Small Freelance Graphics Pricing?

November 5, 2009 4:40 PM

How much should I charge for two small illustrations that will be printed on wedding invitations?

Times are tough, so when my friend asked if I would make some small graphics of two types of cameras for her wedding invitations, I said that of course I'd do it! I do have training in this area and have worked design jobs with an hourly salary, but I've never actually sold anything freelance. I definitely do not want to overcharge my friend, because it's kind of a combination wedding gift thing, and because she'll be doing all of the grunt work, making the invitations and doing the printing/technical aspects. All I would be providing is two little one-color graphics for her to use. I have many months to work on this, so there isn't any time pressure, either.

If it helps, we're both in the USA and I won't need to provide physical prints of anything, just the files.

How much should I charge for these? If I wasn't doing this for a friend, what would I charge? I honestly cannot judge how many hours this will take me, probably not many, so how can I give her an estimate before I make the graphics? Is there a very simple (and freely available) contract format I could write up to make payment a concrete and straightforward affair?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

posted by Mizu to media & arts (11 comments total)

Try real hard to estimate how many hours you will spend on this. Over estimate. Calculate the minimum wage X hours, and that is what you shouldn't go below.

Hoping more experienced freelancers will have some better answers.
posted by titanium_geek at 5:03 PM on November 5

If I work for friends (which I rarely opt to do), especially for small works such as these, especially if it's a sort of "combination wedding gift", I bill them at a reasonable hourly rate -if anything- and that's it.
posted by _dario at 5:14 PM on November 5

Two small graphics for a friend's wedding invitation? I would not charge. However, if you must, apparently $35-$45 per hour, my usual rates for graphic design are below US industry standard (I'm Australian). In fact, I saw on a (Texan) university website, illustration (not medical) including cartoons $90-$100 per hour.
posted by b33j at 6:35 PM on November 5

I'd call it my wedding present and leave it at that.
posted by Cobalt at 6:48 PM on November 5 [1 favorite]

Friends and family who I asked to perform photography (one friend) and make my wedding cake and groom's cake (sister), did so as a wedding gift. Because it was a gift, that meant they did not ask for any money. To say this as tactfully as possible, are you sure you and your friend are on the same page and your friend knows you expect to be paid for this gift?

Times are tough, so when my friend asked if I would make some small graphics of two types of cameras for her wedding invitations, I said that of course I'd do it!

When you said you'd do it, were you clear you meant for a fee? I am confused, because that sentence sounds like a favor, and you say its a combo gift, will take very little work on your part....and then here you are asking what to charge.

So, my answer is: charge nothing. Not to say your time/professional experience isn't valuable, but if it's a gift then it's a gift. And a surprise price tag for wedding-related favors seems a little tacky.
posted by bunnycup at 6:49 PM on November 5

Okay look. She offered to pay me right off the bat. She's also an internet friend, so I was surprised when later today she told me that she's decided to invite me to the wedding at all (since it would be far away from me, and I wouldn't know anybody else there, and so-on.)

How about I ask you, dear metafilter readers, to take all that stuff about not charging too much, and it being for a friend's wedding, and so-on, out of my original question, and then take a whack at it? I'm just looking for a baseline, average price for such a simple thing. Then I will use my judgment to lop off a discount or what have you. I'm just looking for ballpark here.

As a starving artist sort of person, I'm not going to look at anybody offering to pay me and tell them not to. And of course, I'll get them an actual wedding gift.
posted by Mizu at 6:59 PM on November 5

Okay, does this help?

"we charge an hourly rate of $90.00 for all graphics and illustration work"

Here's a more complicated method.
posted by b33j at 7:39 PM on November 5

A couple of hours at $50-75 per hour would be normal.
posted by rokusan at 7:57 PM on November 5

Hm. At the same time, if you're not a professional who gets to do this stuff for a living otherwise, you probably don't get to charge professional rates. I know one of my friends is a graphic designer, and if I asked her to do something for me for pay I'd expect to pay something closer to her 'commissioned artwork' prices ($25-$50, depending on size and number of colors). If she came back with "I think it would take me about two hours, at $70 an hour" I'd go get some quotes from REAL designers or at least check on etsy.

By the way, that might be a good place to check - I know of many people who got their wedding invitations or design work done by people on etsy.com. A quick search turns up custom cards for $20, custom wedding invitation templates for $50, logo design for $105-$125, logo + business cards design for $45... you can probably find some things that give you a good idea what rates are like.
posted by Lady Li at 9:01 PM on November 5

Ugh, sorry, I popped back in and reread what I wrote and I sort of bit some heads off. Sorry about that. Thank you for your help so far.

I think Lady Li is on track, because I'm not a pro and I'm not doing a pro's level of work. That's something I hadn't thought about before, and you're right. Thanks.
posted by Mizu at 9:16 PM on November 5

You can probably find her what she needs on iStock for $30 or get it via Etsy Alchemy for that. I suggest this because whatever you charge her is not worth the price of your friendship.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:35 PM on November 5