Monotype Imaging

Overview

Monotype Imaging is a font technology division of Monotype that delivers licensed web font assets through its Fonts.com service and enterprise font licensing platform. Web publishers embed Monotype Imaging scripts to load licensed typeface families from Monotype's CDN, ensuring typographically accurate rendering of proprietary typefaces that are not available through open-source font repositories.

What This Script Does

Fonts.com Web Fonts Script

Publishers include a script tag or @font-face CSS referencing Monotype Imaging's CDN (fast.fonts.net). The JavaScript variant performs license validation by reading the requesting domain from the HTTP referrer header and comparing it against the publisher's licensed domain list. Unlicensed domains receive fallback fonts or are blocked outright.

Font Loading Mechanism

The script dynamically injects @font-face declarations with src URLs pointing to Monotype Imaging's CDN. Individual font files — Regular, Italic, Bold, and Bold Italic weights — are requested as WOFF2 (preferred) or WOFF files. The CDN applies HTTP caching headers to keep font files browser-cached for up to 1 year.

Cookies Set

• ki_t — Third-party persistent cookie on fast.fonts.net. Stores a timestamp used to track font kit usage for license compliance monitoring. Duration: 1 year.
• ki_r — Third-party persistent cookie on fast.fonts.net. Stores the referring domain for license validation logging. Duration: 1 year.

Domains Contacted

• fast.fonts.net — Primary CDN for font asset delivery and the JavaScript font kit loader.
• cloud.typography.com — Alternative CDN domain used by newer Fonts.com font kit configurations.

Data Collected Per Interaction

• Referring page domain (for license compliance validation)
• Browser user-agent (for font format selection — WOFF2 vs WOFF)
• IP address (logged for license compliance auditing)
• Font kit ID and specific font files requested
• Page load timestamp

Consent & Compliance

GDPR / ePrivacy: Monotype Imaging's font delivery sets third-party persistent cookies (ki_t, ki_r) under fast.fonts.net. Although the primary purpose is functional (font rendering), the cookies transmit the user's IP address and referrer to a third-party domain and persist for one year. Under strict ePrivacy interpretation, third-party cookies require consent regardless of purpose. Self-hosting the font files using a purchased web font license eliminates this third-party dependency entirely.

CCPA / CPRA: Monotype Imaging collects IP addresses and referrer data via its CDN for license compliance. This constitutes personal information under CCPA. However, as a service provider processing data for font delivery, it does not constitute a sale. Publishers should reference Monotype Imaging in their privacy policy's vendor list.

EU-US Data Privacy Framework: Monotype is a US-based company. EU publishers relying on Fonts.com should confirm Monotype's Standard Contractual Clauses are in effect.

Consent Category: Functional. Font rendering is directly necessary for the visual presentation of the website. The tracking cookies serve license compliance rather than marketing purposes.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

Conditional. The font assets themselves are functional and do not require consent. However, the ki_t and ki_r third-party persistent cookies are set by fast.fonts.net without a clear functional necessity — they serve Monotype's license compliance monitoring. Under strict ePrivacy rules, these third-party cookies require consent. The cleanest solution is to self-host the fonts under a purchased web font license, eliminating all third-party requests and cookie issues.