Question about Pricing

[hitnrun]

Hey folks,

I was recently contacted by a friend of my brother's about taking the elements they sent me and putting them together in photoshop to create a logo.

I learned that they were happy with their own ideas, and they pretty much just need me to combine the elements, clean it up a little bit, etc. It's for a company one of of them is trying to create - the logo will be used for the website, and for T Shirts.

My question is, did I quote the job entirely too high at $90? Graphic Design isn't my profession, but I know how to do it, and I wouldn't just be throwing them some shitty 100 DPI logo. I'd make sure it's clean, and looks good. All the planning was done before I was contacted. So for a finished product, is $90 a fair quote? I'm not sure how much a seasoned graphic designer would charge for work like this, but I'm fairly sure what I'd charge is a bargain.

Any thoughts? I probably should've posted this before I gave a price, but, it may be a mistake I'll end up learning from.

Any feedback would be great, thanks all!

p.s. this is my first potential freelance graphic design job.

[Noamos]

Honestly I'm not a graphic designer either but you sold yourself too short but then again it also depends on your skills. I would say do some research first before giving a quote. I always see it as you burn as you learn.

[hitnrun]

Noamos, thanks for the reply.

I probably did sell myself short, but, since I'm not a professional graphic designer I didn't feel right charging an honestly professional rate. It's just something I've got some college training in, and I figured it'd be a good way to make some cash on the side.

"Burn as you learn" is definitely a good way to put it though.

[hitnrun]

I have run into one other slight issue:

My client wants me to use the images he found online. I'm wondering if it's legal to use images found from the internet for the purpose of a business? (without having acquired any licenses or anything). The images do not belong to my client, and all of the images sent to me seem to be from online. They are more generic images - something with blue flames, a banner that looks like it'd be a stock image (clip art), and just a few other things - nothing I personally have been able to associate with anything else, but, as far as I know, the correct way to do it, is to NOT use the exact references. That's also how I'm comfortable doing it.

Any thoughts?

[Noamos]

Personally I wouldn't use the exact image that he gave you, use them as reference. Make a couple of sketches of your own and send them to the client, that what I would do.

[TheMumm]

Anything that wasn't purchased from a place like istockphoto will likely have rights issues. I ran into the same thing when a client pointed to a photo and asked me to use it, saying 'it's from google images' -- unless you know exactly what the license is on a photo, I'd advise against using it.

As for the pricing, figure out how much time you're going to spend working on the project to bring it co completion - then figure out how much per hour you are hoping to make if you charge $X. Sometimes it might seem like a nice way to make 50 bucks, until you realize you were working for less than minimum wage.

[ConstableMurtis]

As a designer (both employed by an entertainment company and self-employed/freelance), I can tell you $90 is really inexpensive for a logo. When I quote out logos to potential clients, the minimum I would ever charge is around $200-250, and that's only when I know it will an easy job with few revisions. I know from talking with other designers in my area that even charging $200-250 for a logo is comparably inexpensive. I know others charge a minimum of $500, but I've found that $200-250 works for me so I've stuck with it.

[ConstableMurtis]

Regarding the images they provided you to use:

Definitely only use them as reference. I will often go to Google images to find images, but only to spark my imagination. From there I usually create my own to use in whatever job I am doing at the time.

[hitnrun]

Thanks folks for the all the feedback!

What you've all suggested is exactly what I did - use the images and my clients ideas to create an original logo.

I also realize $90 is damn cheap - especially since the job seems to have changed a bit. I was excited to get that at first. Still am to be honest.

But, it's my first freelance Graphic Design gig.

As Noamos said, "burn as you learn". I've done a bit of both so far.

Thanks again everyone for the info!

--edited for a typo--

[scrt_AgentMan]

A couple weeks ago a family friend asked me to do a logo for a photography studio she started. I quoted her 50 dollars. Immediately after telling her that. I went to the internet and saw that cheap logos are around 200... I can't explain how stupid I felt after that. I made the logo and she liked, in the end I ended up with 60 dollars, (mainly because she only had 3 20 dollar bills). 90 dollars for a quick photoshop job..... I wish

[hitnrun]

A couple weeks ago a family friend asked me to do a logo for a photography studio she started. I quoted her 50 dollars. Immediately after telling her that. I went to the internet and saw that cheap logos are around 200... I can't explain how stupid I felt after that. I made the logo and she liked, in the end I ended up with 60 dollars, (mainly because she only had 3 20 dollar bills). 90 dollars for a quick photoshop job..... I wish

Indeed - but sometimes, since I'm not established - I worry about losing any hope of a paying job. If my client decides to give me more work, depending on what it is, I'm going to ask for royalties as well. Depends on how this first job goes I guess.

[scrt_AgentMan]

Indeed - but sometimes, since I'm not established - I worry about losing any hope of a paying job. If my client decides to give me more work, depending on what it is, I'm going to ask for royalties as well. Depends on how this first job goes I guess.

Do you know if its common for designers to ask for royalties? If you are charging for royalties, how does that effect your original logo price (is it still the 90 dollars with royalties?)

I don't plan on doing graphic design as a career (its more of a hobby for me). With that said I would like to make a little money off of that and The person I made the logo for said she might drum up some business for me. , It is really nice of her to do that, but I was afraid that she might advertise me as making logos for cheap dollars. I didn't want people coming to me expecting to get stuff for like 50 bucks, when I know I completely Effed up the price.

[hitnrun]

one client I did a portrait for tells everyone I did a beautiful job and she doesn't even mention the price. If someone's interested in hiring me for a portrait, I'll let them know after they've been referred to me that I charge.

As for common to ask for royalties - I just assumed it was. I haven't done a lot of research on it, so, I'm really not sure. I think it is, but a friend of mine said you never sell a logo at 100% - I guess that means you sell it at 70-80% of it's value and the rest is through royalties and advertising.

[prepsage]

Everything is relative.

I've charged $2500 for a logo for a big company and a coworker $150 for his company logo. Typically my prices fall somewhere between those depending on the client. Logo's you typically will not get royalty rights - and this is fairly standard since most companies will want to own rights to their brand.

Commercial illustration, fine arts, comics, and some graphic design can command royalty rights since the usage requirements are more easily defined.

[hitnrun]

Thanks Prep,

I wasn't sure if others in my field charged different prices to different clients. I try to keep it fairly consistent, because the last thing I need is one client somehow finding out they were charged twice as much for the same work. If McDonald's on the other hand wanted their CEO done in pencil, well, I'd definitely charge more than my usual rate. They're McDonald's, they can afford it. Plus, the portraits I do, I won't give a client a commissioned piece if I feel I've failed at being a portrait artist. I'll redo it. Did one commission over about 3 times before I finally got it right.