royalties for t-shirt print

fisher garry

New Member
Out of curiosity I am thinking about creating my own t-shirts that I might try to sell. Just because it is ok to know I wondered about some thing. I wanted a drawing on my t-shirts. I am not good at drawing and I considered getting help from an art student. Would they command a one time fee and something more as for example percentage of sale or something else as payment for exposure of their art. Or is it normal with only a one time fee?

Nice forum!
 
It depends on what you agree. Standard would probably be a fee for the design to compensate them for their time and skill, plus a small percentage per sale. Without their artwork, you really don't have a product to sell, so I'd be generous with payments.
 
As Paul has said, for anyone to be interested you need to pay a decent fee up front, loads of people with the same idea as you come on here offering no up front payment and just a % going forward. Unless you are an already established business selling thousands of tshirts most designers will not even entertain this, as in the majority of cases they will spend ages making designs, hardly any tshirts will be sold and they won't get a penny.

For me a decent fee up front for my time and a smaller % of each sale going forward.
 
Yep - totally depends - some want a one off fee, others want a percentage, others want more.

The Nike logo was created by Carolyn Davidson, who was paid a small fee for her time during the creation process. But later was given shares in the company plus a solid gold/diamond Nike ring. In the end got very well compensated.

I don't often quote Wikipedia but in this instance, I'm not looking for accurate facts, but more of the story.

Davidson designed the swoosh in 1971 while a graphic design student at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. She started as a journalism major but switched to design after taking a design course to "fill an empty elective."[2] Phil Knight, who was teaching an accounting class at the university, overheard Davidson say that she couldn't afford oil painting supplies and asked her to do some work for what was then Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. Knight asked Davidson to design a shoe stripe logo that "had something to do with movement". She gave him five different designs, one of which was the "swoosh".[3] Needing to choose a logo in order to meet looming production deadlines, Knight settled on the swoosh after rejecting four other designs by Davidson. At the time, he stated of the logo, "I don't love it, but it will grow on me."[1] For her services, the company paid her $35, which, if adjusted for inflation for 2015, would be the value equivalent of about $205.[4] Davidson continued working for Blue Ribbon Sports (it officially became Nike, Inc. in 1971) until the design demands of the growing company exceeded one person's capacity. In 1976, the company hired its first external advertising agency, John Brown and Partners, and Davidson went on to work on other clients' needs.[1]

In September 1983, nearly three years after the company went public, Knight invited Davidson to a company lunch. There, he presented her with a diamond ring engraved with the Swoosh and an envelope filled with 500 shares of Nike stock (which have since split into more shares).[5] Of the gift, Davidson says, "this was something rather special for Phil to do, because I originally billed him and he paid that invoice."[1] Davidson went on to be known as "The Logo Lady".[3] In 1995, Nike removed the word "Nike" from the logo; the "swoosh" now stands alone as the brand's logo.[6]

Davidson retired in 2000, and now engages in hobbies and volunteer work, including weekly duties at the Ronald McDonald House at Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center in Oregon.[1]
 
Out of curiosity I am thinking about creating my own t-shirts that I might try to sell. Just because it is ok to know I wondered about some thing. I wanted a drawing on my t-shirts. I am not good at drawing and I considered getting help from an art student. Would they command a one time fee and something more as for example percentage of sale or something else as payment for exposure of their art. Or is it normal with only a one time fee?

Nice forum!

Apart from what is said by @Paul Murray and @hankscorpio I their is one more factor which will decide whether you will pay one time or not. If you are asking for fresher student than I think he won't ask for price as he is getting nice way to showcase his talent. Whereas if you are asking an experienced person he will ask for profit share.

I can be wrong with my opinion, but I just though to share it with you.
 
I don't think any young artist/designer should give away their work for free, they get to showcase the work whether they are paid or not anyway.

The advice I'd give is to negotiate a fair deal that suits everyone. Just because you are a junior or a student doesn't meant that you shouldn't be fairly compensated.
 
If you are asking for fresher student than I think he won't ask for price as he is getting nice way to showcase his talent.

There is 0 money in 'showcasing talent'. I would urge any designer of any level to walk away when someone offers them exposure in lieu of payment. You will get absolutely nothing out of it.
 
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