Question about print design

[mgriffin]

Is there a forum for questions about print design, or a good site to visit to ask questions?

I'm a graphic designer in the Portland, Oregon area, trying to research competitive, fair market rates for catalog design. I'm trying to do it ethically; i.e., I don't want to call other companies and waste their time getting bids on a "fake" project. Any suggestions would be welcome!

[MarcieZoob]

You might be able to find what you're looking for on Elance or Getafreelancer - some of the designers might disclose their fees by the hour or project.

[eightfifteen]

For something like a catalog, which can vary greatly from one to another, I would consider doing it by the hour.

I have worked on an 800-page catalogs where the customer had everything organized perfectly and had nice photos done, and I have worked on 100-page catalogs that were a nightmare. Both jobs were done by the hour, and the 800-page catalog got billed for less than the 100-page one.

Make sure that the clients know that the quality of information provided to you to begin with, can greatly change the costs of the design.

Just don't get trapped by charging by the page count without some clearly stated limitations and requirements to qualify for such pricing. Customers will try to play it cheap on the design side for such projects, because they know that the printing is going to be so much.

Good luck.