Sample Estimate

My service is very competitive. The industry’s going rate for retouching work is generally between $80 and $150 per hour depending on the level of expertise needed/the complexity of retouching. On the low end, the industry rate is generally $10-20 per picture when charged per picture. Below are 4 sample estimates of mine based on projects of varying sizes and complexities. All project prices are on a case by case basis. These estimates are just to provide an idea of possible costs. My estimates are based on determining approximately how long it will take for me to complete different parts of the project. To keep costs as low as possible for my clients I have set different hourly rates for different tasks, which range from $15 - $75 per hour. After determining the scope of work by breaking down the different tasks and the time needed to complete them I provide my clients with an estimate range, with a low and high end. 

held dvd archive

Project I

What the client has: 50 digital files 

Client’s needs: Client would like 1 hard bound 8x8 vacation book (about 35 pages)

Break down of costs:

Organizing/Editing Time = $25

Retouching 50 Tier I images = $115             

Layout Time = $100

Cost of Printing Book= $54.00

Total project cost: $294.00 

*Additional books: just add cost of printing if ordered with 1st book being printed. 


Project II

What the client has: 200 digital files 

Client’s needs: Client would like 1 soft bound 8x6 baby book (about 50 pages)

Break down of costs:

Organizing/Editing Time = $50

Retouching 125 Tier I images = $190

                   10 Tier II images = $105

Layout Time= $175

Cost of Printing Book= $35

Total project cost: $555.00 

*Additional books: just add cost of printing if ordered with 1st book being printed.


Project III

What the client has: 500 digital images

Client’s needs: Client would like two books to be laid out and printed. One being a 35 page vacation book, the other a 56 page wedding book. Tier 1 retouching needs to be done to all 500 images to prep for best printing of images in books.

Break down of costs: 

Retouching 500 Tier 1 images = $1005

Time to lay out both books w/ collaboration from client = $225

(not all 500 images used in the 2 books)

Printing of two books = $105

Total project cost: $1,335.00


Project IV
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What the client has: 1,000 digital files & 60 rolls of color negatives

Client’s needs: Client would like all negatives scanned, with basic color correction and retouching, and then to have all images organized into CD book.  Color corrections & retouching are categorized as Tier 1 & 2 retouching ( see Services page). Additionally the client wants all digital files to be burned to CDs to be organized in the CD book. 

Break down of costs:

Negative Scanning = $510

Organizing Time = $100

Retouching 1,930 Tier I images = $3,870

                        50 Tier II images = $625

Total project cost: $5,105.00


Project V

What the client has: A large, unorganized chest of mixed color, BW, APS negatives, color & BW prints (at least 8 albums full), digital files on CDs and hard drives.

Client’s needs: The client wanted all of the material returned in archival boxes (organized negatives, & prints) & CD/DVDs of digital files organized into CD books labeled to reference the negatives and prints in the boxes. The client also request to have a family book laid out and printed. This project was broken down into multiple phases which were done over the course of 1 year. (The project didn’t require a full year but the client regularly added to the project as we went along and there was lag time, sometimes over a month or two, between phases). 

Overall there was a mix of negatives being scanned with no color corrections and prints scanned that were color corrected. There were about 30 that needed Tier III work done to remove scratches and damage to print.

Break down of costs:

Negative Scanning, approximately 200 CDs (about 40 frames per CD equals 8,000 frames) of negatives scanned = $ 1,660

Retouching of 535 Tier I images I scanned and cleaned and color corrected = $8,025

Organizing Time of 200 digital images added to archive plus all CDs of scans from negatives = $300

Time to lay out both book w/ collaboration from client (80 pages) = $ 300

Printing of 6 book = $430

Total project cost: $10,715.00 


Email for Estimate: estimate@pattiemcnab.com