How to avoid high printing costs?

[Bad_Wolf]

Hi everyone,

Can you please give me advice about creating artwork (a logo) for printing.

This is my problem. I created a logo for a client. He wanted something special which stand out the crowd. I told him that it would be a very expensive logo and he agreed. However, now the logo is finished and sent to the printer, he said that the printing costs are too high because of those gradients which are in the logo. The logo needs to be printed on a 4 color printing press.

How can I make sure, the logo I design, can be printed as spot color? I am now thinking on using yellow, blue and grey. So how can I make sure that whatever I design, it can be printed in these colors only?

For the New Document option, which color model should I choose?

I intend to use blue/yellow/grey colors but will add some transparancy to create a 3D look instead of those gradients. I just design and draw logo's and don't want to be bothered with the financial side of printing costs. I assume that when I tell somebody that the logo they request will need expensive 4 color printing press and they agree, they know what they are requesting.

I realize I am using many sentences because I am very unsure. This all comes down on one thing; when somebody ask for a cheap logo, how can I prevent that the techniques I use in Designer will not need that expensive 4 color printing?

Thank you very much for your advice which will be very much appreciated. I apologize for not being clearer.

Chris

 

[firstdefence]

12 hours ago, Bad_Wolf said:

I just design and draw logo's and don't want to be bothered with the financial side of printing costs.

As a designer, this side of your work is crucial, you need to have an accurate pricing structure in place, clients want to know how much exactly your design will cost to produce and to print and supply. You need to talk to the printers you use and you need to cost the work prior to doing any work, always have something in writing, either via emails, txts or letter, don't rely on verbal agreements.

Alternatively, you can make it clear that you can produce the logo they want and that your pricing is for the design of the logo only, printing would be their concern. 

You have to consider that most clients would be reliant on you, as a professional designer, to know your business and this entails the printing process, talking to the client and saying something is going to be expensive is ambiguous at best and expensive to you isn't the same as expensive to them and ambiguity will quickly lead to an unhappy client. Give them options and pricing so that they can make their own mind up, invariably they will pick the cheaper option. 

[IanSG]

2 hours ago, firstdefence said:

You need to talk to the printers you use

Agreed - in spades!  I designed a poster for one of my choirs a few years back.  Everyone thought it was great, but I was told by various printers that they either couldn't handle the gradients or the predominance of one colour (blue) made it uneconomical for them.  No harm done, and I ended up finding a printer we're all very happy with, but if I was designing posters for a living....

[Fixx]

BTW, 3 colour Pantone job tends to be more expensive than standard 4-colour CMYK job, which is more expensive than simple B&W job..

[Pixel and Poly]

1 hour ago, Fixx said:

BTW, 3 colour Pantone job tends to be more expensive than standard 4-colour CMYK job, which is more expensive than simple B&W job..

Agreed! A print job with 3 spot colors plus black will be pricey.

If they are looking to save costs I would probably have one version of the logo that can be done in 1 color  and then you could also provide a full color logo for 4-color printing or if they want to use it on the web.

[Bad_Wolf]

Hello everyone,

Thank you all for your interesting and useful advice. I created several prototype logos for this client. They now want a logo with a blue waterdrop, yellow text, and a greyish background. When I count 3 spot colors. I do not use a printer myself, it is the client who chooses his/her printer. I just create that is all.

I will use the advice here for future projects.

Thanks again for your time spent on my request,.

Chris