Hi you,
may I ask you to join my quick poll for my study?
the topic: your t-shirt and what does it say!
Please click on http://www.alley.ch/index.html?umfrage and there are just 3 – 5 questions, so it’s super easy and fast.
I thank you all for taking part and enjoy thinking of your own shirt!
Thanks and nice time
Urs
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Urs
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JakeThePeg
What is your favourite rock music tshirt?
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isleofHoodies
Hi all, just came across this site and wanted to introduce myself to the community. Look forward to contributing … Scott
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JakeThePeg
Hey Scott, welcome mate! Awesome logo too – what’s the URL for your site?
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isleofHoodies
Thank you … it’s http://isleofhoodies.com
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JakeThePeg
I have always had a soft spot for Rob Dobi’s Full Bleed collection (http://www.dobi.nu/fullbleed/ ), and also think Print Liberation are also a pretty class act (http://www.printliberation.com). What’s your favorite tshirt brand of 2009?
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Quakerninja
I have found that $200 is about the mark that separates the flakes from the serious clients.
That is still low, I would need 50 clients a year for 10k and thats a very meager salary to live on.
I am lucky to get one client every few months. I really don’t feel I have a choice not to compete in these contest, they have me by the bills as it were. I do have a day job but it’s part time. I blame an over saturated market of poorly educated new designers. If a band has gotten a fairly decent shirt for $50 I can’t really blame then when their jaw drops at a bigger number. For me it’s a matter of respect, it’s insulting to be thrown in with the same crowd as tee shirt maker dudes, when I have studied fine art, and have perhaps a high enough competence of art basics to warrant higher compensation. It’s dog eat dog same as anything else. If I do good work I need to have enough confidence in the design that it will rise above the herd. May the best shirt win.-
designkins
I charge around the same price as you … people just dont get it… since any and everyone gets on photoshop and mashes some brushes together and calls it a designed Tshirt.
There use to be this girl I know who had like 4000 brushes and 6000 fonts and she simply cranked out bad work that looked like it came directly from brusheezy.com and barely got paid for it – so why would I get hired to do work when they could just use her trash and pay her with trash… stupid.
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JakeThePeg
$200 you say…. how long do you think it would take you to create a design? About 1 day on average…?
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Quakerninja
I call that design time. The length of time it actually takes me to draw something not counting waiting for emails or payment. It takes me from 4-10hrs, but that should not be confused with turnaround time.
The time for the total project from the first “Available for hire” email to the final print ready, everyone is happy version. Total project time depends on number of revisions mostly, and can take from a few days to a few months. I am not that busy so I can afford to take as long as I need, some people will use a kill fee.
Sounds scary, but it’s a protection from doing work, after the print ready design has been approved.
No backies.So imagine you have finished a design as requested, and then down the road the client comes back with more changes. (after the initial design has been approved of course) If it’s a cosmetic change like, “Can I see this on a purple shirt, or can you change the colors to reds and oranges for summer” Sure, that’s an easy fix on my end. If it’s a major change to the artwork, what I call a total re think, then in essence it’s a whole new project as far as design time is concerned, and I should be compensated.
Tee shirts are not subject to the same strict guidelines, as other art projects like book illustrations for example. (They are, but Many times the client will be a first time buyer, and they don’t know.) So it’s the artist responsibility to communicate what the process will be, and help the client threw the whole ordeal.
I compromise on a higher payout for the sake of, I’m not a lawyer and I want everything to be smooth and painless for the both of us. This results in some situations where I get a raw deal from time to time, but in those cases I have now one to blame but myself for taking on a “red flag” project to start with.Warnings can include payment in “exposure”
Sometimes it’s worth it. My name on the new years blimp at the Superbowl, your darn right I’ll work for exposure. 12pt font on the shirt label, no thank you.I have a limited budget, means tell me your price so I can find someone cheaper.
Rarely do people come back with, you are $100 more then my buddy who owns photoshop, but I like your work let’s get started.You know that Negotiator commercial staring Captain James T Kirk.
I get that a lot to, no mater what the quote is, they (in my experience always cut it down to half)
So $200 becomes $100, I can take it, or convince them that the $200 is already a discounted price.
and given that shirts can’t be downloaded and unless they sign’ed away something with the record label for merch. That sales money is the bands money, for a new van, gear, hotel’s, beer, whatever.
How would they feel if I were to haggle the price of a concert ticket. It’s a fair price and that’s that, as far as I’m concerned.I will on occasion, do a quick project at a lower fee, very rarely, and it’s for things like pick a font, type the name of the band, and send me a file.
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JakeThePeg
C’mon dudes….don’t be afraid! Get involved in the conversation on the Tshirt Alert Wall – just register here http://tshirtalert.com/wall/wp-login.php?action=register and let us know your opinions!
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Quakerninja
I should also point out that despite the draw backs (pardon the pun) These contest do have a bigger carrot. What I mean is they offer a better payout then most people seeing artwork for use on tee shirts. Some clients are insultingly cheap considering the value they are getting for there one time fee.
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JakeThePeg
Yeah, that’s a good point. In your experience, what’s the average fee for clients ‘buying’ a design from you?
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Quakerninja
Hello Tee shirt wall I am Newman and I make shirts. I could use some support for a contest I am in.
http://www.metalinkshop.com/index.php?option=com_forms&gid=408&usrprof=member
If you don’t want to wait for a shirt My lady and the twins design is available in the shop.
Just so this doesn’t sound like an ad. I would like to hear about your favorite tee shirts, things you drool over pet peeves and so on.-
JakeThePeg
Hey Quaker, I just checked out your designs on the Metal Link, you’ll be happy to know I even cast a few votes
. What’s the story with metalink.com anways – is it similar to Threadless, in that you receive money if your designs are voted as winning designs?PS – if you want an avatar to show on the Tshirt Alert Wall, you should sign up through Gravatars (http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup)
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Quakerninja
Metal ink is just shy of 6 months old, it’s an adult clothing brand (the nsfw monthly model contest, is a great idea but may put some people off or on depending on how they feel about that sort of thing) It’s catering to “alt” girls and tattoo enthusiast mostly hence the gore themes red robins, skulls and tigers.
With tons of cutsy, artsy brands it’s nice to see something for the grownups. It is a contest, winners receive $700 cash and $300 in store credit, Other rewards may be won later on depending on what level of sales the winning design gets. Payout at 500, 1000, 10,000 sales and so on Similar the the Design by humans rockstar program.
The negative is the length of time the design is “for rent” to the the contest. Metal Ink owns my shirts for the duration of the contest I think it’s a period of 80 days. If a client were to contact me and want to buy it, I would have to turn down the offer.
On the plus side I get a greater amount of time to promote the design, rather then the 24hrs at tee fury or Ript, or the week at threadless. But with communication on the web being one twitter update away, I’m not sure if 40+ days are really needed to get someone to spend a second to push a button on the internet.
It’s a risk to work for no rewards, that is why some people pay not put their best design into a contest rotation, and why you see some surprisingly bad designs out there sometimes. I feel if the design has got my name on it, I want it to say about me that I am competent and know how to put together something at the least make something interesting. That and it’s a finished piece weather I win or lose. It’s something I can sell later or put in another contest, or print on my own. I think contest are worth it.
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JakeThePeg
That is a good point hey. With so many ongoing tshirt design contests these days, I think a lot of designers are just trying their luck at trying to cash in on some of their old or lesser quality designs, in hope of scoring a few dollars out of it.
As you rightly pointed out, by doing this, they are dragging down their own reputations.
I guess it comes back to the timeless principle – if you are willing to put your name on it, you have to be willing to accept the consequences.
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JakeThePeg
Yo. Be the first to post on the Tshirt Alert wall. All you need to do is register here – http://tshirtalert.com/wall/wp-login.php?action=register
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JakeThePeg
Stoked that Tshirt Alert now has a Wall that is even better than Facebook! What do you think?
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Charlie
I like Facebook better because there’s more people. But I guess this thing has potential to grow….
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JakeThePeg 4:52 am on January 24, 2010 Permalink
It’s an interesting survey – can I ask, what is the purpose exactly? What will you be using the result for?
I think also if you added an incentive, say a 1 in 10 chance to win a free tee, that you might get a lot more respondents!
Urs 10:51 am on January 24, 2010 Permalink
Hi, I want to see behind the communication with/trough a shirt. who is wearing what because of … and it’s for…!
The results will be used only in the institute. I will complete my student research project.
The incentive questions is a good one but; I live in Switzerland and if someone from the States wins a shirt the transport costs will kill my student wallet! So i decided to create a short poll with just 3 – 5 questions.
I thank all supports who upload a photo for design research purpose.
Cheerz
the quick poll link: http://www.alley.ch/index.html?umfrage