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lonestargraphic · February 3rd, 2009

What do you all do when a customer brings in a shirt with a image and says I want this image on shirts and wants a price quote etc. I mean is it to much to ask that they have the image/design on disk that can be brought in? I asked if they had the image on disk and of course they do not. So they are wanting me to recreate their image for them. I know most of you charge an art fee if this is the case but I just wanted to ask what ya'll do in this situation where all they bring in to show is an old shirt they've had for years,then they wont even let you keep it to have as an example to see if you can even recreate it...But want you to give them a price right then and there.Thanks for the help.

Girlzndollz · February 3rd, 2009

Lol.. Heather, sounds like a customer to pass on. My first thought was, that design they want duplicated actually belongs to someone else. Someone created it, so unless it is a stock transfer for sale somewhere, by you duplicating it, that would be copyright infringement. If it is a stock transfer, someone has the rights to selling that image.

I wonder if they do not have the art file, since it is not their artwork, should that be the first question.

All in all, if they won't let you even keep the shirt to reproduce it, what are they hoping for? Miracles from you? Sometimes a sale is too labor intense to take, you could be marketing or networking instead of spending time fretting about this.

Either way you go, best wishes to you. =)

idelements · February 3rd, 2009

I thought the same thing...the artwork does not belong to the customer unless it was their artwork to begin with. But...here is the questions, will most printers out there reprint a shirt that a customer brings in without asking who holds the rights to the artwork?

Christine Mantz
Identity Elements

Girlzndollz · February 3rd, 2009

Hi Chris,

That is a question we generally don't entertain on the forum. Copyright infringment is a serious matter, and illegal. Just engaging in such conversations about those who break the law can sometimes encourage comments that are not supported or condoned on T-shirt Forums. As far as those who do it, get away with it, etc, it is not condoned here, and as you will see... many folks come right out with the fact that it is illegal and an unwelcome practice. There are folks who break laws everywhere, that does not mean it is right to do so, and TSF is a place of education, that is the focus of the forum. I hope this helps answer some of your question, and welcome to the forum. =)

idelements · February 3rd, 2009

I certainly don't condone it and for the record we will not copy another shop's work. More of an internal question I suppose.....

Chris

out da box · February 3rd, 2009

Charge them 75.00 for recreating the artwork,then charge for printing it. Assuming that it's not copywritten art. My customers almost never have camera ready art.

lonestargraphic · February 4th, 2009

It is a local fire dept,the image was created for them. Or thats what the customer told me,he said it was many years ago and he doesnt even know where it was made. I am guessing he isnt the one who had it made. I just couldnt believe that he wouldnt even leave the shirt with me so I could try to recreate it. I scanned it but that doesnt always work so well. It like they didnt want to work with me. I mean either you want the shirt done or you dont..

TshirtGuru · February 4th, 2009

I would say "go away."

RUSSGAIL · February 4th, 2009

Nicely put, Kelly

Madrod · February 4th, 2009

i would not copy it but, i would take the style and totally different elements and make a new logo that looks close but is your artwork. this also may take you less time then trying to clean up a dirty scan of the original artwork. your customer will surely come back for more if they know you can reprint without worrying about artwork.

lonestargraphic · February 4th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madrod


	i would not copy it but, i would take the style and totally different elements and make a new logo that looks close but is your artwork. this also may take you less time then trying to clean up a dirty scan of the original artwork. your customer will surely come back for more if they know you can reprint without worrying about artwork.

Thanks that is a good idea,But they wanted it just like it is on the shirt..

wormil · February 4th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonestargraphic


	It is a local fire dept,the image was created for them. Or thats what the customer told me,he said it was many years ago and he doesnt even know where it was made. I am guessing he isnt the one who had it made. I just couldnt believe that he wouldnt even leave the shirt with me so I could try to recreate it. I scanned it but that doesnt always work so well. It like they didnt want to work with me. I mean either you want the shirt done or you dont..

This is not unusual. I have an order where the original shirts were ordered by someone who left the company years ago. They don't know where he bought the shirts or who did the original artwork (I'm being charitable calling it artwork). I offered to make them a new better logo but they wanted the old ugly logo so I scanned it off a shirt and spent as much time cleaning it up as I would have spent creating a new logo. It actually looks much better than the original but I would never claim it as anything other than a touch up job. I'm still a little frustrated they wouldn't let me remake them a better logo.

(And yes I charged for cleaning up the logo. Usually I would have billed that separately but in this case I knew they would have been stubborn so I just rolled the cost into the printing and let them think they got the art for free.)

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What do you do when a customer brings in a shirt with an image and wants a quote (without a graphic file)?