Designers, what's your thought.

[cgutzmer]

You have a local printer that can print up a quality kit for you? Make sure its not laser printed unless you also plan on sealing it before sending it out

Now for your original question - Some designers stick to a very tight niche that they get REALLY good at designing so they can get them turned out pretty quickly, with a good quality and very few errors so they can get by without a complete beta build (or 6)

Roman comes to mind here Now this is MUCH harder to do with say some genres due tot he variation. Its going to be easier for someone to make a profit if they can design faster and still to a good standard (Plus it helps to have a wife like Anna around (small paper things) that likes it too and does repaints)
Chris

[chiawatkom]

This is very interesting thread. As an ordinary designer, who gave almost 100 models for free download with Papermodlers.com. This is not made for mankind or money but for both. In the initial stage, after my personal design & built, there are people asking for my models. Once I sold them then they come back again and asked for another models. I made it again and again until the Air Force asked me to teach the children. It was exhausted to talked to kids with the same dialoque for years until there are instructors to replace my job and further teaching this lesson.

My student gained good income from the event and exhibition, especially, when they went for a national exhibition.

I got both the money and reputation and soon there will be a book to celebrate my 30th anniversary. Paper airplane does not make good income but it make a man to be a good man for his society.

[ProjectKITT]

I know this is an older thread but still relevant. I wasn't on PM.com in 2010 to comment then...

Anyway, like a lot of you, I design models as a hobby, something fun to do in my spare time. If I'm going to do it anyway, why not post them? I appreciate many of the nice models that others have made available for free.

But at the same time I can see the point about wanting to recover something for your time. Perhaps a system that will allow people to make donations if they feel so inclined? I've seen some designers do that.

As far as design time, I don't even know. I worked on Ironhide on-and-off for at least a year, maybe two. Hopefully there's a learning curve and the next model won't take nearly as long. One I'm working on now is a train. I got the 3D mesh almost finished in about 2 hours, however I've attempted this model before so it could have taken longer. Maybe I'll try to keep track this time.

There are a few things I do to keep my expenses at a minimum. Besides Pepakura and an older, inexpensive version of Photoshop (PhotoDeluxe), the software I use is freeware. When prototyping I don't print texture images. I usually won't even print the entire model until the test build, when I assume it's finished. At that point I use a commercial printing service to save on ink for my inkjet printer.

I don't intend to sell my models. Not only would it be near-impossible to make it worthwhile in my case (I'm a perfectionist who spends too much time on things that shouldn't take so long!), but that's not why I make them. Like I said before, it's just something I enjoy doing

[Uyraell]

I intend learning a CAD program, and the relevant Inkscape and GIMP skills.

I have a few so far rarely seen designs in mind for two different series of Sci-Fi models, from unrelated universes.

Last night before bed, I suddenly had an idea for a model vignette/diorama I don't believe has ever been done before. This is going to be Naval, Interwar, and it will take me somewhere around 3 to 5 years to complete, provided I live that long. There will have to be around four models in it, plus backdrop and foreground drop, and one of those will be a very complex figure.

I know that well over half of the non-papermodelling public that ever see it will have no concept of the effort it took to research design and produce it. But again, for me that factor is of no account.
Getting the diorama/vignette produced and giving it to my friends and colleagues here on this forum is the motive, and has no negative display of ego involved, nor any seeking of ego-stroking or acclaim.

That 3 to 5 years is exclusive of the time spent learning the programs above.

To recoup what I spend in time, and resources? To me, an incalculable figure.
Others have shown what one can end up investing in terms of money, time, and resources, and the relative likelihood of recuperating some portion of same.
To me, it isn't about recouping whatever elements I expend in producing the model and getting it out there to the world.

To me, it's about giving back to and sharing some element/portion of the warmth, friendship, companionship, and happiness being part of this group of very diverse folk has given me. Thus, I don't ever expect to make back in $ terms, because I'm dealing in intangibles that I personally and spiritually value far more highly and see as precious.

Nonetheless: I shall learn that required to achieve that which I seek to.
And I shall freely share the results thereof.

Why? ..... Balance .....

Others have given to me, as written as "intangibles" above.
My nature is to reciprocate, give back or pass on to yet others those same precious "intangibles" as were passed on to me.
Thus I achieve for myself some form of what I have here called Balance.

I hope the ethos in my explanatory post here is easily discerned: it hasn't been easy to write, and has been for me a deeply personal experience.

Kind and Respectful Regards my friends, Uyraell.

[thorst]

Well sad, Uyraell!

[Zathros]

Uyraell, your depth of knowledge on every subject you speak about is astounding. It amazes me all the time. I know I'm not the only one who is impressed with your ability a and resourcefulness.