Most skins I make on average take 20 - 30 hours. There's a lot more that goes into them than just images. (making them xhtml, completely revamping the look and feel while still keeping certain functions, etc.)

While I've never asked for 200 dollars for a skin.. I wouldn't argue that they're not worth that much considering most of the time spent on them. Granted, most skin designers don't pay attention to most of the things I usually do, but oh well.

and if you do the math, 200/25 = 8... that's not much. Think of people who do this professionally and need to make an income. :)

500$/25 hours still isn't that much IMO, (time wise, it may seem like a lot when asking them to do it.)

Anyway, just remember that it is ART, it is very hard to put a price on art.

You are right SirAdrian...it's not much per hour when you break it down. The real money is in skins that aren't unique and are for sale to anyone.

You keep on saying that, but either way you make the skins that you have for paid, say you charge 20 bux for a skin to download, but anyone else can download it..like extremepixels or something, But you charge 500 bux for a skin designed for your site...I just dont see how people actually pay that much for a skin..most the templates you see that come with a skin ( the xml file I suppose ) are universal..they take the same XML file they get anywhere and modify it just for that skin there making. Now every person is different, but I know PLENTY who do that..they just use the same thing over and over by changing around the file a little bit and making a few PS images..no big deal...now smacklan I am not saying your work is bad, as a matter of a fact I really like your work..BUT, it is ridiculous IMO to charge that ammount of money for something like that.

Sorry if some of my words arent in the best grammer, but I am very tired

~Curt

i would design the skin, install it for the customer and provide support for life for $500 :) - It's a competative market out there, some ppl will pay, others will not, but you have to be fair to yourself as well as the customer.

-b6

You shouldn't be making more at McDonalds than as a Designer... think about that. :)

Why not? McDonalds you do more work xD.

~Curt

LOL...now thats probably true! It's hard to pinpoint it down alot of times...I find it to be a negotiating process. I have done skins for as little as $75 and really lost my hieny on it. I do think $750 is outrageous, but that's just me. To take the basic CSS and change it a little, throw some images in isn't worth a whole lot I agree. But the one's that are very graphically intense and have some really challenging CSS do take a lot of time. BTW, thanks for the kind words about my work...we all like to be appreciated!

Yeh, I love the look of vbcore default site skin, looks like they have kind of given there vb3 a new vb2 default look using the purple colour. Looks quite classy.

I just like how they seem to have carried vb2 over to vb3 theme wise based on colours. Nice!!!

www.blind-fate.com/testboard :p