Pricing Gold Leaf work, need help please?

[Jill Marie Welsh]

Quoting directly from the 2004 Sign Writer’s Pricing Guide:
GOLD OR SILVER LEAF ON WINDOWS
Minimum charge per group order at 1 location…$132.00
Add for each trip charge in town…$35.00
Add special ARTWORK charges as needed for custom elaborate letters, multi-tone gold, abalone shell, watch crystals, multi-outlines, split shades etc.(I can get these prices too)
10 inch price per letter: (plain or with shade) $102.00
Larger letters use a lot of gold so price per upright inch $13.00
(this would mean that you’d add $26.00/letter to the above price)
example: plain 12″ letter with outline:$129/each.

Letters with 2 tone matte centers are more, as well as elaborate letters which start at $232.50/10″ letter.

I know this is confusing. You’ll have to convert to metric AND to pounds.
But Gold Leaf is a specialized skill for a reason, and therefore expensive. A small pack of 23K gold is about $35, and you’ll need A LOT of it. Joe Cieslowski would be good at coverage estimates as he does a lot of surface gilding.

Another non-traditional option would be to use reverse SignGold for glass, but still bill accordingly as per their price guide. I don’t think that this would be appropriate for a very old building/window/area.

Love…Jill

[John Singh]

Some good advice from Jill there Steve
Gives you some idea of costing

I can see that you’re up for this and I admire you’re determination.
A good book on loose leaf technique would be a boon

Jill some of us oldies still work in feet and inches and………………
what have you done with your eyes! 😮

John

[Mike Fear]

Have you considered doing it with the gold leaf vinyl ? might be easier for cutting on the plotter. I used some before for a bike job and it looked pretty much the same as hand gilding ( the stuff I used was 22carat and was about £75 for a metre of 610 if I remember ).

Makes it much easier to price when you can work it out from this.

[Joe Cieslowski]

Robert,

This may or may not help since I’m almost always gilding carved letters.

I price the sign per letter and double it for gold. As far as quantity….I always have plenty at hand :D, I honestly don’t keep track because the price covers it. Assuming you are doing flat letters…..the leafs are 3+ inches square….a 12″ letter would take 4 sheets average if you know how to devide them. Otherwise for a beginner say six…..for M’s, W’s etc say 7. (There are 25 in a book) I pay under $20 a book but I buy it by the pack…20 books.

I never used a price guide like Jill has……I’d be charging about $85 for a 12″ carved gilded letter……there I go, leaving money on the table again 😳

You are right however……experience will save you time, gold and money. But it is a lesson worth learning…$$$$$$ down the line! 🙂

Hope this is a bit of help.

Joe

[Robert Lambie]

Joe, Jill, john & mike… thanks a million for the help on this…
Your replies have helped very much already!
I have only ever applied gold leaf to some hand made sign foam letters
I did about a year and a half ago. I have to say I did like doing it very much & they turned out pretty good for a first go…But… it did take me a long time doing them.
I just learned today actually, that the signs letters are actually reverse carved (V-shape groove) with gold leaf, black background and a glass face. Ill try get a picture of the pub he wants his sign to look like & show you what I mean.

Suddenly I feel the s**t climbing up over my chin… 😮 (drown)

At the end of the day I know I won’t loose the customer, ide just like to give exactly what he wants, but at the same time have a go at a real leaf job for my own satisfaction/experience.

[Carrie Brown]

We have a local pub that has the signage as you have described Rob, looks very nice aswell 😀

Edit: :lol1: sorry didnt post any helpful info but thought I would just mention what I did …… 😮 sorrrrrry!

[Bob Cuthill]

Can you tell me who supplies gold leaf vinyl material ?

Thanks. Bob

[Peter Normington]

Cherwell supply gold leaf vinyl 22carat £35 per m @ 380mm£53.50 @610mm
Tel: 01280 840297
Peter

[Brian Little]

Bob your nearest supplier of gold leaf is ..James Laird & co (Goldbeaters) Glasgow …sorry i dont have the number but youll get it off directories …there an old traditional company great to deal with

Regards Brian

[Brian Little]

mmm sorry Bob i red your post wrong i thought you were talking about gold leaf books ..mmm..sorry 😳 😳 😳

[Jill Marie Welsh]

METAMARK UK Ltd Moorfield Rd, Slyfield Ind Est, Guilford, Surrey (1483)571111
PHILLIPS FOILS Ltd 1 Olympic Bus. Ctr, Paycocke Rd, Basildon, Essex (1268)288955

got this info from

http://www.signgold.com

(the ONLY real gold leaf vynull I use)
Love….Jill

[signworxs]

Rob as a guide I usualy work on about £8 to £10 per leaf for all applications depending on the prevailing cost of gold. That would equate to £200 to £250 per book. when you break down your cost in other materials and time to apply 25 leaves thats about right.