How much should I charge for vectorizing a jpeg logo?
mikelufholm (89 points) | Fri, 2009-12-04 17:42I have a client that has a jpg image of his logo and needs a vector of it. So basically i am just tracing what he has given me. I am just curious what other people would charge for this service. This is the logo he wants me to vectorize.
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
Charge him by the hour. That looks pretty easy - especially since it's symmetrical, so you really only have to draw about 2/3 of it. But maybe you can convince him the text will be a pain and get a few hours out of it.
I would charge an hour tops. as Art D said, draw half of it, flip it, job done. While you are there, talk them into changing that horrid engraved font.
living on dreams and custard creams.
yea I just finished the bull and it only took about 45 min. i agree with you on the font, but i am pretty sure theyre stuck on it. it's already on their sign and cards and what not.
so would you say that $50 is a reasonable compensation?
If they like that style of font, I would suggest changing it to something like Colonna (Mac OS system font) it has a bit more of a tribal feel to it than the existing font, show it as an option, I think they'll like it.
I'm from the UK, so don't know how much is the going rate in the US, but I'd charge £40, so $65 USD for a straight redraw, double that if you have updated it in any way.
living on dreams and custard creams.
Ok, thanks Art!
I have software that would vectorize that in 10 seconds, therefore i would not charge.
Can you not speak to the sign company as they should have this as a vector file?
If your stuck, email it over and ill send it back in two mins!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
shhhhhhhhhh..... we don't want any clients stumbling on this site and finding out our secrets!
They can't do it, we can, so charge.
living on dreams and custard creams.
Mail me your address and i'll get a print of the tennis over to you, or if your in the area pop in to my store and ill print one off for you. Seeing as your not too far away!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
I'm not in Plymouth / Exeter, not anywhere near! Just a client that has stuck with me who moved down there. I'm up in the midlands. Next time I pop down though. I've got four customers down there through word of mouth from Artmill giving me regular work, Monkey1979 National Designer! haha
I'm in the Northamptonshire. Will email you later, would love copies. Cheers mate.
living on dreams and custard creams.
no worries. my pleasure
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
If the PS tennis continues for a few months, maybe we could consider ordering some of those nice perfect bound books that you can create in iPhoto for the contenders, if everyone is prepared to chip in. Could be very cool, they are pretty cheap too.
living on dreams and custard creams.
you can get a calendar printed for free at vistaprint at the mo. We would need 12 thou!!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
speed ps tennis!!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
half hour bouts! Could be great.
living on dreams and custard creams.
the time difference across the pond could be difficult!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
what software is that? ive already finished the bull logo, but he just sent me this jpg also that is going on the back of the shirt. i am intersted in seeing how it'd come out if you to use your software.
what res is the jpeg?
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
4491x2147
mail it over,
gdanggdang at hotmail dot co dot uk
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
Sent.
Hey robbie, i got the .eps you sent me and it looked great in preview, but when i placed it into illustrator it got very pixelated. any ideas?
try this Ai im sending over,
its vectors over here! weird.
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
done, eps is winging its way back to you,
22 secs......... not bad!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
got it and it looks great. figured out the pixelation problem. thanks a ton man! i really appreciate the help!
no worries,
my pleasure!
Dont forget to charge your client thou.
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
no no no tell us your secret ;p what software is it? ;p
Illustrator livetrace only works as intended rarely here ^^
http://jackmancer.com/
http://twitter.com/jackmancer
Its part of a sign making package i brought, it has some awesome features but not cheap at 3.2k !
http://graphicdiscount.co.uk/acatalog/Flexi_8_PC.html
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
maybe 12 minutes.
the tattoo machines look like condoms
living on dreams and custard creams.
Interesting. Is it some sort of advanced Live Trace type of program?
oh.......... £100 minimum!!
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
If a logo is vectorised by software but delivered by the artists, did the software really do it?
The Construct Agency
Building Creative Brands for People
exactly my thoughts
16 billion colours and you choose the one i cant create !??!
Seriously Robbie - you have to charge either way. If it's a good client spending lots of money with you - sure, throw him a bone every now and then and give him a freebie on something like this. But you should set a minimum charge so you don't have to debate clients over how long it took, etc... etc... (we've all heard the line "that should only take you 5 minutes"). Maybe the software did all the work, but you bought the software and learned how to use it - the client needs to pay for that.
My minimum is 1/2 hour.
You can get the same (if not better) results on the Web, or as a downloaded app (both fairly cheap considering alternatives) with Vector Magic.
-----------
Visit The Graphic Mac for graphics and Mac OS tips, reviews, tutorials and discussion.
By the way, a half hour? $50? If it were me, I would be charging at least $200 for this - even if it took 5 minutes. This is a service that the client either can't get themselves, or doesn't have the expertise to do themselves, and it's valuable (possibly 100% necessary) for them.
This isn't about time vs. charges, it's about value. You're providing an incredible value for your client, and you should charge accordingly.
-----------
Visit The Graphic Mac for graphics and Mac OS tips, reviews, tutorials and discussion.
I agree with you, Jim. It's not about the time you spent but the value you provide.
I usually charge fixed fees because it shows that you know how much time it'll take. You know the value it provides. And it's more professional.
It's also easier for your client to give you fixed fee. Clients often wonder what you were really doing during the time they're paying you for.
If you want any advice about how to charge for creative services, you can visit the Engel Journal. Click 'Contact' on the top menu.
An "incredible value" that they can perform for free on the site you just posted? :-)
Any production house in town would do the top one for $100 or less (especially in today's market). That's what I would ask for myself... around $100. In 1991, you could get away with $200 - these days you would lose the client if you asked for that much down here.
I recently did exactly such a job and charged $250 for it. I'll be using the resulting vectorized logo later (theoretically) for production of high-end monogrammed items and I stand to make a lot of money from the mark up on the third-party vendors for those things, or I'd have charged more.
Mara
$250 for the top item? Wow. Rarified air. If you're in the USA, you must be living in one of three places... NY, LA or BFE. Because down here they would think you were joking or insane if you asked for $250. I consider that a maintenance project - something I'd do to maintain the client more than make a profit. But since it's a 10 minute job - even for $100 it's easy money in my book. For $250 I'd laugh all the way to the bank.
What Mara's got down, and what the rest of y'all still need to learn is the philosophy of "Perceived Value" - a crucial personal branding concept.
"Perceived Value" is not determined by the price of the job itself but also includes experience, quality and trust. Experienced has taught me this: The more I charge, the more people are willing to trust that I deliver a good product. CAUTION: There is a curve here, and at some point it will plateau and will eventually drop. Don't charge more than you're actually worth. On the other hand - do not charge less.
The Construct Agency
Building Creative Brands for People
i totally agree with your sentiments here.
while i understand some people like to price themselves at an hourly rate and stick to that because it's simpler, my personal view is that--especially if you're an experienced designer--you're shorting yourself.
as a professional (as opposed to a tradesman), your best value can be seen as a final product and what that product is worth to the client.
of course you're going to use an hourly rate to build the basis for what you charge a client. if you don't, you could easily end up with a product that is worth less to your client than it is to you to produce (and that's a job you probably don't want to take on).
but after you figure out what the minimum you need to make on a job (based on your estimate and the scope of work), you need to look at what that figure is and decide if it meets, exceeds or falls short of value to the client. if it exceeds value to the client, then they're likely to balk at your asking price. if it falls short, you're selling yourself short. not to say you can't create value for your client, especially when the economy is tough and work is more scarce.
but if you consistently sell yourself short, your clients will see you as "the cheap option." and while that does have some benefits, especially in a tight market, it also carries negative connotations, as mintsauce alluded to above.
obviously the best answer is a price that covers your baseline needs for the amount of time you estimate the work will take and is very close to the clients' value for the job. this is a tough number to match, particularly if the job is larger or more complex.
now i know there are a number of people on this board who completely disagree with this philosophy and feel like you should always charge based on a flat hourly rate with estimates in advance. i can see times where that would be useful, but i also think you often will make a lot less money and devalue your work to some degree if you follow that model strictly.
Gwells - I'm not sure if you're talking to me or Mintsauce.
Basically I think we're talking about two different kinds of jobs here. The original job at the top was vectorize a logo for a t-shirt - boom - done. A straight production job. Mara's job is vectorize a logo that will be included in many future projects. In Mara's case "perceived value" comes more into play because the client needs someone experienced they can trust to carry the entire (much larger) project - totally different. So really we're comparing apples to oranges here.
I think the part of Mintsauce's post that nails it down (concerning the straight production piece) is the last part - "don't charge more than you're worth". That also applies to the job itself - do not charge more than the job is worth either. This is not a logo DESIGN where my "perceived value" (ie: my creativity, reputation and experience) play a large part. This is a job that any production facility in town (or any student with a copy of Illustrator for that matter) can do in a competent manner. When you are presented with a job like this, your choice is charge the going market rate and possibly make a new client - or price yourself out of the job. In which case I forgo "perceived value" for the REAL value of making a new client (and $100).
Bottom line - with 20+ years of pricing jobs for my own business and others, I can say one thing for sure - there is no one-size-fits-all standard for pricing. It's never easy, it's never a matter of adding up the hours and multiplying by a fixed number and no matter how careful and meticulous you are - you'll still get burned every now and then and you'll still hit the jackpot (hopefully) an equal number of times (more or less). There are just too many variables in this business (and things change overnight sometimes as well).
...iyou consistently sell yourself short, your clients will see you as "the cheap option."
Amen, brother! I used to make that mistake. No more. I have never worked so hard, or so thanklessly, as when I undervalued myself and my work.
One time about 10 years ago, I simply doubled the hourly rate I'd been charging and was amazed to discover that people paid it without batting an eyelash. Naturally, I occasionally encounter a "cheapskate" who wants to nickel and dime me to death, but I've gotten much bolder about rejecting such jobs if I'm unable to upgrade the client's perspective on the value of good design.
I realize that sounds suicidal in this economy, but it seems to me that when people reach out of their comfort zone to hire a designer these days, they've resolved to get the best work they can for their money and are prepared to pay for quality -- within reason, of course.
Mara
i don't think it's suicidal at all.
look, if you can book 1000 hours of work at $100/hr, that's the same as booking 2000 hours of work at $50/hr. plus the benefit of most likely getting better quality clients and jobs at $100/hr than at $50/hr. substitute whatever dollar figure you want to instead of $50/100, it still works out the same.
or mark up your rates at 1.5x. 2000hrs of $50/hr is $100k. mark up your rate to $75/hr and you only need 1335 hrs to make $100k.
not saying everyone should double their rates, but keep in mind that if you lose half of the hours of work you book by doubling your rates, you still make as much money with half the amount of work. then you can start building your client base at the higher amount and make more money.
of course it's not that simple, but from a very high level, there's some validity to that perspective (and a big "if" on how much you would retain at higher rates).
The client is a multi-millionaire. The original logo was their very complex sketch. Vectorizing it involved several hours of work, and included refining it to make it workable in the various media where we'd be using it going forward. $250 was a very fair price.
Mara
Doesn't sound "exactly" like the job posted at the top now. ;-)
So far as hourly rates - every market has a limit. There are going to be anomalies - top agencies making ridiculous sums, students working for basically nothing, etc... - but in general most people will make something in the acceptable range clients are willing to pay in that area. So if you can double your rates and the clients don't run for the hills - it means you weren't charging enough to begin with (and maybe you aren't now either - even after doubling the rate. Maybe you need to TRIPLE that original number).
Let's use gwell's logic (maybe we'll throw in a little "perceived value" for mintsauce as well) in another example...
Let's say a new client is looking for a designer and he stumbles across two options...
Designer A is charging $100 an hour and says the job will take 3 hours = $300 quote.
Designer B is only charging $75 an hour, says the job will take 4 hours = $300 quote.
So which designer does the client choose and why?
Yeah, we've ranged out of the original scope of the convo. That happens ;-)
I was definitely undercharging. And that was 10 years ago. Could well be time for a change, but now, I'm thinking it would have to be more subtle than just changing the hourly rate. We have to be creative these days.
Your new question is a good topic for a while new discussion! It would be fun to do an experiment along those lines but just to speculate? I imagine people wold take the lower hourly rate, in the hope that the job would ultimately be done faster than predicted.
Mara
Did you see how I tossed in the "only" before the $75 rate? :-)
My point being that the issue is much deeper than hourly rate - I'm more concerned with my yearly salary than what I make per hour or on any particular job. There are a lot of ways besides billable hours to make money in this business.
i think it depends on the perspective of the client, mara. a different perspective be that the client could feel like the $100/hr designer is more experienced and might give them a better product, even if it takes them less time.
really, you can't make that determination in a vacuum. i'd say lots of clients would look at the $$ as equal and choose based on which designer made them feel more comfortable.
one who chose based on the lower rate may not be the best client long-term. very broad generalization, i know (same as choosing on rate w/o factoring in personality), and you'd have to know the client a little to say that, but if they get two quotes for the same amount and choose purely on the rate instead of on the designer, well they're probably more money conscious than design conscious.
well... this also presumes you're really working on an hourly basis and not a project basis.
if a client asks me for a cost for a project, he gets "$300," not "4 hours at $75" or "3 hours at $100."
If a client asks me for a quote, they get a written estimate (contract) that breaks out the hours, materials, etc... with a final price as well. So no matter what they ask for (rate or total price) - they're getting both.
Think this one is like a no brainer...because it's only like one color..Easy fix....but still should charge for services....Graphix programs are hella expensive...so your charging for expertise as well as equipment which for us is software. There are times when you think its an ez fix that turns out to be much harder than expected for factors you cannot forsee..and you make less per hour on a project..for that reason alone you should charge a good amount. because when you average it all out sometimes you get hard projects and sometimes easy ones.
hi all,
its nice 2 read this conversation..:) everyone is really being frank n helping each other.
btw i would hv charge somthing around 300/- rs. to vectorized a logo. :) thts an average rate in India for this kind of DTP work. bcoz its not a creative solution but just a technical solution.
hi. this is sonal. m an artist from India. i hv got a degree in commercial art. it ws an 5 yrs course. nw m working professionally in design studio as an art director.
wat i wanted to know is.. what if i plan 2 wrk in UK / USA... what kind of qualification i will need? or it will b only base on my portfolio??
plz help me understanding the agency/ design studio structure in UK/USA..
thanks