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$30k for logo design?

Andy D

Active Member
I can't swear it's true, but rumor has it; FedEx paid close to 1mill for their logo design in the late 80s.
 

CanuckSigns

Active Member
I'm not doubting the talent of a good graphic designer, but I've seen some logos that clients paid $10,000 + for and I really don't see what makes it worth so much more than something off Fiverr. perhaps years in this business have made me a jaded pessimist, but most of the general public can't tell the difference between a $10,000 logo and something off fiverr.

I've also gotten logos from companies that had a 30 page brand useage manual with it, and when I open the logo file itself it's full of lazy shortcuts like clipping masks, white rectangles over areas they couldn't be bothered to remove properly.
 

David Wright

New Member
My customers would balk at charging for design time on their sign. I charge but it definitely is not a line item on the invoice.
 

FireSprint.com

Trade Only Screen & Digital Sign Printing
Ya'll should take a look at his channel in general. He really does have some great content. Here's the full video.


While most of us will never demand $30k for a logo design, we often have a hard time getting $50 for a logo as well.

I believe the only real difference between a pretty good designer that makes $18/hr, $180/hr, or $1800/hr is mindset.
 

Pauly

Printrade.com.au
Before people start making comments on how "absurd" etc because they can charge 100k for a full package vs your $500.

There's a video on that channel explaining it in full detail on how it works. how they charge depending on their client and other variables.

Going by seeing some of the company logos i've seen on users websites from here.. i can see why some can't get $1000 jobs etc...
 

unclebun

Active Member
The majority of that money comes from the process of blowing smoke up a roomful of executives' nether regions to get the job sold and to convince them that this will make them all ultrabillionaires so they can take their golden parachute and rape another corporation. It involves coming up with the pseudo-scientific reasons why the psychology of the proposed logo will cause consumers/clients/viewers to part with their money/love the environmental messaging/subconsciously desire to become conformed. It involves citing focus group reaction and marketing studies. It pays for odd haircuts, piercings, tight jeans and lots of exotic coffee drinks without a drop of dairy and weird sweeteners. It pays for expensive converted warehouse loft studios and high end Apple computers with giant screens but minimalist appearance. It results in maddening files that signmakers have to spend hours reworking to remove clipped excess material, deal with outlines not made into objects and welded to the original, text that's not outlines, and a litany of other things.
 

Boudica

Back to "educational purposes"
I've also gotten logos from companies that had a 30 page brand useage manual with it, and when I open the logo file itself it's full of lazy shortcuts like clipping masks, white rectangles over areas they couldn't be bothered to remove properly.
Right?! That always steams me.
 

signage

New Member
He gets paid that much then sends one of his underlings to the nearest Sign Shop to deign it for free when they get a few stickers :eek::rolleyes::dog42:
 

BluetailGFX

Journeyman
Logo design pricing is also based heavily on the company usage. A company like a FedEx is going to reproduce that logo literally hundreds of millions of times, so the cost of the development and usage rights is different than Larry's Plumbing service that has 5 employees and 4 vans.
 

kcollinsdesign

Old member
I sell packages which includes initial research, a certain number of comps, and a certain amount of edits. I usually offer clients three tiers, starting at $350 for a minimum three comps, 2 edit rounds, 3-7 day turn-around; $490 for up to five comps and five edit rounds, and $630 for up to seven comps and seven (essentially unlimited) edit rounds. All packages include deliverables (source files, pre-sized .jpgs, B/W versions and whatever else is appropriate). 50% kill fee if I don't come up with anything they like. All rights.

Naturally, everyone goes for the $350 package, and 90% of the time I get the job done, everyone is happy, and I make money.

This is for small, locally owned businesses that usually come to me for sign work. I don't get big corporate jobs, and honestly, I am not set up to do the kind of initial research, market testing, and branding development that would be required for that kind of work. A full service design studio with multiple employees with specific expertise is better equipped to handle those demands.

Illustration work is handled differently, usually with limited rights.

The sign work is priced separately. Most signs I do only require minimal design work (basically a layout for production), and that is built into the price (sometimes billed as a line item on more complicated projects).
 

Anthonysd

New Member
The world is big. There are huge companies with high budgets, great graphic designers and crazy people.
 

IsItFasst

New Member
Literally from a customer this week:
Customer: Draw me up several options and I'll choose one
Me: We will have to charge a fee to redraw your images (he sent a bunch of low quality images/ideas)
Customer: You guys are a joke and I'm leaving you a bad review on Google since you sell custom decals but refuse to redraw my stuff for free.
 

kcollinsdesign

Old member
The only people that pay attention to Google reviews are homeowners. If you are a business-to-business company, I wouldn't worry so much (or at all).
 
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