:(

Sorry, I don't know anything about that stuff.

Maybe $30 base for a button and then it goes up in $10 increments depending on how much detail is to be had?

Don't price per item, or you'll drive yourself and your client crazy trying to put prices on details. Estimate the whole job: how long will it take you (don't forget to include all of your time: eg. designing several designs for the client to chose from, meetings, adding the images to HTML if you're responsible for that, etc) and then multiply by your rate per hour. Give the client a quote (go a bit higher than you think, and if he balks, talk down, but don't low-ball, as you'll only make you hate yourself later as you slave for pennies, and set the expectation that you're "cheap". If he goes for the higher amount then yay!). It's tough to figure out at first, but once you've done a bunch of projects, you'll be a better estimator.

Thank you, Maija, that helps a lot. :) So if he wants a splash page, buttons and borders just do it for like $500 or something? I'll be adding a fee for revisions too, past a certain amount.

a million dollars and a cookie

or just a lot of cookies

^pretty much what i was going to say, it is VERY important not to price too low starting out, you will forever have people looking for "a deal" and its really hard to break away from that.
If your stuff is of professional caliber(which it is) then price like a professional.

I'd rather have the million dollars. Unless they're money cookies.

set yourself an hourly rate that you believe your time is worth and estimate how long the job is going to take you, then shoot them that price : )

Thanks for the input Mark. I'm a freelance noob so I'm trying to find my fine line between a good price and undervaluing myself.

but you could sell the cookies for $2 a piece!

don't sell yourself short here, tiffers

Mm... cookies. I want some Oreos now.

if it helps, as a tattoo artist my rate is $100 hr
as a freelance graphic artist my rate is around $50 hr but the price changes slightly depending on the project and who its for

Wow! I need to re-think this then cause he wants a custom illustration for the splash page.

if we're throwing custom illustration into the mix then we're talking big monies!

Ohmanohman. I suck at this stuff.

just tell them to send you a signed blank check

Hm, then 1 million would be feasible.

:D

I think I've got a better idea of how this works now. Hopefully he doesn't balk at my estimate.

Why, thank you, Esther. :) That will be handy!

YOUCANDOIT

and can i have some of your inevitable cookies?

Just be aware that most clients tend to regard an estimate (time and/or cost) as a solid promise that it won't take longer/cost more. So, make sure your estimate is a bit loose, if you get my meaning.

I get your meaning. :) Anyone else on this?

*gives cookies to Kevin*

I've had experience in that - part of what your client wants is basically 'decor' for whatever template he will be using on his website.
Minimum $500. I've had work similar to that sell at $600 and a Swede friend who designed such things for up to $1,000.00 - it's not only the time and work you are putting in, but the ownership of your work you are selling. (Typically unlimited reproduction rights)
I know with the economy the way it is - it's up to you to figure how much you're willing to sell yourself short, but professional designer's everywhere will thank you if you don't. :-)

P.S.
Is it solely for graphics or are you also doing his web template, coding, etc?

:) Yeah, basically web decor. The friend that is recommending me is the web master for the site but is awful at graphics work, so I'll be working together with him. I didn't even think about the ownership issue. Hm. Hopefully I'll learn more tonight when I meet the guy. Thank you for your advice. :)

More halp plz.

I like the blank check idea. Then we could go on a vacation to Japan!

also make sure to charge for revisions. Maybe have 1 free revision, and any other revisions after that is charged per hourly rate. That way, it'll make your client consolidate all the things he no like into 1 word doc. Otherwise, you'd be changing tiny details here and there everyday until he's happy which sucks bawls. they have no idea how tedious it can be to change things...especially for web.

without reading what others have said, this is what i would personally do:

itemize and find out exactly everything you will need to do for this project. then, determine what you'd like to set as your per hour cost (anything from $50–$100/hr is a good starting price). then, estimate how many hours you think you will put into this project. usually give yourself a few more hours to be on the safe side. tell the client this amount. if they don't agree to it, then that's that!

also mention there will be a separate cost for revisions that go beyond your original scope of the project.

yay! thats what I said......all but the revisions part DOH!

Yeah, I've already figured out the revisions! :) I've made my estimate so hopefully he doesn't go "Buh!?" Good work's not cheap, hopefully he sees that.

It's a KUNG FU MASTER! He may break my neck if he doesn't like what he hears.

Thanks a bunch guys. :D :D :D :D This helped tonssss.

I'm also wanting to get this book now.

That book looks all kinds of handy.
Do you think i could negotiate the price at the bookstore?

I'll give you $2!

It goes for about $20 on Amazon. :( I just ordered $70 worth of books on Monday. Dagnabbit!

I recently worked for a medium sized prop making company (them parks, stores, etc) and was always having arguments about this. Even though most of the jobs were $100,000 to near $1m we never charged for revisions beyond the initial work and clients were allowed to request unlimited design revisions beyond the design stage and deadline dates (so lots of nitpicking) even into fabrication, resulting in a lot of work done more than once. Boss once said, "We don't actually charge the client for design, no one in our business does that" at the same time he's complaining the design department is not a "profit centre". That's a lot of lost money ($4K - $6K just in my time on a job, not including the art director or the CAD people for engineering). I have no idea how he stays in business but the end may be near.

"theme parks" sorry :o) Boss also said we were not a professional design company even though we designed and fabricated finished props. Me: WTF???