3) Design work with less graphic details:
Many clients come up to the graphic designers and claim that since their design work contains less graphical images, it should not cost more. What they tend to forget is that it is not only the colors and graphics that is appealing, it is the ingenuity in the work that holds the value. An excellent case in point is the FedEx logo design, which is regarded as one of the most creative logo designs in the world. While there is no such graphical details in its logo design, the marvelous concept of using negative spacing to create an arrow between the “E” and “x” is what is worth the money. Not to mention, add up the time spent sketching and brainstorming, as well as the trial and error that went into choosing and creating this final design.

4) Time is money:
Moving towards the major concern, I believe that graphic designers (freelance or permanent) should be paid based on the amount of time involved in their projects. After all, time is money. Regardless of the complexity of the design project, it involves considerable time on every assignment. Clients who want to pay less on the pretext that the project is small are risking the quality of work. When a designer will be paid less, he will not want to waste a large amount of his time on the project.

I also found an article that really helps explain it all. Click READ MORE below (and to the right) to read it. I hope this brings some clarity :)

Article by: David Borrink

Understanding Image Resolution for Print and Web

Looking closely at most commercial printing, dot patterns or screens can be seen in graphics and photographic images. Black and white (greyscale) photos provide the best viewing of these screens made up of “halftone dots”. The varying size of tiny solid dots creates the tones needed for ink to represent different shades of grey. A color image is displayed with a set of four different color screens overlapping each other. These four colors (“process colors”) are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK). Their screens are rotated at specific angles to balance the screen dot positions. This reproduces photographs and graphics in their various hues and tones. Looking at a Sunday comics section in a local paper is a great example for seeing process color screens in action.

These screens are printed with a specific number of lines per inch (lpi). Most commercial printing is 150 lpi. Newspapers generally use around 100 lpi.

Pixels Per Inch for Images Resolution for images in layouts is different than the lines per inch used in printing. Images for layouts are set up in pixels per inch (ppi). A traditional rule is that layout images are set up as twice the value of the lines per inch for printing. Therefore, if 150 lines per inch is the printing specification, then 300 ppi images should be used. The reason the ppi is double the lpi is that line screen dots are created from pixel values at each corresponding location on the image. More accurate color and sharpness results when more pixel information is supplied.

A layout image can be enlarged and still provide enough information for each line screen dot during printing. It’s best not to enlarge an image beyond 150% the original size since the line screen will start interpreting a blurry original image. Each image will have unique details to consider.

Some argue that the 2:1 rule of image to line screen is excessive and advocate a 1.5:1 rule. In the example above, that would allow a 225 ppi image to be used for 150 lpi printing.

Fixed Resolution for Web Images Web images are 72 pixels per inch because computer monitors are 72 pixel per inch displays. Web images are set up in RGB format which is presented as various tones of red, green, and blue light. CMYK printing uses physical inks placed on paper. CMYK images will not show up properly in web browsers. Use a photo imaging program to convert a CMYK image to a web RGB image at 72 ppi.

Using Web Images for Printing – a Big Caution A common misconception is that any image on the web can be used for printing. This can lead to undesirable results. A 72 ppi image cannot be interpreted into 150 line screen without resulting in fuzzy, blurry images. Look at the image’s file size (listed on screen in a stock photo site, or by examining it within an image editing program) to see if it can be used. A good rule to use in determining if a web image can be used for print is this: can it be resampled (squeezing it down so there is more pixels per inch) in an imaging program to make it 1/3 to 1/4 its original size and still be desirable to use? If so, then an image off the web could be used (make sure you have permission to use the image!).

Article by: Erin Ferree

About half of all businesses fail within their first few years. One source of failure that is commonly cited by experts is sloppy or ineffective marketing. If your marketing materials do not stand out from those of your competitors, your sales will suffer.

The initial lack of customers and cash flow often causes business owners to put off designing a logo and marketing materials professionally "until they get a few clients" or "until they get started." Unfortunately, designing their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses instead of having them professionally created will make getting those initial clients more difficult and may result in a business that will not succeed.

When you start a business, you need to create the quickest possible route to business success. A logo & business card helps to create this by contributing to your business's visibility and credibility, two factors that will help your business grow and achieve success.

Many entrepreneurs choose to design their own marketing materials when they launch their businesses. It’s easy enough these days to design a business card at the local office supply store or online. Word processing software will also allow you to experiment with typefaces and layout. But if you do not have a good sense of what you are doing, you could cause more problems than you solve. Here are reasons why it’s not a good idea to put off a professionally designed logo and corresponding collateral materials:

Your business will appear unstable: Starting with one look then switching a few months later to a different logo and then perhaps a year later doing it again creates confusion for clients. Is it the same business? Did the store change owners? It can also give the appearance of a business that can’t make up its mind.

Your business will look amateurish: Using materials that are not professionally designed makes your business look unprofessional and might indicate that you cannot perform to or meet the standards required.

You will look unpolished: Not having a professional "look and feel" can make it appear as though your business does not matter to you. Customers may get the impression that you do not care about the way your business presents itself, which might indicate that you would not care about the quality of your work or the way that your work reflects upon their business.

You will look unfocused: Unprofessional, uncoordinated marketing materials can make your business look jumbled or confused. If you have a business card with one look and feel and a website with another, it can cause an identity crisis for a small business. Too many different designs might cause potential clients to think they are looking at two different businesses. It’s best to tie everything together from the start.

So, while taking the cheap route when it comes to your logo & business card development may seem like a prudent idea from a cash-flow point of view, it could result in your business never getting off the ground. It can also lead to your business folding when it would otherwise succeed.

If you think that you can't afford to invest in a good, professionally designed logo & business card, consider the outcome. How can you afford not to?