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A question

laserman70

New Member
We bid on some work for a company. They were looking for some graphics to be done for their vehicles. THey wanted us to come up with something different for their logo. No money was exchanged, prior to the job. I made them a new logo, now they say that our pricing is too high for the vinyl work. They want the artwork for the logo I did. What is the proper thing to do here?
thanks for the help.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
What is the proper thing to do here?
To learn from this and stop doing design work on spec. Essentially if they just walk right now you've been working for free. Next time discuss art charges and prices BEFORE you do the actual work. Right now they hold all the chips here.

How much time do you have in the design and how much were you charging for the vinyl work? Try to explain to them that part of the reason your vinyl work is more expensive than whoever they're planning on using is because of your time and talent in creating the image has to be absorbed into the cost of the job. If they want the artwork sell it to them but make sure you're getting compensated for your time and talents.

Whatever you do make sure they know that you own the artwork right now and that if they get the other shop to reproduce it they're gonna be paying for it. It does say that on the artwork you gave them, right?
 

Techman

New Member
They want the artwork for the logo I did. What is the proper thing to do here?

Charge them for the logo work. Do they think you will just hand it to them? They like it enuf and they want it.. but they don't want to give you any vinyl work?
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Like the others said... you went about this kinda bass/ackwards.

Eat some crow and tell them you intended the cost of developing their logo as part of the overall cost. If they choose to go elsewhere for the decals, you must at least charge your costs for producing the artwork. Since the artwork technically belongs to you since they haven't reimbursed you for your work, then they can't use it or any duplications or even similar aspects of the said design/logo. Tell them your price is $345.00 for developing a usable logo. Should they think this is too high also, then tell them you won't sign over the rights to use YOUR artwork for THEIR logo.

If they tell you to go pound sand.... explain to them that you did your part and since they want to renege on their part of the bargain, you see nothing other to do than to report them and if you see your artwork being used in any way, shape or form... you will seek your money in a different arena.

So what'll it be ?? You want me to finish the job and everyone goes home happy..... or do we do this the hard way ??
 

copythat

New Member
I never quote full price

When it comes to logo's. We never provide a full price. We explain that the pricing is based on how much time goes into the though and final creation of logo's.

So determine your time you have invested and charge accordingly. The vinyl is a lost!

Sign up!
 

Joe Diaz

New Member
Yup charge them for the logo design. You did the work, if they want the logo, they should pay for it.

But in the future, set up a way to deal with logo work as a separate product/service than sign work. AND THIS IS KEY: never do design work without a down payment, unless you want to deal with people trying to take your design work elsewhere. If you collect down payments before you do design work. 99% of the time they will want you to do the job from start to finish because they have already invested in you. And that 1% of the time you didn't get the job, at least you got paid for your time.

If a customer wants a sign with a logo on it and they don't have a logo, you need to sell them on a logo. If they don't want to pay to have a logo developed then they won't get a logo. It is very important to tell them that the sign layout they are getting is not a logo and can't be used as a logo.

We then tell them that sign design files do not leave our shop, but logo designs will be released on a CD in multiple file formats. That is why logos cost more. We also tell them if they want to use their sign design as a logo at a later date, we do offer a "sign to logo design package". Usually if you add up the cost of the original sign design charge with the "sign to logo design package" it usually ends up costing a bit more than if they would have went with a logo in the first place.

Some people out there are clever. I think they purposely try to get sign makers to develop a logo for them without actually buying a logo. They figure that if you did the design work for their sign, that simply handing it over to them should be free. You need to set up a strong policy on this type of thing and clearly state that this is not the case before you do any work.
 
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