develop complex additional ligatures, it's likely more.
> I doubt that a programmer who wouldn't spend $100 for a font would spend $5
This is where we disagree then. I think there is a big psychological difference for most consumers, including devs, between spending $5 and $100. Even if you can afford both, the former falls into the range of impulse purchases, like getting a sandwich or a cup of coffee, where you spend without really thinking.
On the other hand, I think a $100 price is far more likely to trigger a more analytical and skeptical response. Do I really need it? Is it worth it? Should I research alternatives? Maybe, I should think about it and decide tomorrow... Etc. And the consequence will be a huge drop in sales.
Also, I also do think there are significant differences in the market for programming fonts vs. general desktop fonts. The market for a single font is likely a relatively small pool of designers / content creators who are spending their employers money, need it to complete a specific project, and who value achieving a unique look. The former is a larger market, who are spending their own money on a nice-to-have, and who don't particularly care about uniqueness.
- mprovost 5y agoAll good points but I think at the $5 level you're also competing with "free". There are a lot of comments here suggesting fonts like Iosevka which are open source/free. In any case my point was that we don't really have to debate what the market "would do": there isn't a market for $5 fonts but there is for $100 fonts. It's possible that nobody has figured out there's a gap and therefore an opportunity. Or font makers have found that they make more money selling fewer licenses.