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customer wants to buy my files i designed.... how much(ballpark)?

nashvillesigns

nashvillesigns

Making America great, one sign at a time.
So, i finally have a customer who claims to get banners for free, (ha.) som he wants to me to send him art work so he can print them. all he has paid for, is the graphics time. i feel the concept is mine, so, what do do?
(i am not giving him photoshop files for free either!)
i feel i could "sell him" these files, but have NO IDEA how $$$, or what.....
ideas?

Chris
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
I would be straight with him, tell him that you are not going to just give him the files you created so he can get them printed somewhere else, if he wants them he will have to pay for you to release them.

Only you can know what to charge, there are far too many variables to consider for us to know.
 
sfr table hockey

sfr table hockey

New Member
signpost-boston said:
all he has paid for, is the graphics time. i feel the concept is mine, so, what do do?
(i am not giving him photoshop files for free either!)
i feel i could "sell him" these files, but have NO IDEA how $$$, or what.....
ideas?

Chris
Click to expand...

If you charged for graphics time or setting up the file, is that not including the concept?

If you had someone on the site here design a layout and they charged by the hour, they give you the file which is their concept as well. But you pay for it.

If you feel that you spent a couple hours on setting up a file and only charged a small set up fee ( equivalent to a 1/2 hr ) then you need to let them know that they were not charged full setup and you gave them a special rate but to transfer the file to someone else you would need the remaider of the time not charged. This may be a bit tough if they thought everything was included to start with.

How much, per hr, would you charge me to set up a file? Now charge that to your customer as a min.

You beat me Pat...
 
G

g&eprinting

New Member
ForgeInc said:
5 thousand dollars
Click to expand...

And I raise you another $5,000.00

Jeeeeez are people in Mass all the same I swear we have the same customers.

All the calls I got this morning, !@#$% I stepped into the twilight zone.

At least charge minimum one hour for design and if he is asking for file conversion then charge what you would for that. $20 - 5 million it's on you and difficulty of the customer.
 

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T

trik

New Member
I do this a little different than most. I charge layout/setup fee for my customers and let them know up front this is a charge to make the files useable for my machines to print, cut, etc. Art charges apply when they want copies of their logos. Layouts such as custom back grounds, other graphics I use are not part of the deal, only if it is part of your logo. If they want the background I use, I tell them I can buy a copy for them from where I purchased it from, and they usually get the idea. If they want a full layout of something I have done, they would be charged probably more the project itself. Only you can determine what you want to charge. Keep in mind, once you have given him the art, you are probably not going to get any more of his business, something to consider.
 
TammieH

TammieH

New Member
I agree with Pat, we have always given the customer the art if he/she asks for it... it has been that way for every sign company that I have work for over the past 35 years
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
I agree with Pat, we have always given the customer the art if he/she asks for it... it has been that way for every sign company that I have work for over the past 35 years
Click to expand...

It is different today, Now we use computers to render a complete design in full color with detailed images all of which are used for multiple avenues. In the old days it was a hand drawn concept piece with little value. Today the hand rendering is the same but those electronic files hold a high value.

That is why we need to develop a reasonable business model that defines our work. Then we follow that plan and make it work for us. We have to charge for every thing.
 
Bly

Bly

New Member
TammieH said:
I agree with Pat, we have always given the customer the art if he/she asks for it... it has been that way for every sign company that I have work for over the past 35 years
Click to expand...

Or you can get all butthurt that they are going someplace else and try and ream them a new one, making sure you never see them again.
 
JoshLoring

JoshLoring

New Member
Pat Whatley said:
He's already paid you. The files are his.
Click to expand...

In a way..
No matter what you decide to do.. The client will think they paid for the "graphic".
Technically it's true.
Flatten it and send them a Tiff. The layered artwork "file" is your intellectual property. It contains trade secrets (and fonts licensed to you only) that you can not release.
 
I

iGraphics&Designs

New Member
Maybe he is referring to the "graphic" as the vinyl/decal that he charged him for, and not actually a artwork fee.

I had a customer that you could not make happy no matter what the situation was. Everything came to a head over some hooded sweatshirts he ordered and I haven't seen him since. I'm waiting for him to come back and ask for his logo....that's when it is going to get very expensive for him.
 
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