Hand-lettering Makes Sense: Cash in on Old English
(Page 3 of 3)
November/December 1973
By R.I. Ball
Once you've got your alphabet down pat and a sample or two prepared, you're ready for business, and you've got to give some thought to how much you're going to charge. In general, it's best to go by the prevailing market price. Call up a couple of local printers and find out their rates...and if possible get a look at their products too, just to see how you measure up.
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It's best to establish a minimum fee of, say, 40¢ - 50¢ a name...mainly as a safeguard against that small persistent group which specializes in wheedling volunteer labor from the innocent. (If you've ever done posters, you'll know what I mean!) Possible factors for price adjustment will be your speed and skill, deadlines, size and number of certificates...and perhaps your feelings toward the soliciting organization. (Also, possibly, how broke you are at the time.) Be flexible at first, like any young business. Your rates will eventually stabilize.
Do you feel a little nervous about launching this venture? Never mind...start anyhow. Don't pass up any opportunity to make your availability known. Valuable contacts can be made through campus and local newspaper ads, printers who handle certificates and officers of various organizations. If your work is good and your price reasonable, most groups will prefer your fine hand-lettering to poorly rendered or mechanical substitutes. With a minimum effort on your part, work will start coming in...with a maximum, it won't ever stop!
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