Basics of Graphic Design Freelancing

Basics of Graphic Design Freelancing
Graphic design degrees are steadily growing in popularity, but very few college degrees give a good, practical background for running one's own business. There are a few things to learn, the basics of which can be found at the Small Business Administration, but here are some bare bones basics to get you well on your way.
The first thing to do is secure for yourself good, cheap art supplies. Dick Blick is an online store that regularly sells high-quality art supplies for all mediums, and their prices are always between 30% to 50% below what you'll find in any brick and mortar art store.�Another place that caters to design papers of all kinds is Limited Papers, they sell custom paper sizes of a wide variety of quality papers, and they'll sell in broken carton quantities. That last point is essential as you must maximize the profitability of any given graphic design, and buying a whole carton of paper to produce one logo or sign is not the most efficient use of your budget. If you're a computer graphic designer, save your pennies and get the best graphics software out there, and get a decent computer to go with it. Adobe Creative Suite 3 is widely regarded as the top of the line total digital package for graphic design, and TigerDirect can set you up with a decent bare-bones kit that can handle your design needs without breaking the bank. I particularly recommend the barebones kits because putting a computer together these days no longer requires a computer degree, and is a great cheap alternative to getting one already set up.

Putting together a good studio is also important. A defined and separate workspace is often regarded as vitally important to continuity and originality of any creative endeavor, which the field of graphic design definitely partakes of. A separate studio will provide the optimal environment in which to work, protect delicate and expensive art supplies and computers, and may help to provide a working headspace from which to draw ideas. Any studio should have decently comfortable furniture with which to work, in addition to several sources of both natural and artificial light.

Of course, for most graphic designers contracts do not start rolling in just because you hung out your shingle as a freelancer.�For this reason many graphic designers take a job with a design firm for a few years before trying to fly solo, but even if this course is taken, marketing is still a vital continual endeavor.�You must be known as an independent, freelance artist before you can expect to get contracts. Getting a professional account on a website like DeviantArt, which provides an online gallery space and an account option allowing you to sell prints through them, is an integral strategy to many graphic design freelancers. ETSY is another website that allows freelance artists to sell their original works in an environment tailored for hand made art appreciation. Most graphic designers don't place their works in brick and mortar galleries, as those are generally reserved for fine art, but offering subcontractor services to interior design companies can be another way to get your name and reputation known.

Everybody likes value added services, and your clients are no exception. Offering packages for promotional pens and pencils or other items already imprinted with your client's logo or blazon takes stress from them, makes you easier to work with, and will probably get you repeat business. Of course, using these items with your own logo imprinted on them is a good advertising idea as well.

This article is only a primer for what is possible in the area of graphic design business, but by reading incessantly, educating yourself thoroughly on the market forces of your area and industry, and following these tips, your graphic design business should be thoroughly successful. Good luck!