• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

Production file release for "mock-ups"

Raghaus

Raghaus

New Member
The discussion is as old as stone and I generally give my customers files if a.) a good, i.e returning, customer b.) it's good practice and I generally charge a design fee anyways...

Here's the new-to-me (34 years in this industry FYI) scenario... A new customer had a fairly involved t-shirt design, I charge my usual design fee and a production fee. Customer pays and is happy, with the prospect of coming back for more of the same and sending new inquiries all the while.
I sense a little tire-kickin', as she seemed to work in an agency prior or has some marketing background. So far so good & you never know what comes out of these things.
Next she asks for png files of said t-shirt design for mock-ups. No problem – I make her a few versions to mess around with, transparent background, texture, no texture that kind of thing.
The pngs are definitely high quality and definitely great for mock-ups. They are even suitable for a good sized print, F do I know!?

Now she's requesting –almost pressuring me– for the AI files, as that's easier to make mock-ups from, in her mind, and she needs them to go ahead with product pics for her WEBSITE. I call capital BS on this one.
What would you do? Just trying to get a gauge here, as she's clearly trying to pull a fast one on me. The truth is, I don't even care about the customer and her business, but her unabridged nerve irks me and I'd like to come up with an appropriate response.
Thank you!
 
M

MNT_Printhead

Working among the Corporate Lizard People
Tell her there is a transfer fee because of the time it takes to retrieve it from your vast archive of files and she has already made you revisit the job before to get the pngs.
 
brdesign

brdesign

New Member
When you billed her for the design and production fee was their a explanation of what is included or not included with that design/production fee? She is probably under the assumption that she paid for the the design fee therefore she owns the design and can do whatever she likes with it.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
You have to remember that 99% of the population outside of the graphics/design business is clueless about these types of things, in their mind, they paid you for design, they get to keep the design, which isn't an unreasonable stance to have, in most transactions, you pay for a product and you get to keep it. If you find yourself doing a lot of design work, it would be best practise to put together some type of document that you can send along with your quotes that explains all of this, and what the customer is getting from their "design fee" and what they are not getting. They probably won't read it, but at least you can come back to it if this situation happens in the future.

For this job, if you want to keep the client happy, send them the files and chalk it up to a inexpensive lesson.
 
Stacey K

Stacey K

I like making signs
I had something similar happen to me. The guy wanted an actual photo of a diesel engine (he sent it to me) incorporated and some fancy lettering, dirt type graphics, etc. It was a real PITA!!! He ordered about 200 items and seemed happy with them. He then told me his name cracked on the front of his hoodie. I said bring it in and I'll replace it, never had that happen within 2 weeks before. He seemed offended I didn't believe him. Every time he came in he was telling me how to run my business, asking what I use for accounting and how his program is so much better, how saavy he is as a business person, etc. (he's been open 6 months). He keeps asking me what font I used, I told him I created it from scratch (which I basically did, I used 2 fonts and added lines in them, etc). He wants his artwork now. I suspect he wants a sign made for less. I SENT IT ALL, good riddens and good luck with the crappy photo of a diesel engine! Some PEOPLE aren't worth the drama.
 
De.signs Nanaimo

De.signs Nanaimo

New Member
I worked for a graphic design firm, where we had this come up, and I have dealt with it a few times myself, standard practice for source vector files is triple the design fee. Explain to the client the original design charges do not include the legal rights to the files, and that is what the fee covers. Much like stock photography, a small fee to use the photo has restrictions on that use, how many times etc, to outright by the rights to that stock photo would likely be in the thousands.
 
2B

2B

Active Member
sounds like trickery to me....

had a customer request a recent customer requesting their logo in PDF, flattened and in curves to use as their Facebook profile image.......
we sent a JPEG with the reminder of copyrights and if they want to purchase said copyrights, it is XXXX amount


EVERY Proof, Estimate, and Invoice states
This email and /or attachments may not be forwarded, printed, scanned, or altered in any way without the written permission of the sender. All artwork/designs/layouts are copyrighted and the property of XXXXXXXXX until said rights are purchased and transferred.
 
Notarealsignguy

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
I think if you charge a design fee then you should expect the customer to want the file and just charge accordingly. If I pay someone to design, my expectation is to get the native files. It's not the same as a setup fee, screen fee, die fee or whatever. You specifically charged them to design. If you don't want to give up your files then call it something else and tell the customer you use an anagraph or something that wont work with any other software. They wont know.
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
All my invoices state on the bottom disclosure that I can provide the production file for $275. My computer isn't free, the online backup monthly cost isn't free, and my time isn't free. Sometimes if it's a good client that isn't going anywhere, Ill give it to them for free. If it's someone that probably wont reorder or I don't care about, I make them pay.
 
C

CanuckSigns

Active Member
Notarealsignguy said:
I think if you charge a design fee then you should expect the customer to want the file and just charge accordingly. If I pay someone to design, my expectation is to get the native files. It's not the same as a setup fee, screen fee, die fee or whatever. You specifically charged them to design. If you don't want to give up your files then call it something else and tell the customer you use an anagraph or something that wont work with any other software. They wont know.
Click to expand...
We did this as well, design time is invoiced as "production layout" it has fixed 90% of this issue for us
 
S

SignEST

New Member
You already charged them the design fee so why does it bother you so much? I understand that a lot of people do basic design and layout for free to entice the customer. If they would then turn around and ask for the artwork in vector format that's when it would be fair to be upset and tell them to kick rocks.

This might be a very unpopular statement here.

Designers are way too common for anyone to think that their own design is special. Maybe if you designed a cure for cancer then all the power to you.
 
Raghaus

Raghaus

New Member
De.signs Nanaimo said:
I worked for a graphic design firm, where we had this come up, and I have dealt with it a few times myself, standard practice for source vector files is triple the design fee. Explain to the client the original design charges do not include the legal rights to the files, and that is what the fee covers. Much like stock photography, a small fee to use the photo has restrictions on that use, how many times etc, to outright by the rights to that stock photo would likely be in the thousands.
Click to expand...
Yup. I spoke to a photographer friend of mine and he said exactly the same thing.
 
Raghaus

Raghaus

New Member
Texas_Signmaker said:
All my invoices state on the bottom disclosure that I can provide the production file for $275. My computer isn't free, the online backup monthly cost isn't free, and my time isn't free. Sometimes if it's a good client that isn't going anywhere, Ill give it to them for free. If it's someone that probably wont reorder or I don't care about, I make them pay.
Click to expand...
I'll definitely add something like that to my fine print. Art release fee & good bye.
 
Raghaus

Raghaus

New Member
SignEST said:
You already charged them the design fee so why does it bother you so much? I understand that a lot of people do basic design and layout for free to entice the customer. If they would then turn around and ask for the artwork in vector format that's when it would be fair to be upset and tell them to kick rocks.

This might be a very unpopular statement here.

Designers are way too common for anyone to think that their own design is special. Maybe if you designed a cure for cancer then all the power to you.
Click to expand...
What bugs me is that she received files that are perfectly OK for mock-ups. I feel like she's being dishonest and keeps asking for more.
 
Notarealsignguy

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
I've been in the other persons shoes where the design guy can't get it right and I finally tell them to just send it to me as it is so I can fix it myself. Maybe that's what actually happened considering you've done multiple revisions already?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top