Sijun Forums :: View topic - Logo design rates?-Anybody, Bueller?

jcFIG · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2001 1:13 pm

I by no means am a logo designer but I was curious, what would be a reasonable price to charge for a logo? It's for a small start up record company.

jeffery · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:27 am

hahaha nice topic.

there are so many things that could go into this. for any work, i'd charge less for a small company than for a mammoth corporation, but i still wouldn't give it away. depends on the kind of logo they want too, and the uses they have for it.

there are also different going rates for design work depending on where you live. i know there are graphic design trade organizations who publish pricing guides. they're not free, but if you're gonna be doing a bunch of work like this, they might be worth the purchase, they have a ton of info in them.

i usually charge $20 CAD/hr, and with the whole process, come out somewhere near $200. but who knows if that's anywhere near right, and it varies widely for every job.

jcFIG · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:35 am

Well my teacher told me to charge $1000 but I don't feel right charging that much. I may go with $500. Who knows.

toast! · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 3:27 am

it depends if you have to create the identity of the company with this logo or not

A good logo design must include many features : how the logo will be displayed in various page formats , the safe area of the logo, the dimensions, the colors used in cmyk duotone and monochromic, things than are not allowed to do with, typos that match the logo etc.. etc.. I've seen logo definitions printed in more than 30 pages !

In general, the bigger the company is, the more blabla you have to write

(it means also more money

)

If you are only charged to design the logo, 500$ seems to be honest

Jason Manley · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 10:44 am

be careful charging too much when doing freelance...be careful charging too little...if they owners of the company are in a big building on top of a hill and all drive mercedes then you better get at least 50 bucks an hour...if they are small and tight on cash then get at least 15-25 bucks an hour...

I guess the best way to do it ( I lived on freelance artwork for four years) is to ask yourself how much money you need for the time spent...if you can do it for 20 bucks an hour then that is the number...if you cant do it for less than 30 an hour cuz they are a pain in the ass or they will be making lots of corrections then just quote that...

ALWAYS shoot 20 percent higher than you will take...if they shy away..come down immediately to your right number.

jason

jeffery · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 10:49 am

i should've mentioned that the figures i used above would be for a simple logo, & a small company. that might put it in perspective a bit better. basically, exactly what jason manley said.

Pigeon · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 1:51 pm

I did a similar project for a small music promotion agency. Keep in mind that with a logo you're basically handing over all reproduction rights, so you'll want to charge accordingly. I charged this company about $330 for a logo and they didn't even blink. If the company is serious, they'll pay a decent amount for good work. Just to note, I charged the company another $330 to design their business cards and stationery.

If you think it's a good company and will go far, but you have to price low, it might still be a good idea to give them more than they expect - six designs when you promised three, plus a good printed presentation. It's all a bit of a gamble at the early stages in your career.

Dean

Malachi Maloney · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 3:01 pm

Trust me on this bro..........
DON'T CHARGE BY THE HOUR.
You'll have nothing but problems that route. First ask them what's in their budget. Secondly, you have to asses the amount of time, cost of materials (If done digitally, non-applicable unless you have to purchase new software or something), how many other projects/school assignments you are currently working on and last but not least...how much time will you have to complete the commission.
ALWAYS decide on a set price for your commissions before you start. That way no one will be surprised at the cost/pay when the piece is completed.

Remember these rules only apply to free lancers, if you're working at a 9-5 gig for a company you'll obviously be paid hourly.

MDM

jcFIG · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2001 10:06 pm

Toast, Jason Manley, jeffrey, Pigeon, and Cybertoker, thank you all for the very detailed and informative advice, I can't thank you enough for giving me specifics guys.

jeffery · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2001 7:42 pm

malachi, i don't think hourly pay is a recipe for disaster, you just have to do it right. i usually give the client a choice of a flat rate (with the acknowledgement that a fixed amount of work is going to be done for that rate) or hourly pay, with an estimation of how many hours it will take for each phase of the project. clients usually choose hourly, because it allows for a bit more flexibility. and i've never had a problem.