Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do you need from a client before you can start work?
A: Of course every project is different, but the biggest things I need are information and communication. The more information you can give me about your expectations, the smoother the process will run.
If I am designing a logo or identity for your business, I’ll need to get to know the “personality” of your organization as well as protocols in your industry. It will also help to know who your competitors are and what things make you different from them.
Q: Will you sign an NDA?
A: Short answer: probably! Many of my clients commission me to create art that will be integrated into the scope of a larger project or campaign, and they don’t want the project to be public knowledge until they are ready to deploy it. If your project is market-sensitive or you simply want to keep things under wraps until you’re ready to unveil it, I’ll be glad to work with you on a non-disclosure agreement. I do still ask for the rights to use the work as a portfolio piece after the project goes live (or perhaps after an agreed time period).
Some clients simply request that I simply don’t disclose who commissioned a given piece of art.
Q: Who keeps the rights to the art?
A: This can vary from one project to another, but at a minimum, I typically retain the right to use the art in my portfolio, on my website & blog, etc. for the purpose of promoting my own skills and getting future work. Often, I do assign a client the rights so they can reproduce the art in nearly any medium without any additional compensation to me.
Q: Do you keep a copy of my art on your computer?
A: I do keep a copy of all the project files for several reasons. I use the art for promoting my skills for my own business, and it’s convenient to have all the original files in the event that a client asks for the art to be re-purposed for another project, etc.
Although I do back up my computer regularly, I don’t make any guarantees that your art will remain intact on my computer. I highly recommend that you make your own backup of the files you get from me (as well as any other important files on your computer).
Q: You’re quote is higher than my budget. Can you work with me on that?
A: Maybe. We might be able to look at some options of simplifying the art, narrowing the scope of the project, etc.
Q: I’ve seen some t-shirts that had your art on them. Do you print the shirts, too?
A: I don’t do any screen printing myself, but I’ll be glad to suggest some good quality printers for you. I typically let clients work directly with the printer on the order.
Q: I already have a printer in mind; can you work with them?
A: If you’re getting work printed, especially t-shirts, I’ll be glad to work with any printer of your choosing. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you definitely get what you pay for with printers. I’ve had more than one client think they were getting a “great deal” on garment printing (usually from a relative or friend-of-a-friend) and things didn’t come out so well. Just make sure you’ve seen some samples of your printer’s work — and samples of a similar type of printing as your project — before you proceed. The main thing is that I’ll need to know what type of computer file they prefer, and what version of the software they use.
