For clients interested in using surface patterns on products, a licensing agreement is what grants you permission to use a designer’s artwork. (By default, the copyright for artwork belongs to its creator unless they’ve signed it over to you.)
If you’re a wholesaler or manufacturer who regularly works with designers, you likely have a standard contract to use as a starting point. If you’re new to art licensing, here’s a quick overview.
There are three typical payment arrangements for surface pattern design work:
A one-time, flat fee—no matter how many products bearing the design are sold, the purchase price is set
Royalties—a percentage of your sales
An advance against royalties—an amount paid up front that’s smaller than a flat fee would be, with additional royalty payments kicking in after that amount is reached
Beautiful surface pattern designs can make fashion, home furnishings, cookware, paper products, and environments even more appealing to customers. Maybe you’re opening a boutique hotel, bed & breakfast, salon, restaurant, or retail store, and you need a custom print for furniture, curtains, or bedding in your space. Maybe you’re an interior designer working on a residential or commercial project that requires custom wallpaper. Or maybe you’re a print buyer or creative director on the hunt for fresh patterns to license for use on fabrics, apparel, accessories, stationery, kitchen products, or home goods.
Pet accessories with surface design by Jessica Jones
If one of my existing patterns isn’t just right, I can create a custom print or collection for you. How it works: You describe your needs and provide a couple inspiration images. If it’s in my style, I’ll make a set of pattern options. Typically I mock them up on your product so we can see what they’d look like in reality. You pick your favorite(s). We’ll make a few refinements if needed. Depending on the licensing and pricing model we’ve agreed to, payment will either be a flat fee, royalty model, or advance against future royalties.