SayoStudio’s Science Communication Pricing Guide!
To start, let us just say… we’re sorry, we do not have hard-and-fast prices for you. We hear you. We WANT to tell you our science illustration, animation and, design prices. And we will if you reach out to us with information on your specific project. But we know, you’re probably a lot like us. The first thing we do when considering a new app, is to click on pricing to see what features we get, and whether we can afford it.
The problem is, pricing science communication is different from an app. There are many varying factors in complexity, use, and licensing. But we understand. You want to know, before you hit “contact”, what the potential cost is. And that’s smart, right? You want to know if you’re even in the ballpark, or if you need to add a new line-item to your budget for next year. How much easier would it be if we just openly published our prices. And you know what? We even tried that for a while. The problem is, is that… pricing science communication products, whether it’s design, animation or illustration is complicated.
We know, “it’s complicated” sounds like a cop-out. But really, it’s the truth! And sadly, we’ve found, there can be a bit of sticker shock when our prices are posted, devoid of any explanation of how an investment in science communication will further your goals.
Science Communication Pricing Guidelines
We do want to help, and we DO really want you to be able to plan into the future. So, to give you some insight into where costs come from, here are some of the factors we consider when quoting out a price:
- Complexity — how many elements need to be in the illustration? Is it a single subject, or a complex process?
- Conceptual Development — Perhaps there aren’t a lot of details, but the image calls for a lot of creative thinking to convey a concept. Maybe you need more support crafting your overall message?
- Approval Process — How many revisions will there be? How many different stakeholders’ opinions will need to be addressed?
- Final Use — this plays both into final size, AND exposure. Just the other day someone asked me why a science cover might garner a higher cost than a smaller feature illustration, even if the feature is more detailed. The answer is exposure. There is a higher risk factor in the art on your cover, therefore you are paying a premium for an artist who you trust to deliver stellar results.
And, we expect that you, are considering the following when you come to us:
- Experience — Founder Nicolle has nearly 20 years of experience as a science illustrator and animator, working for the National Science Foundation, UNICEF, and more… And combined, our team has a total of 50 years of working to communicate science.
- Training — We’ve received science and medical graduate degrees, AND science communication graduate degrees at leading schools across the United States and Europe. We are committed to staying up-to-date with the most advanced software to tell your story.
- Science Knowledge — Our SayoStudio team members have strong science backgrounds and hands-on research experience so that you don’t have to worry about accuracy and understanding.
- Management — A little-discussed part of the communication process, is the importance of management. Rest assured that with SayoStudio, we’re adept at navigating large projects where different stakeholders have differing visions that need to be combined into one strong message.
Some Industry Pricing Surveys for Illustrators and Animators
Furthermore, you may not know that there is a lot of stigma to sharing pricing between artists! To avoid price-fixing, artists aren’t supposed to share pries. What we ARE allowed to do is to offer some broad ranges, and resources for you to read up on industry surveys.**Please remember that many of these reflect general illustration, which doesn’t account for the additional technical knowledge required for science illustration, animation, and design.
- Graphic Artist’s Guide for Ethical Pricing
- Litebox Illustrator Salary Survey
- Animation Guild Wage Guide
- Survey of Illustrators
- Medical Illustrators Pricing Guide
That still feels a little disingenuous, so we give-in. Here are some broad ranges for cost. Please know that we here at SayoStudio will always customize our pricing based on your individual project. After an initial meeting we carefully go through your project to price it. Please be sure to read the more complete description of our services, or refer to this image licensing blog post for background information on illustration copyrights.
Illustration Tier Pricing & Descriptions
Tiers | Description | Included | Price | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Simple Illustration | Base Licensing | $1,500 | Single Subject that is created to use as a highlight image in publications, websites, etc… If you need a single subject detailed enough to print large, please see the next tier. |
2 | Moderate Illustration | Base Licensing | $2,000+ | Single subject that is highly detailed for up close viewing and high resolution printing, or a step-by-step process with minimal background. This category includes simpler diagrammatic illustrations. These projects require background research by SayoStudio, but may also start from a basic figure that needs to be reimagined. |
3 | Moderate-Complex Editorial Illustration | Base Licensing | $2,500 | Editorial and conceptual art with one focal point, primarily used for cover art, hero images (websites), etc... |
4 | Complex Illustration | Base Licensing | $3,500+ | A complex visualization requiring conceptual innovation and composition -OR- one to three (1-3) subjects with a detailed background to show the context and tell a story -OR- detailed processes/diagrams. These are projects that require more background research to deeply understand the subject and provide the client more guidance on visualization and unique, innovative compositions. |
5 | Epic Illustration | Base Licensing | $5,000+ | Epic 3D Illustration, with many steps and subjects. These projects require the most background research to deeply understand the subject and work to develop a composition to encompass and convey all of the details. These projects are usually for highly detailed illustrated researcher figures, publication/advertisement spreads or exhibits and murals. |
Updated August 2023
Animation Tier Pricing & Descriptions
Animation Service | Description | Included | Price | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
GIF | Looping GIF | Base Licensing | $2,595+ | Simple looping GIF animation in an approachable, hand-drawn style, but with the scientific details important to your story. |
2D Animation | 2D Animation -up to 30 seconds (no sound) | Base Licensing | $6,000+ | 30 sec. multi-scene 2D animation for science storytelling, including storyboard development based on provided script. |
2D Animation - additional 30s | 2D Animation Add-Ons 30 sec intervals | Base Licensing | $4,000+ | Additional 30 sec. of 2D animation |
3D Animation | 3D Animation - up to 30 seconds (no sound) | Base Licensing | $12,000+ | 30 sec. multi-scene 3D animation for science storytelling, including storyboard development based on provided script, and 3D models sourcing and creation. |
3D Animation - additional 30s | 3D Animation Add-Ons 30 sec intervals | Base Licensing | $10,000+ | Additional 30 sec. of 3D animation |
Updated August 2023
Science Illustration, Animation Copyrights Guide
And finally, we need to be sure that you understand copyright. Did you know that HOW and WHERE you want to use your illustration affects cost? For example, if you plan to have us create an epic ecology illustration (one of our favorites), the default is that you may only use it in ONE place. That means that you can use your custom illustration on your website, but not necessarily in your upcoming book. If you’re new to thinking about copyrights and licensing, it can be a lot to wrap your head around. That’s why we wrote up a full guide to science image licensing to answer as many of your questions as possible. For your budget planning, here is a break-down of different options we use:
Licensing Rights Descriptions
Rights | % Quote | Description |
---|---|---|
Base Licensing Rights (Single Rights, Non-Exclusive) | FREE | Non-Exclusive Lifetime use of for one (1) purpose. This is the Base Licensing that is included at no additional cost. See common single-use categories below. |
Extra Single Rights, Non-Exclusive | 30.00% | Do you need one additional usage right? For example, you planned on corporate usage, but also need advertising? |
Exclusive to Industry - 5 years | 65.00% | For 5 years, you have exclusive use to your industry, so that competitors will not use the artwork. The art may only be re-licensed to others outside of your industry. For example, if you are a biotech start-up, a textbook publisher may use it, but no other corporations could use it. After 5 years, you the client retain non-exclusive base usage and all other rights revert to SayoStudio |
Exclusive - All Rights - 5 years | 100.00% | You have exclusive use to the illustration, for any use, for 5 years. For 5 years the only used retained by Sayo-Art LLC is for artist self-promotion (portfolio, newsletters, mailers and website), and authorship. After 5 years, you the client retain non-exclusive base usage and all other rights revert to SayoStudio |
Exclusive to Industry - Lifetime | 150.00% | You have exclusive use to your industry, so that competitors will not use the artwork, for life. The art may only be re-licensed to others outside of your industry. For example, if you are a biotech start-up, a textbook publisher may use it, but no other corporations could use it. |
Non-exclusive - All Rights - Lifetime | 200.00% | You have non-exclusive use to the illustration, for any use, for all time. The image may be relicensed to others for use. |
Exclusive - All Rights - Lifetime* | 300.00% | You have exclusive use to the illustration, for any use, for all time. The only use that SayoStudio retains is for artist self-promotion (portfolio, newsletters, mailers and website), and authorship. |
Exclusive - All Rights - Lifetime (Academic)* | 65% | Academic pricing for journal publications (see Rights description above) |
We look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions.
Reach out to us, and we’ll be in touch to get started.