former customer looking for art files

[Sbrem]

I have a former customer, a middle school, and a member of the town's pto is looking for a file "suitable" for printing. I was originally given a crappy jpeg, and redrew the logo in Illy. Never charged for the art, did a couple of jobs, it took over 4 months to get paid. I'm a little reticent to give it up, and really feel like telling them to redraw it themselves, but thought better of acting on a knee jerk. What think youse guys?

Steve

[Denis Kolar]

Just send them back a Jpeg file.

[Sbrem]

That they have already. I redrew, so can they, but I'm trying to be reasonable; a tough balance between being reasonable and being a tool...

Steve

[Homer]

Personally, I would send a JPG. Any printer with a decent amount of knowledge will either know how to make a jpg "suitable" for printing or do the right thing and redraw it. It's not your fault the other printer can't use a JPG to print his films. Or you can pull a jerk move and say sure no problem, vector files are 75.00ea.

[GraphicDisorder]

If they paid you for artwork give it to them. If they didn't explain that to them and offer a price to give it to them.

This is why I am a fan of art and print being 2 different things because they are.

[Sbrem]

If they had paid me, I would simply send it, but they didn't. The fact that I had trouble collecting, which is somehow my fault as they didn't reorder after that, makes me feel I really don't owe them anything. I think I'll write back with, "What do you need it for? Maybe I can help..."

Steve

[kingscreen]

Suitable for printing what?  Are they going elsewhere for services you previously provided?  If that is the case, then you should inquire as to what they were unsatisfied with using your services and see if there is anything you can do to retain their business.

Unless, of course, you don't like them as a customer.  Then you take Sonny's advice: [and send them the file]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78-4RobJQ0Y

[Dottonedan]

There is a difference for paying for artwork services/labor and paying for ownership of the art you charge more for the other.  Some may not agree with that but that is how it's written out  for lawyers to fight over . you can do what you want to.

The bottom line is this customer wants the good art  they didn't pay for,  ...but you did, to take to another printer to either save money on art charges there or to improve that Printers results.
That  alone, should say something to you.

[Croft]

send them an eps of a jpeg , I always like receiving those, but seriously just a jpeg say thats what you work from , Oh yea make a 72dpi screen view only

[GraphicDisorder]

If they had paid me, I would simply send it, but they didn't. The fact that I had trouble collecting, which is somehow my fault as they didn't reorder after that, makes me feel I really don't owe them anything. I think I'll write back with, "What do you need it for? Maybe I can help..."

Steve

Why they need the artwork will be a lie anyway, "I need it for a cell phone case". Or something Haha. 

I think id just be honest. This artwork wasn't billed and it took a lot of time to collect our payment from you, if you'd like the artwork we'd charge $XXX.

[jsheridan]

This is verbiage that needs to be included into your terms of services to cover these events.

There was a topic a while ago that dealt with charging art fees  and what those fees constitute. Depending on how it's worded it's either a service fee or a charge.

Nobody has ever paid me for artwork, what they pay me is a fee to turn their artwork into print ready material.  They are welcome to purchase my separations if they desire but if they ask for their art back, they get back What they sent me.

[3Deep]

If it's been a few years since they have ordered from you I'd tell them I no longer have there file or lost it in a computer upgrade, I've had people come into us from another printer with there shirt in hand and ask could we do this.  My first question to them is can you get your art from the other printer which will save you art charges, right there I'm letting them know they will have to pay a art fee fro us to reproduce there art.

[Sbrem]

When I did it originally, we were anticipating an ongoing relationship. With most schools, it works out fine. In this case, I had to call and write repeatedly to get paid in 120 days. I think now, after input from you folks, and a few others, that I will offer to sell it to them, based on the time I spent recreating it, around a hour and a half, $90.00. Thanks everybody for your input.

Steve

[mk162]

I also tend to live by a saying:

If you lend somebody $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.

[Frog]

When I did it originally, we were anticipating an ongoing relationship. With most schools, it works out fine. In this case, I had to call and write repeatedly to get paid in 120 days. I think now, after input from you folks, and a few others, that I will offer to sell it to them, based on the time I spent recreating it, around a hour and a half, $90.00.Thanks  everybody for your input.

Steve

I think that you could simply almost use most of this last post as your response to them.