One-Time Creative Costs

Every project has its first-time startup expenses. This will include one-time creative costs for copywriting, design and production materials.

Design Time

It will take a few pilot projects of every different type of assignment you work on to determine how long something is going to take you to complete. Theoretically, as you gain experience, your completion time should get faster. I have found, however, that as I have learned more and computers can do more, I want to push the envelope. The time that the creative process will take to manifest itself is sooooo difficult to predetermine. There always comes a point when I have to say, "This is enough experimentation. These are enough client choices". I usually try to give at least two choices and not more than three.

It is best to ask a lot of both subjective, as well as objective questions of the client on the front end to determine their vision as clearly as possible before you ever start any part of the process. When estimating, break the project down in a step-by-step approach to get as accurate as you can with time. Remember to include time for concept development, project management, shipping and handling, pre-press dinking and file archival, as well as actual design production time. Then determine what hourly rate you would like to receive and tack on 15% in both time and subsequent design charges. That way, if you come in under budget and sooner than promised, you are the hero. Otherwise you are the goat and are losing money by the moment. Always, always, always do everything possible to meet your deadline. Openly charge a premium if necessary to complete the project in an unrealistic time frame. But complete it by the time you promise to. Reliability is such an important factor in this marketplace.

Subjective Questions:

• Client's vision?
• Audience?
Is the design piece catering to the masculine or feminine?
What age group? What ethnic group? What economic group?
• Color scheme?
• Other design pieces that the client likes or that this piece should emulate in some form? Why?
• Budget that must be worked within?

The answers to questions like these will take you to the

Objective Questions:

Production Materials
• Fonts?
• Clip Art, Illustrations, Art Materials?
• Photographs/Transparencies/Model fees/Stock photos?
• Scans/Photo CD?
• Bar Codes (books and retail products)?
• CIP data (books)?
• Archiving media (Zips, Jazz, CDs)?
• Separations, Proofs?
• Components such as packaging, product samples, accompanying CDs, program disks, video or audio tapes?
• Shipping and Courier Services?
• Phone Calls

Printer Quote
Printer costs must be figured in to the first printing and also every subsequent printing. These will not be part of the one-time costs, but will need to be bid upon each time the project is printed. Contact two or three printers with the same information to compare quotes. Get examples of their work and find out how much time it will take them to complete the job. Lowest bid is not always the best way to choose a printer. Some printers are set up to be most efficient to print two colors, some four, some as a low quantity, print-on-demand resource. Ask them what their specialty is and where they are most competitive. Keep a printer resource library to go to as needed. Using an interstate or international printer can sometimes make sense, if there is time to deal with the distance and the cost for shipping is figured into the quote.

Information the printer will need to give a quote:
• Size and Format, Sides to be Printed
• Number of Colors and Bleeds
• Type of Paper
• Quantity of Printed Pieces
• Versioning, Variations and Personalization
• Bindery, Folding, Perforations
• Quantity Discounts

A professional designer should be able to negotiate with their service providers to get a trade discount for services. It is up to you to pass on the discount, or add it back into the client quote. Remember, if you are a freelancer, you have to figure in your overhead, "run-and-fetch" time, project management time, billing time, and gross receipts, self-employment and personal tax management in your design quote. Sometimes, it is easier to let this discount cover those types of expenses. It usually runs about 15%, and it is required to be broken-out as income on your taxes. I don't know much about the intricacies of the tax structure, so ask your accountant how to conform to tax laws.