That will be tricky, as Agenda is a descendant of Johnston and Gill Sans and a relative of Bliss, none of which are free. You might consider P22's Johnston, which is not expensive, but note that it doesn't have the variety of weights available in Agenda.

If you're using a Windows PC, you'll likely have Gill Sans, which, as Kate mentioned, is in the same genre.

EDIT: I could be completely wrong about Gill Sans coming with Windows; it might be part of the Adobe Creative Suite.

I've updated your thread title alluding to FontFont. Agenda is available at the reseller FontShop who happens to publish the FontFont range of typefaces, but it's really a Font Bureau typeface. Is that clear as mud?

What I would do in your situation is go to FontShop, create a preview of your text using the font you need, save the image, and edit it into your design. Tell the client that it's a low resolution preview. If they approve, you can purchase the font.

- Lex

If the TrueType-flavored OpenType format is an option, Ascender offers a Creativity Font Pack that includes four weights of Today Sans, a face I would recommend as an Agenda alternate even if price wasn't a consideration. At $19.95 for 30 fonts, it's a steal.

http://www.ascendercorp.com/creativityfontpack.html

Thanks for all your help guys.

It seems like I'll have to use a low res preview for now.

A

I don't know how the designers of the fonts in that Creativity Pack think that's a good deal for them.

Perhaps Mark Simonson, who has single weights of Changeling and Coquette included the collection, will chime in. Perhaps he hopes to drive sales of other weights, in seemingly the same way the as designers who contribute fonts to the Indie Fonts books?* Or perhaps Ascender pays something approaching a regular royalty and uses the package as a loss leader?

*Although this makes more sense in the case of Indie Fonts, since those books are aimed primarily at an audience of designers who are more likely to purchase fonts than the hobbyist crowd to whom Ascender is presumably marketing.

Never understood this kind of marketing nonsense. And how are the designers/foundries then supposed to convince potential buyers to pay a regular price for their other fonts? The only message they send out is: "Fonts aren't worth much", so it creates a negative spiral. The same goes for bundling full families of high quality fonts with Adobe software. What's wrong with including just a couple of weights to entice potential buyers?

"Agenda is available at the reseller FontShop who happens to publish the FontFont range of typefaces, but it’s really a Font Bureau typeface."

Say What? I'm not sure what's unclear about FontShop sublicensing Font Bureau fonts, as they have done with little or no confusion since 1989. I could understand if they charged differently than us, or offered a different set or a subset of styles but niether of those situations exist. And "the FontFont range of typefaces" is what?

Yves, 'm not sure what your gripe is either. Where exactly is the marketing nonsense of which you speak?

Cheers!

Trebuchet looks sort of similar to Agenda and it was sort of free with some MS apps a while ago.

David - I was referring to the thread title which was "Looking for sans similar to FontFont Agenda" before I fixed it.

David - I've been following the business side of type for a little while and I have the impression -- I could very well be completely wrong -- that the way certain typefaces are bundled and discounted make them look "cheap". I often have had discussions with end users, trying to convince them that digital type is a product of intrinsic value. Basically it's really hard to make them see type licenses should be paid for, not just exchanged amongst friends and colleagues.

When four weights of Today Sans are lumped in with some other fonts and then sold for $19.95, it tends to get difficult to explain why a single weight should retail for $39.50. And even more so when InDesign CS comes with a.o. complete high quality OpenType families like Adobe Caslon Pro, Adobe Garamond Pro, Adobe Jenson Pro and Adobe Warnock Pro. Make no mistake, I'm happy to have those with my software, but I suspect this might make the lives of independent font foundries a little harder.

I agree with you, Yves, but I also see something else. I'll try to explain. I'm going to generalize and so might step on some toes. I'm not trying to insult anyone, I promise.

People who license type are not one sort of people. There are many shades of gray. Some people do have an eye for good type but would never, ever, pay $39.50 for a font. No matter what. But they would pay $19.95 for a quickie bundle.

Then there are those who wouldn't buy an inexpensive font bundle because they'd wonder if there were hidden strings attached.

Then there are those who are in the middle somewhere. They know fonts are tools and need them for their toolbox. They can't always afford the most expensive and so bundles such as this might ingratiate them to a foundry because they were able to use some of their fonts for less money.

I could see using bundling, from a foundries point of view, as a way to get the lower end of the spectrum to consider using more of their fonts.

Yes, in some ways it makes one wonder about the worth of a typeface. But the truth of the matter is that it is a success just to have someone licensing the font instead of downloading it.

Perhaps this is clear as mud.

Stephen, thanks for the clarification...Yves you do more than follow, I 've been chasing some of your ideas for years. but..."When four weights of Today Sans are lumped in with some other fonts and then sold for $19.95...explain why a single weight should retail for $39.50"

Because, they don't have a license for it, that's why.

Explaining to someone that fonts must be bundled should not be too hard: no user of any supported language of the OS should have to go out and buy fonts to enable use of the OS and its bundled apps.

The fewer and fewer applications that come separate from the OS, must come with enough fonts so that any user wishing to make any kind of document you've Ever seen before will not have to go out and buy more fonts.

Then there are bundles that are not associated with OS or Application, and those are targeted at users of other products and or services where people need to make documents like you've Never see before.

Then, and in order to go on, the definition of independent font foundries needs to be estabilshed as what? — those foundries who do not involve their fonts in bundling?

I think perhaps you hear people who have an IP-IQ problem?

Here is a good test: PCs of all kinds from the Huskiest Desktop to the Invisiible Nosephone come bundled with music. Do all users find themselves content with the bundled music? What are their choices in aftermarket bundled music? Does any of this have anything to do with the indy musicman (relative to digital technologies effects)?

If people think intellectual property is not worth 39.95, but want to use it anyways, then they are breaking the law. It's not that some fonts are free or cheaper that make them do it is it?

Tiffany says, "People who license type are not one sort of people" which I heartily agree with, and I think it goes without saying that "People who don't license type, are one sort of people." :)