[SDP]

Hello All,

I am in the process of starting a t-shirt business(very small). I have about 8 designs in which are roughly sketched out in Photoshop. Now, i would like to hire a graphic designer, recreate, add. clean them up for creation. How do I protect myself from giving someone a project and them not taking my idea and creating their own shirts or selling it some third party.

I noticed sample contracts for graphic designers; are there any contracts from a client perspective so the graphic artist does not steal the main idea?

I'm asking because I throught email confirmed an artist to recreate a design I already made and never heard back from him. Now he has an description of exactly what I'm looking for plus the sample image.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

SP

 

[Twin85]

If you are just starting out, that would be the last thing I would be worried about.

I guess you can write up a contract or copyright your designs.

 

[Sarsi]

Hi SDP, If the graphic designer you commissioned has to steal your ideas, I'll be thinking twice to engage him to help out with my work if I'm in your position. I'm sure a good graphic designer would be able to come up with more design ideas easily as they are equipped with the needed softwares skills to transform their ideas into actual work and they are more exposed to creative works than others who are not in the similar industry. They have seen more ideas. I'm not implying your design ideas are not good but what I'm trying to say is that a good designer will never clone others work.

There is a non-disclosure-agreement which you can get your designer to sign before you send in your samples/ideas but designers will need the finished work to showcase as their portfolio.

In my case, I'm more worried of outsourcing printers to print my work as it is so much easier to bulk print the ready designed regardless if the design is good or not good.

 

[DickTees.net]

You should do a little more research into and about the graphic artist you are commissioning to do work for you. There are a lot of hacks out there. Ask to see portfolios and get references when possible. You wouldn't pull up in front of your bank, hand your money over to a total stranger and trust them to deposit it into your account.

I am guessing that you located this "graphic artist" online, trusted them with your idea and got duped. For every one person that tells you that they are a graphic artist there are a hundred wannabes. Just be careful who's hands you are putting your ideas into. At the very least make the designer you are working with sign a contract to protect yourself and your ideas. The person that screwed you is a sad uncreative hack and is not representative all graphic artists.

 

[SDP]

Thanks for all your advice. A simple non-disclosure statement will give me peace of mind. Thanks for all your advice. You guys are great!!!!