Technical Illustrators.org Forum

Another thread started by me, but this could be an informative subject.

How do the freelancers on this forum go forward with quoting on a job?

What are the questions that need to be asked?
Does it come down to the level of detail required?
What about availability of samples or photos?

I am fairly new to freelancing. I am in a program for technical writing; one course is on budgeting. We start our budget by calculating hours/per page. We then add multipliers to take account for risk, administration, etc... I know the exact same model can't be used for illustrations, but are there methods for calculating "unknowns" other than just tacking on hours to the job?

I'm sure you've read the guide to pricing technical illustration, so here's my new project checklist:

What needs to be illustrated? (Generally, in one sentence)
What reference material is available?
What style & level of detail? (Complexity)
What size?
When do you need it?
What rights do you need? (This one's more for magazines/ad agencies)

When I started out, I made my computer wallpaper into a checklist so I'd always have it handy if the phone rang. It's committed to memory now, but most people use email anyway.

Thanks for the link to the article James. I had not found it before.

When I was a novice on freelancing I also had those questions since pricing is very tricky, I came up with my own calculation. What I usually do is that I create a list of quotes with corresponding services that I can offer then I have a different list for additional works. And usually the client ask for an hourly rate which is also fair. Just go with what you are comfortable with.

Hey James,
I imagine "level of detail" is a key factor when quoting a project. In your practice, do you have a complexity scale or is it not that simple? I imagine the demand for detail would hover around the complex end of things, why otherwise would one hire a technical illustrator? Would it be safe to say the level of detail hinges on the detail of the source material?

@matt
You're right, complexity/level of detail is a huge factor when quoting a project.

The final size of the illustration is usually a good measure to go by. If you can't draw a detail with a 0.125 PT stroke, it'll end up as visual noise and it's probably better omitted.

If I'm still not sure how complex of an image the client wants, I refer them to my portfolio and ask which image is most like what they're looking to create.

Most of my work is actually pretty low complexity. Clarity = simplicity, especially in instructional and informational illustrations, which are my bread & butter. I think the super complex stuff in my portfolio helps reassure clients though. If I can draw a boat, I can draw a bolt, right?