Over the past couple of years I have been moving from the general Poser hobbyist to a graphic artist. To my surprise many people now want me to freelance my skills. One question has come up that I cant seem to figure out, what to charge. Can anyone suggest standard rates for example for web graphic design? Are there resources out on the net that express how much to charge on an hourly basis or graphic based scale? I recall that several months ago on the forum there was a discussion about contracts for doing artistic projects and the rights given to the purchaser of the artwork. What is the way of going about contacting your artwork? Feel free to reply to this or e-mail me. Im sure many others using the forum here are also in the same boat as well.

For starters get the Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market, published by Writer's Digest books. You can find it at barnesandnoble.com. It has many freelance sources as well as info on doing business. Geographic location seems to have a lot to do with pricing structures. A New Your market will pay more than say a more "backwater" market. And of course, quality is of the essence.

Big quwstion there. Sometimes you can charge less and keep the psd files. This way they have to come back to you for changes. Or charge more and give them all files. The best thing to do here is to call some of your local outsource companys to get an idea of what the going rate in your area is. Things to keep in mind are: They will not like the first take. (do not take this as they don't like your work but they had something else in mind). If you keep files, burn them on a open CD with date stamps. If your work is going to print, you will need a good printer like an Alps 5000 to print your samples on. ( it does not go over well when you bring in something and say "it will look better when it's printed with a good printer") Only show them the work that "you" are happy with. (this one sounds odd but it's hard to work on something that you can't stand) Get some PMS standards. (This will help out everyone. Most print houses like to use PMS colors in there printers. Also you will know what color it will be when done.) Just a few to get ya started.

Maybe we should have a Professionals Forum, for questions like this, advice, and information about relevant job openings? SOmeone suggested something similar in the Community Forum, but didn't seem to get a lot of replies...

Hey thanks everyone, I really appreciate the VERY quick response. Right after this I'm off to go search for the book Don suggested. Thank you spike, I will keep an inventory burned and cataloged of all professional work. And thank you very much Allerleirauh, that should give me a quick idea what estimate to give someone over the weekend. Perhaps a professional forum would be a good idea, that way we can keep updated and make sure that none of the contributers to free stuff. I'm going to be doing work in the Baltimore, MD - Washington D.C. area. So if there are any more estimates for this zone lemme know I'd love to find out more.

Hi Folks! For the past 20 years I've charged $50/hr for my freelance desktop publishing and graphic design work. My rates heve never changed because freelance design has never been my principal occupation: organizational communications (I'm currently director of communications for my employer) pays the rent, and teaching pays for my hobbies. One other thing you may want to think about: whether you will ply your trade primarily in the corporate or nonprofit sector. A lot of my freelance work has been for nonprofit organizations. They are often overlooked because of the perception that they can't afford professional graphic services. Yet collectively they produce thousands of brochures, posters, display ads, and now web sites, and most of the work is farmed out to contractors. You may have to negotiate a per project rate rather than an hourly one, so spec your estimated time very carefully. But this may be a good place to build your portfolio as you work toward landing accounts with big firms and agencies. Peter (Dr Zik)

The question boils down to usage. A one time fee (printed once in a certain market, twice in a second, once in a third) is usually what most people work with. The system of pricing for this was defined by the stock photo houses and the illustrator and designer agents picked up on this. (ie you charge more for art that the client will be using forever, in a variety of web/print formats). Less, for say the graphics on a website or magazine that turns over every month (one time usage). 2 things to watch out for- working for comp and a client without a secretary/office/staff. Both are wrning signs of someone with not much more money than you. Also, don't be humble, ask for a lot, a lot more than you want or feel you deserve. The worst thing tht can happen is they say no (my dating philosophy as well). Either you're lucky and the client will foot your bill, or they'll haggle you down to budget. The proper profesional response to "how much" here in New York City is "whats your budget like". I usually frame my price in the context of... ok for that money, i can give you x, y, and z. However, you're still looking at x amount for production and massaging the final revisions. I then name an appropriate price for the rest. Be honest, look them straight in the eye, and if you can't do something- say so. my attitude is always- They want to use me, great, if not, theres always Wunderman. mitch

$50/hour ? Ouch, anyone there want import me ? Here in Brazil I change it a DAY WORK, and I'm one of the most expensive ones around here, with near 10 years experience in 2D graphics, but a month-newbiee in 3D... Sometimes live here suckz :/

The Graphic Artists' Guild pricing guide will help explain a lot, but generally, its pricing represents a national average which is higher than most regional markets. It's a great book, though. I usually estimate a round of simple revisions and include those costs in my initial pricing. However, revisions after that, or revisions to the design after concept approval are billed as extras. I try to let the client know, when possible, what the additional costs will be. Be sure you can handle the project, otherwise don't take it on. Charge as much as the market will bear, based on your experience, and the value of the project to the client. This business eats your life. Stuff almost always takes more time than you think it will, and clients drink blood and will strip the flesh from your bones if you let them. I'm very thin. --ratta

heya; graphic artists guild is at www.gag.org.