sharing graphic files with potential clients?

[MJ2.0]

I asked the Small Business forum on Reddit and no one's answering.

Basically, I've reached out to a moderately popular social media personality about helping to update his merch. He expressed interest in my ideas, and I'm in the process of getting some sample goods printed and sent to me. My question is this: I've thought about just sending him the graphic files of what I've been working on (with my watermark in the background), but I'm not sure if I should. It's possible he might take my file, find a way to remove the watermark, and then get it printed himself without my permission. But is that something people really do? I want to respond that I'd like to have a zoom call with him or his agent to show them via screenshare instead of sending the files via email, but then we'd have to line up our schedules (and he is quite busy).

What do you small business owners think? Any feedback is welcome, this is a brand new venture for me.

[geenamercile]

Jul 5, 2024 10:48:23 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

I asked the Small Business forum on Reddit and no one's answering.

Basically, I've reached out to a moderately popular social media personality about helping to update his merch. He expressed interest in my ideas, and I'm in the process of getting some sample goods printed and sent to me. My question is this: I've thought about just sending him the graphic files of what I've been working on (with my watermark in the background), but I'm not sure if I should. It's possible he might take my file, find a way to remove the watermark, and then get it printed himself without my permission. But is that something people really do? I want to respond that I'd like to have a zoom call with him or his agent to show them via screenshare instead of sending the files via email, but then we'd have to line up our schedules (and he is quite busy).

What do you small business owners think? Any feedback is welcome, this is a brand new venture for me.

I feel like if he did that, you would easily be able to prove it is your work, and have a easy law suite.  Email leaves a paper trail linking it to you, now if you were just handing it to him on a flash drive or something, that may be harder to prove. 

[jerseygirl]

Can you email just a sample or small part of what you’re doing. Put a big Draft or some sort of label on the sample
Think he’s being reasonable asking to see what you’ll be doing before the final and payment You can also say this is a draft and if he has suggestions or changes he can do this before finalizing

[nidena]

And to answer the question as to whether that's something people do...yes.  Not everyone but some will.  Expect them to, protect yourself accordingly, and you should be fine.

[MJ2.0]

Thanks everyone. I read up on what the best low resolution file extension to use to help prevent theft and watermarked the hell out of my images, lol.

Here goes - hopefully this works out!

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Good luck MJ!

[minnesotapaintlady]

This is just not the "graphic files" I was expecting when I opened this thread....

Carry on, I have no interest anymore.

[giramomma]

Jul 8, 2024 21:48:57 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

This is just not the "graphic files" I was expecting when I opened this thread....

Carry on, I have no interest anymore.

Ha. I was thinking the same thing.