opinions on source files- advice on this situation

[DesignStudio]

i know this thread has been done, but could i get everyone's opinion on a situation. if you're client asks you for sourcefiles, (complete photoshop files for a logo) what would you turn over? Personally I think I'm responsible to give files with editable text, so that I'm not holding the design hostage for phone number changes etc, but I don't feel like I have to give away the complete file, with every layer seperated. I know when I've done logo revision work for a company with an existing logo, I've never gotten a native file with complete layers. I feel like to some extent all these layers make up a pattern or blueprint of how I work. I feel like it would be too easy for another designer to steal any small part of my design- like a border or other feature and use it elsewhere. I know that it all depends what you put in your contract, but that is what I'm asking. What is the fair and ethical industry standard on this. I always thought I was just selling a design, meaning a final design, not neccessarily the blueprints to how the design is put together and created, and not a toolkit for taking the design apart and using any elements of it on other projects.

I'm supposed to send over the files today, so any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks,

[steve2112]

for a clients logo they would get a finished eps or tiff file from me. If it is a design then unless they paid extra for complete control of the design, i forgot the business term, they would only get jpegs with proof written on them. Legally its like a artists picture, they are buying the time for you to create it and the rights to use it for a certain job or time but the actual artwork is yours and you do not have to give it to them. Check the graphic artists pricing and guideline book. they have contract all written out that include those lines. Clients that request source files could be trying to take you finished product and making updates themselves or giving it to someone else to change so they do not have to pay you. When people ask for a finish file for printing, I give them a PDF/x1a with all the fonts embedded, no subsets, and it is all flattened and ready to print. This way at the printers they might be able to change a few things like added a period or changing a word but major changes are difficult. I also create secure pdf sometimes that cannot be printed through acrobat without a password. Some people are real sketchy and i make it perfectly clear what they will get in the end in writing.

steve

[DesignStudio]

that's pretty much the way i feel steve. i've seen alot of comments from designers that this is selfish or holding the client hostage. Frankly, i'm not interested in every single text change, i don't charge my clients for that anyway so i'm happy if they make them themselves. however, i feel like demanding the entire layered psd file is like buying a clock, and then demanding the blueprints and engineering notes from the manufacturer, in case you ever want to go to another company to have them build more clocks for you.

Other opinions?

[budafist]

You kinda answered your own question - You should flatten the layers except for the text - leave the text editable.


That way they can edit the text but they can't see your design process.