Cost for Freelance Art

[dlac]

I just thought I would come here and whine a little... I have been doing this freelance stuff and selling some local shirts for awhile.  I have customers that do a lot.. then hire there own artist or find someone cheaper (hard to believe) and then they are gone and someone else pops up.. The india, china, pakastain folks kick the crap out of me but I keep stumbling along.. Recently I have gotten half a dozen or more jobs that start and when I tell them I cannot afford to work for free, or quote them a ridiculous price I never hear back.. Pretty incredible in that the customer always wants their art for free but if the printer cannot build $10-20.00 into the job we need more price training.  I do some pretty good stuff in the $15.00 to $50.. price range and I don't drink your coffee.. I don't take the best donut.. I don't take vacation, I don't even get workmans comp from carpal tunnel running my mouse.. I am here every day (usually) answer the phone from 8am to 6pm... I mean what am I missing here.. well other than i misspell a word here and there.
dlac
Thank you for listening

[ScreenFoo]

It won't make you feel better, but it amazes me that people will pay anywhere from 20-100 dollars to get some horribly designed piece of art separated, but won't pay anything (a little time included) to get a file that isn't a pile of crap to start with.

I get the feeling these problems have something to do with each other...

[Dottonedan]

I see some of my customers sending art request overseas...I'm sure for $30-$75.00, then having me separate it for another $45-$90.00 (and even that is cheap).  The art files are streamlined auto traced images slapped together to create one design.  Typical art files of a few customers and they always come back in process colors in a vector file in a bazillion points.




Those derned artist anyways. Always wanting more money.

[tancehughes]

Yeah I've got customers complaining about part fees too. Even a recent contract customer was complaining about paying for artwork and said "I should have the tools to do all of this." Yes I have the tools, but they weren't free and neither is my time.

[Chadwick]

Some folks want the moon, but only want to pay for a pebble.
I feel your pain.

[sullyman]

I know for a fact one of the biggest issues is crowd sourcing sites like elance, 99designs and the like. They drive pricing way down. There are countless people overseas that can afford to slap crap together for pocket change (because their cost of living is below par) and most people are more than happy with the lack of quality. Everyone is out to hunt for the cheapest price they can find thinking some live-traced clipart is what it's going to take to strike it rich, with one design.

There is PLENTY of clipart out there. (including your own) If someone wants custom work make them pay a reasonable price for it. DO NOT BUDGE.

[Dottonedan]

I feel that like with separations and auto programs, it's opened doors and at the same time, has lessoned the quality a bit. Lowered the bar per say. Sure, you gain the ability to get a job done....and it can even be better than if you had tried to do it yourself before...but it's not (as good) as if you were to get it done by someone who does this well for a living. They al serve a purpose in the industry tho.


So the over all quality has been lowered. But for those who put more into it, shine overall.  Same for art.


I know of some customers that pay for the overseas clip art photo auto trace stuff slapped together...and they want seps on that same job  for 10.00 per file also.  Can't do it. Oh look, I see other customers over there that are interested in paying me a decent wage. I'll go talk to them.

Getting tougher and tougher.

[royster13]

They drive pricing way down. There are countless people overseas that can afford to slap crap together for pocket change (because their cost of living is below par) and most people are more than happy with the lack of quality.

I have seen plenty of "crappy art" from USA based artists as well....

[Dottonedan]

That is true Roster,  you can find an artist that does crappy art here in the US and still charges maybe 25% more than the overseas artist. But we all know that 8 times out of 10, if you use the over seas sources, that you will not be expecting a good clean file and you are going to live with it because you know that is what you paid for. It's the opposite here...unless a business finds a crappy artist and continues to use them due to the low price. You can find them. You can use them, but here, you do expect more and question it when you don't get a little more. Most will then stop using that artist and move on. So we do have them, but they don't last long unless they get better faster. If they don't, they get another job.  Overseas, it's not that way. A poor artist can still be sought after by most art houses overseas.  These people you are referring to that are artist in the US that don't provide good art, (are typically) not tee shirt artist that understand basic spot color separation and again or clean art files. Again, you get what you pay for.

[StillWaterDS]

Time for me to chime in I guess. There is a fine line between charging what you feel your work is worth --- and charging what you perceive the customer will value your work at. It is a razor thin line and hard to follow. Yes, sep programs and overseas sources have lowered the price and the bar. But, do not undercut yourself, or you will eventually not value your own work, lose confidence and focus, and suffer. Stay positive, charge what is a reasonable mid-ground between what it's worth to you and what it's worth to the customer. The folks who run to the cheap services will eventually return, one way or another. And when they ask me my take I'll say "you get what you pay for". If you charge to little, customers see you as not valuing yourself, your talent, your time -- hence they won't value it either. Just some thoughts from an old warhorse.

[Dottonedan]

Good thoughts warhorse.

[Command-Z]

Good work ain't cheap,
Cheap work ain't good.