Photoshop clipping path: do it in-house or outsource?

Working with clipping path or image cut out is a time consuming process. Some photo might take 5, 10, 20 or even 45+ minutes to clip. If we consider the cost of an in-house employee hour, then we can easily figure out how much it cost us to do clipping path or photo cut out in-house.

Different country has different social standards and per capita income. Developed countries like USA and Canada, no skilled Photoshop operator will work for any less than $20 / hour. If you add the cost of the computer workstation, office space, employee benefits, etc, an in-house employee can end up costing the company as much as $50 / hour.

You just ask yourself the question - is it work it to do the clipping path in-house or its better to outsource the work offshore to some professional clipping path outsourcing company?

Most of the companies who are in need to bulk clipping path on a regular basis are already partnered with some offshore outsourcing company. They find it convenient to outsource the job offshore that saves them a bundle at the end of the year. Some small companies or photographers who require occasional clipping path job attempt to do the job in house. Its OK to do the photo cut out or other photo editing in house if the workload is steady and where you have an in-house employee doing other photo editing jobs anyways.

However, when you get an extra job, your in-house Photoshop expert will not be able to keep up with the volume. This is where you will find the need of availing the services of a clipping path outsourcing company.

Its not easy to find a reliable company to work with. You need to think about timely delivery and quality that meets your client expectation. It might take a few try with few different outsourcing companies before  you can find the right clipping path outsourcing partner. However, once you find the right match, you are worry free on on your clipping path future jobs.