ArtBistro

So I have done some research about this subject, and honestly I have not found any 'golden rule' about freelance graphic design quotes.

For me, I tend to have smaller projects that I take on, and that I WANT to do. I don't do jobs that I am not interested in, but when it comes time to quote the client I am left at a standstill.

I ask myself: "Do I try to get a set rate, like $500-$1000? Or do I set an hourly fee?" I have done both, and even a mixture of the two, with a set rate for "x" amount of hours, then $25/hour from there on...

But at the end of the job I wonder if I could have gotten more money for the job... or if I would have quoted them higher, would they have even used my services?

Bottom line is, we as designers are able to create the market, and the going rate for graphic design. If everyone is charging a $1000 and I only charge $500, then I have de-valued graphic design as a whole..

Not sure if there are any solutions to this, but I am interested to see what everyone else thinks.

Thanks, Kyle

The graphic artist's guild publishes yearly a pricing guideine which many people use as a ref for what to charge. Then again, if you look at The Artist's and Designer's Market book which lists 1,000s of potential clients, they'll tell you what the client is willing to pay. It can be quite a discrepancy but a foot in the door to getting published, getting paid and getting on your way. What I CAN tell you NOT to do is waste your time on "bidding for work" sites like guru.com. The clients there are looking for the lowest price possible and could care less about the quality of work, which is amateurish at best. What professional is going to seriously consider working on a children's book where you have to draw 20 full-color illustrations for the bountiful sum of $250 - $500? Or a series of coffee mugs for $50-$100? Not me, that's for damn sure. My usual standard is when negotiating with a client is to bid higher than what you'll accept and work downward when they work upward. It's haggling, and it's a pain in the ass, but it's a necessary evil. Good luck.

I charge 20 Euro an hour excluding materials, most of the time I calculate all costs first then determine what percentage is required for a deposit to fund the project which is normally around 20% of the estimated total cost.

palooch said:

Everyone's answer here will be extremely different. It all depends on your expertise, how long you've been freelancing, and your client base. You may charge $200 for a brochure for a mom and pop shop, but the same size brochure if created for, say Coca Cola, is going to be a lot more expensive. The audience is much bigger and therefore they are willing to pay more to get good quality work.

It's a tough question because every job is different. I tend to start off with a base price (after asking many questions about the project) that includes two revisions, if they go over that then they get charged an hourly fee if they need more changes. This way, they are discouraged from making change after change after change after change.... If they know they will be charged for it, they will be more efficient in their proofreading.

I hope that helps a little, again, it's all relative.

JHWarts said:

The graphic artist's guild publishes yearly a pricing guideine which many people use as a ref for what to charge. Then again, if you look at The Artist's and Designer's Market book which lists 1,000s of potential clients, they'll tell you what the client is willing to pay. It can be quite a discrepancy but a foot in the door to getting published, getting paid and getting on your way. What I CAN tell you NOT to do is waste your time on "bidding for work" sites like guru.com. The clients there are looking for the lowest price possible and could care less about the quality of work, which is amateurish at best. What professional is going to seriously consider working on a children's book where you have to draw 20 full-color illustrations for the bountiful sum of $250 - $500? Or a series of coffee mugs for $50-$100? Not me, that's for damn sure. My usual standard is when negotiating with a client is to bid higher than what you'll accept and work downward when they work upward. It's haggling, and it's a pain in the ass, but it's a necessary evil. Good luck.

What kind of Graphic design will you be doing? How big is the audience? Degree of complexity? This will make a difference in price. The Graphic Artist Guild Handbook-Pricing & Ethical Guidelines has other helpful information as well. Don't work on spec, and you should have a rejection or cancellation provision(fee) in writing to protect yourself.

this is good information.. i always tend to price myself too low, but gathering information about the project then basing it off that, starting off high and keeping a set price you wont go under seems like the most logical way to do it... i need to go to china town and start working on my haggling skills..