Monotype to acquire Bitstream’s WhatTheFont and MyFonts.com for $50M

Monotype Imaging has announced plans to acquire MyFonts.com and WhatTheFont, as well as other products of Bitstream for $50 million cash.

Other items that Monotype will get in the deal will be the Bitstream typeface library, as well as its Font Fusion and Panorama font rendering and layout technologies. There are also 10 font-related patents included. About 15 of Bitstreams employees and 40 engineers, based in the U.S. and India, respectively, will join Monotype.

Monotype is an imaging company that focuses largely on the distribution of text rendering and user interface tech to manufacturers of printers, tablets, TVs, ebook readers as well as publishers and corporations. Bitstream is on the other end of the spectrum and, from its early life as a font foundry, grew to focus on the consumer aspects of fonts with MyFonts.com and its font matching and discovery service WhatTheFont.

Both MyFonts and WhatTheFont are considered highly useful tools for designers and layout artists looking to purchase commercial fonts. The combination of Monotype’s classic foundry styles, with MyFonts more non-traditional and modern fonts should make for an attractive boost to the offerings available through the service.