Pricing rubric

Five tiers, published. Priced the instant you upload.

Every vector job grades into one of five complexity tiers. An automated classifier reads your upload and prices it on the spot — in credits (for subscribers) or dollars (for per-job customers). Two similar jobs are priced the same — that's the whole point of writing the rubric down.

Complexity rubric

VectorWiz auto-grades every upload into one of five complexity tiers — Simple (10 credits, $25–35), Medium (20 credits, $45–65), High (35 credits, $75–110), Complex (60 credits, $130–180), or Multi-file (priced bespoke). An automated classifier reads the file and shows the price instantly; the rubric is published so two similar jobs always cost the same.

The five tiers at a glance

Complexity rubric summary
TierCreditsUSD per-jobDesigner time budget
Simple10$25–3530–60 min
Medium20$45–6560–90 min
High35$75–1101.5–2.5 hours
Complex60$130–1803–5 hours
Multi-fileBespokeBespokeBespoke

Tier 1 — Simple · 10 credits · $25–35

Single-color, clean source, no surprises.

Single-color logos with text and a mark, clean raster source (≥ 800×800px), no gradients, no halftones, no overlapping color effects. The conversion is mostly tracing the existing shapes accurately and outlining the type.

  • Typical sources — Black-and-white logo from a website header
  • Single-color text wordmark
  • Simple icon or pictogram with one color
  • Sketch or hand-drawn line drawing with clean lines
  • Production examples — Single-color vinyl decal
  • One-screen black ink screen-printed shirt
  • Single-stroke engraving
  • Cricut/Silhouette cut file from a clean source

Tier 2 — Medium · 20 credits · $45–65

Multi-color, moderate detail, some judgment calls.

2–4 colors, optionally light gradients, moderate detail level. The designer separates the colors into layers, makes some interpretation calls about gradient handling (e.g. converting a soft gradient into a 3-step blend for spot vinyl), and outlines fonts.

  • Typical sources — 2–4 color logo with limited gradient
  • Sports team logo with mascot art
  • Service-business logo with subtle shading
  • Old printed material (business card, brochure scan)
  • Production examples — Multi-color vinyl with 2–3 spot colors
  • 2-screen screen-print job
  • Embroidery digitizing source for moderate-density designs
  • DXF for laser cutting with multiple cut layers

Tier 3 — High · 35 credits · $75–110

Many colors, halftones, gradients, real interpretation.

Multi-color with overlap effects, distressed textures, halftones, photographic-style gradients. Significant interpretation — converting raster effects to vector equivalents that actually print, cut, or embroider correctly. Not just tracing — translating.

  • Typical sources — Distressed vintage logo with grain or halftone effect
  • 5+ color logo with overlapping translucent shapes
  • Photographic logo with painterly gradient
  • Album-cover or poster art with complex layering
  • Production examples — Halftone screen-print separations
  • Multi-color screen-print with simulated gradients
  • Vinyl wrap with complex graphic detail
  • Engraving with depth-stepped tone

Tier 4 — Complex · 60 credits · $130–180

Photo-derived, full reconstruction, fine illustration.

The conversion is a full reconstruction. The source is a photograph, a painting, an embroidered patch, a hand-carved sign — anything where we're drawing the whole vector from a visual reference rather than retracing existing shapes. Fine illustrations with hundreds of paths.

  • Typical sources — Photograph of a person or pet to be vectorized as line art
  • Photograph of a physical sign or carving
  • Embroidered patch or woven label requiring vector reconstruction
  • Fine illustration (intricate filigree, mascot character art)
  • Production examples — Custom portrait engraving
  • Detailed mascot screen-print job
  • Photo-derived vinyl wrap or wall mural
  • Pet-portrait laser-engraved tumbler

Tier 5 — Multi-file · Bespoke

Bundles of 5+ files at once.

Got 5 or more files at once? Bundles aren't auto-priced by the classifier — email hello@vectorwiz.com and we'll price the set bespoke. The discount comes from the designer pre-building shared assets (color palettes, recurring graphic elements) once and reusing them across the whole bundle. Common for sign shops onboarding a customer or print shops running a recurring batch.

  • Typical sources — Customer onboarding pack — main logo + alt marks + product variations
  • Recurring print batch — same template across 10+ team names
  • Embroidery production set — main mark in 5+ size variations
  • Sign shop onboarding — the same brand applied across multiple installs
  • Production examples — Sign shop's customer brand pack
  • Embroidery digitizer's customer onboarding
  • Apparel decorator's recurring team-name set
  • Print broker's bulk re-vectorization job

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers to what production buyers ask before placing their first order. Question missing? Ask us.

Why do you publish the complexity rubric?
Production buyers like Josh Edick told us inconsistent pricing on similar jobs erodes trust. So we documented the rubric and built it into the classifier that prices every upload. If two of your files look like the same complexity, they're priced the same — automatically.
Who decides the complexity tier?
An automated image classifier applies the rubric and grades your upload the instant it lands — no human in the loop, no waiting. If a graded price ever looks off for what you uploaded, email hello@vectorwiz.com and we'll review it. The rubric is the contract; it's not staff judgment behind a curtain.
What makes a job 'High' vs 'Complex'?
High has multi-color, gradient, or halftone effects but the source artwork is recognizable as graphic design. Complex means we're rebuilding from a photograph, painting, or other source where most of the file has to be drawn from scratch.
Can a Simple job become Medium during conversion?
Rarely. If the designer discovers the source has hidden complexity (text the classifier couldn't see in a low-res upload, color separations that weren't apparent), we'll flag it and ask before continuing. We don't change complexity or price silently.
What's a Multi-file bundle?
5 or more files in one job. Bundles aren't priced by the classifier — they're priced bespoke, because the designer pre-builds shared assets (color palettes, recurring marks) once and reuses them across the set. Email hello@vectorwiz.com to scope a bundle.
Are revisions a separate cost?
No. Revisions are free until the file is production-correct. Revisions don't change the original tier; they're part of the original credit or dollar cost.
Got a file?

Upload it. The classifier grades and prices it instantly.

Upload at /order and the price appears on screen the moment the file lands. Subscribers pay with monthly credits instead of per-job billing; everyone else pays by card — same one-step checkout.

Need something custom? Email hello@vectorwiz.com

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Reviewed by VectorWiz Production Team · last updated May 29, 2026