Having a Graphic Designer create a T-shirt for you or your event is a widespread practice these days. For example, if you are having a family reunion or your kindergarten class is having graduation, getting specifically designed shirts is a fantastic way to commemorate. So, what should a graphic designer charge for T-shirts?
You can expect to spend between $100 to $400 for a good T-shirt design. Graphic designers can charge two ways: flat fees or hourly. The designer you choose might be new to designing and cheaper and take more time, whereas a seasoned designer could charge a flat fee and finish the job in an afternoon.
For those who are not ready to pay top dollar for a professional graphic designer, consider using Placeit which has thousands of t-shirt design templates at a far lower cost.
There are a few things that you must know before you begin your search for a graphic designer, and they can take time and effort if you know where to start. So read on and learn everything you need to know about what a graphic designer should charge for a T-shirt!
How Graphic Designers Set Their Prices
Graphic designers are some of the most versatile workers in any industry. On top of creating top-tier graphics with cutting-edge software, they can create pieces of artwork involving computers and elements of physical art.
A few skills that graphic designers possess are:
- Color – If you are creating a new logo for your company or the newsletter that announces your new business venture having the right colors is not just a matter of taste but of science. Graphic designers know which colors to use and how colors work with each other.
- Shape – Shapes are critical for any designer worth their salt. Knowing how shapes will impact the design and the project is one of the main jobs of the designer. Shapes work to create art pieces or a collage that would work great on a T-shirt or your company logo.
- Effect – The total effect of the design is something that the graphic designer places as their primary goal. The combined effect of the shape and color can make a memory spring to mind of your event or product. Designers know what effects the decisions they make will have on your event.
They might sound like wizards with Wacom tablets, but graphic designers are trained in schools like accountants and doctors. They take classes that teach them about depth and color, which eventually makes them into the superior computer operators that we all know and love.
How Graphic Designers Make Money
The most considerable expense a designer has is their time. They must decide early in the project whether they want to charge the client by the hour or the job. This impacts how they work going forward and will significantly impact the project.
The criteria for a graphic designer when pricing jobs are:
- Time – The first thing they think about is how much time it will take to complete the project. They often could get a deadline with the request, making their time prime real estate. Unfortunately, time is the only finite resource a designer has, and they usually charge top-dollar for quick turnarounds.
- Request – Another thing they must think about when going over pricing is the job itself. Do the client’s demands give them enough time to complete the job and give it their 100% effort? Sometimes if there isn’t enough time to finish the job, a designer won’t consider the offer.
- Event – Depending on the occasion, the designer could charge less or do the job as a donation. For things like T-shirt design, donation works are used as a write-off for the designer, and if they are interested in the event, they could do it out of the goodness of their heart.
Designers’ best thing is their ability to make it work. Some designers, those starting, will pay less attention to the price and more attention to what they can create and who will see it. Older, more established designers could see projects as stepping stones that show their high-end designs while still taking time to work with small clients.
Conclusion
Professional graphic designers work with software to create vector images that can be used as design templates for T-shirts. These shirts can be for any occasion and will feature a one-of-a-kind design available only for you or your brand.
If you are in the market for a T-shirt design from a professional graphic designer, you could be spending between $100 and $400. They will make an exquisite design that will draw attention to your event or make a reminder that could last for years.
For those who are not ready to pay top dollar for a professional graphic designer, consider using Placeit which has thousands of t-shirt design templates at a far lower cost.