Educating clients in what is and isn't high quality artwork.

[Bobby H]

Depending on the project, like if it's just a printed banner or yard sign or something else fairly temporary, I'll just use their JPEG artwork as is. If they come back complaining about visible pixels, mosquito noise and macro-blocking from their artwork printed on the finished product I'll them, "garbage in equals garbage out." They don't get free pixel-vector logo conversions on a freaking banner.

When the project is something more permanent, such as a lighted pylon sign that may stand on the city's landscape for 10 to 20 years or more, clean high-resolution artwork (preferably vector) is mandatory. Either the customer needs to provide that or pay us to create it.

 

[NZOC]

As per the other comments here you are definitely not alone here! Have the same issue, but it has always been an issue since long before the pandemic! Just the other day I had a client supply low res .png and .jpg files for print. When I asked for a hi res .pdf all he did was save one of the low res .jpg files as .pdf! Major facepalm moment. 2 weeks later still waiting for the file.

 

[96XP]

Oh that Angst..........
Here's a little something for other artists of like-mind:

- On occasion, I get a customer who sends in all kinds of reference images they found on the web, all too small for the desired application.
I don't waste time, and then politely tell them "can't use it, it's much too small" and give them a valued alternative.

However, the bigger issue for me is that after they have spent probably an hour or more sampling all these different images on-line, some have had the expectation that I can reproduce it - in large scale, exactly like they see it and request I send them a sample of my version before they order. Key word: 'SAMPLE'

And after years of designing 'samples' for customers, some have tended to disappear after they 'get their high' off the artwork. That's a fact, a time consuming painful one, and something I came to conclude through repeated experiences in years past.
And to note, we artists aren't the brightest when it comes to left brain activity, but I have a good wife with that left brain who scalded me repeatedly and finally broke through that barrier, me thinks? Lol

- Knowing I have the right tools, and confident in my skills, I changed my ways and setup a 'Design Time' page on our website where they can, so to speak, 'Pay to Play'.

Custom Design Services

A single block of time is $100. to start and goes up from there. If the job is a simple one, it takes just one block. More complex and busy scenes generally are 3 blocks, and that is told to them in advance so they know how many blocks are required. Large murals are priced higher of course.
I follow up by sending them the link, and low and behold, I have a new sale. (processing/shipping is separate)

Now having a commitment from their end, I have rebuilt scenes better than what was originally presented to me, and always come out on the winning end, and customers have been more than satisfied. Turned my angst into a Win Win situation.

It's been one of the best changes I ever made as an artist, and the page describes to them the reason for the fee(s) so I no longer have to.


Hope this helps others in a similar situation.