The scope you choose today sets every other price in this wizard. Rush fees, ownership multipliers, revision fees, and concept fees all stack on top of this base. Choose accurately.

Simple Logo Only — $750–$1,500

One mark, delivered in final formats. Black, white, and color versions. No brand guide, no variations, no templates. Best for: solo entrepreneurs, side projects, personal brands, or clients with a small budget who just need a professional mark. Don't undersell this — a well-executed logo mark is a real deliverable.

Logo + Basic Brand Guide — $2,000–$4,000

The most common scope for independent creative work. A logo mark plus the tools the client needs to use it consistently: color palette with hex codes, typography selection, basic usage rules. Prevents the "can you just make it work for Instagram?" follow-up calls. This is what most growing businesses actually need.

Full Brand Identity System — $5,000–$10,000

A complete brand toolkit. Logo plus all variations, a comprehensive guide covering every use case, templates for business cards, letterhead, social, email signatures. Everything a business needs to look consistent across every touchpoint. This is a significant engagement — price it like one.

Corporate / Enterprise — $15,000+

Multi-stakeholder projects, complex organizations, sub-brand systems, signage and environmental specs, internal governance documents, multiple presentation rounds. These projects have longer timelines, more revision cycles, and more people involved in every decision. Never underquote enterprise work. Their legal team alone will cost more than your fee.

Factors that should raise your price:

— Client is in a high-revenue industry (finance, tech, healthcare, law)
— The mark will be trademarked (your work has long-term legal value)
— Timeline is compressed
— Multiple decision-makers / committee approvals
— You're early in talks and the client is price-shopping

Adjust the suggested price below after selecting your scope. The suggested number is a market baseline — your actual rate should reflect your experience, your market, and the specific client.

// Never price a logo based on how long it takes to draw. Price it on the value it creates for the business. A great logo mark is worth thousands of dollars in brand recognition over a 5-10 year lifespan.

A license term is not a formality — it's leverage. Every year that passes is another year your work has proven its value in the market. When a license expires, you have the right to renew at a higher rate, decline to renew, or convert to full ownership for a separate fee.

Standard term pricing multipliers:

1-year license: Base fee — no multiplier. Standard for new relationships, smaller clients, and startups. Natural annual renewal creates a touchpoint for rate increases.

2–3 year license: Base fee × 1.15 — Roughly 15% more than the 1-year rate. The client gets stability. You get a slightly larger payment and fewer renewal conversations.

5-year license: Base fee × 1.30 — 30% above base. Appropriate for established businesses with a stable brand direction. Charge more because you're giving up 5 years of renewal leverage.

Perpetual license: Base fee × 2.5 — Close to full ownership in practice. Charge accordingly. A perpetual license is the last time you'll ever get paid for this work in this context.

What happens when a logo license expires?

The client is required to stop using the mark until a renewal is signed. In practice, most won't stop on their own — you need to track the expiration date and reach out proactively. Set a calendar reminder 60 days before the expiration date. Frame it as a service: "Your logo license is coming up for renewal — here's what continuing looks like."

Rate at renewal: A 10–20% increase at renewal is completely standard. Your work has now been proven in market, your reputation may have grown, and the cost of rebuilding the brand from scratch is far higher than a renewal fee. Good clients understand this. Difficult clients will argue — which tells you something useful about the relationship.

What if they just... keep using it without renewing? That is copyright infringement. It is not a gray area. Your contract makes this explicit. If it happens, you have a paper trail and legal standing.

// The longer the term, the more flexibility you give up. Price every year of that flexibility. You earned it.

This is the most financially consequential decision in this contract.

Full Ownership (Copyright Assignment):

The client buys the design and all rights to it — permanently. They can use it anywhere, modify it, license it to others, sell the company and the logo goes with it. You give up every future right to this work. Standard premium: 2–3x your base design fee.

Why so much more? Because you're not just selling the design — you're selling every future use of it, forever. Think about the Nike swoosh. The designer was paid $35. Nike's logo is now worth billions. Full ownership means the client captures all of that future value. Price like it.

Licensed Use (You Keep Copyright):

The client gets permission to use the logo for an agreed period. You keep the copyright. When the license expires, you can renew it (at a higher rate), decline to renew, or convert to full ownership for a separate fee. Base fee — term multiplier applied in the next step.

This is the artist-protective default. It keeps your long-term leverage intact and creates an ongoing client relationship with renewal revenue.

What clients want to hear about licensing:

"You'll have the right to use this logo across all your materials for the agreed term. At renewal, we'll revisit the arrangement — most clients simply renew. You're not renting it, you're licensing it — like software. The distinction is a legal one that protects both of us."

If a client pushes back on licensing:

Full ownership is available — at 2.5x the base rate. That's not punitive — it's reflective of what you're actually giving up. If they want to own it outright, they pay for that right.

// Most clients don't actually need full ownership — they need the right to use the logo consistently and without restriction. Licensing covers that. Full ownership is for clients who want to remove you from the equation entirely — and that has a price.

Work made for fun vs. work made on commission are different things.

When you sell existing work, you're selling something you already own completely — no revisions, no brief to follow, no client feedback built in. That's actually a stronger position than a commission. Price it like it.

What are you actually selling?

— Physical original: The physical object. Unless you explicitly transfer copyright, you keep it. The buyer owns the thing, not the right to reproduce it.

— Digital file / print rights: You're selling the right to print or use the file. Be specific about how many prints, what sizes, what uses.

— Full copyright transfer: They own the image entirely — can reproduce it, license it, use it commercially. Charge significantly more for this.

Time already spent: The fact that you made this work for fun doesn't mean it has no value. If anything, it means you made it without constraints — that's often the best work. Don't discount it because of how it was made. Price it on what it's worth to the buyer.

Delivery is instant — that's a feature, not a reason to charge less. You're selling a finished, proven piece. No waiting, no revisions, no risk. That has value.

// The contract protects both parties. Even for a simple sale, having it in writing prevents "I thought I could use this on my website" conversations later.

Editorial (magazine, newspaper, online article):
Spot illustration: $150–$400 · Half-page: $400–$900 · Full-page: $800–$2,000 · Cover: $1,200–$3,500+

Advertising & Commercial:
Web/social (small brand): $500–$1,500 · National print ad: $3,000–$10,000+ · Product packaging (national): $2,500–$8,000+

Merchandise:
T-shirt (small run under 500): $400–$1,200 · T-shirt (1,000+ units): $1,200–$4,000+

Publishing:
Children's book (indie press): $1,500–$5,000 · Traditional publisher: $4,000–$15,000+ · Book cover: $1,500–$5,000+

Personal commission: $150–$600 depending on complexity.

// Never price on how long it takes. Price on the value it creates and the rights you're transferring. Time is a floor, not a ceiling.

Non-exclusive license: You can license the same work (or similar work) to other clients. This is the default for most illustration. Standard rate applies.

Exclusive license: The client is buying the right to be the only one using this work for the license period. You cannot license the same image to anyone else. This has real commercial value — and that value should be reflected in the fee.

Exclusivity premium: add 50–200% to base fee depending on the market and the term. A one-year exclusive for a regional brand is very different from a five-year exclusive for a national product.

Category exclusivity: A middle-ground option — exclusive in one industry or product category, non-exclusive everywhere else. Example: "exclusive for use on coffee packaging for 2 years." You can still license the work to a clothing brand. Charge 25–75% premium for category exclusivity.

// Exclusivity locks you out of the market for that image. If they want that protection, they pay for it. If they don't want to pay for it, they don't get it.

Licensing is how you get paid multiple times for work you created once. Every use has a value — define it before you agree to it.

Apparel & Merchandise:

T-shirt / apparel design, small run (under 250 units): $250 – $600

T-shirt / apparel design, mid run (250–1,000 units): $600 – $1,500

T-shirt / apparel design, large run (1,000+ units): $1,500 – $4,000+

Accessories (bags, hats, patches, pins): $200 – $800 per design

Home goods / décor (mugs, prints, textiles): $300 – $1,200

Stationery / greeting cards (single design): $150 – $500

Digital & Web:

Website use (1 year, single site): $300 – $900

Social media use (1 year, all platforms): $400 – $1,200

Mobile app / software UI (1 year): $500 – $2,000

Digital advertising (campaign, 6 months): $600 – $2,500

Email marketing use (1 year): $200 – $600

Publishing:

Book interior illustration (indie press): $100 – $400 per image

Book cover (self-published / indie): $300 – $1,000

Book cover (traditional publisher, one edition): $1,200 – $3,500

Magazine interior (one issue): $200 – $600

Magazine cover: $800 – $3,000+

Physical products & packaging:

Product label / packaging (small brand, regional): $500 – $1,500

Product packaging (national distribution): $1,500 – $5,000+

Toy / collectible (limited run): $500 – $2,000 + royalty

Royalty model — when it applies:

Merchandise royalties: 10–15% of gross sales is industry standard. Some artists negotiate 8% minimum with escalating tiers (8% up to $10k sales, 12% above). Always define "gross sales" explicitly — net vs. gross is a common dispute.

Publishing royalties: 5–10% of cover price for illustrated books. Traditional publishers often bundle illustrator and author royalties — negotiate your cut separately.

Advance against royalties: $500 – $5,000 upfront, recouped before royalties flow. Get it in writing.

Territory pricing:

US rights only: base rate. Add 25–50% per major territory (EU, UK, APAC). Worldwide rights: 2–3x the US rate. Never grant worldwide rights at the same price as US-only.

Exclusivity premium:

Non-exclusive (you can license to others): base rate. Exclusive within industry / category: 50–75% premium. Fully exclusive worldwide: 100–150% premium. Timed exclusivity (exclusive for 1 year, then open): a smaller premium is fair.

Nonprofit & fundraising:

Event / campaign use: $250 – $750 voluntary contribution minimum. Include a commercial trigger clause — if they ever sell products with the work for profit, full commercial rates apply automatically.

// Always define: territory, duration, medium, quantity, and exclusivity. "Unlimited" without these four defined is not a license — it's a blank check. Never sign off on unlimited use.

Flat licensing fee — One payment, agreed upfront, tied to the license term. You know exactly what you're getting. Good for: shorter license terms, smaller clients, situations where you want certainty over potential upside. Most common for independent artists.

Royalty model — You get a percentage of every sale. Industry standard for merchandise licensing is 10–15% of gross sales. This can be significantly more valuable than a flat fee if the product sells well — but it requires tracking, trust, and sometimes auditing. Best for: merchandise, apparel, and products with real sales potential.

Flat fee + royalty — A guaranteed floor (flat fee) plus upside participation (royalty above a threshold). Protects you if sales are slow while rewarding you if they're not. Example: $500 flat fee, then 10% royalty after the client recoups $2,000 in sales. Best structure for merchandise with uncertain sales potential.

Voluntary donation — For genuine nonprofits where you want to contribute. Set a fair floor — even goodwill has a value. Include a trigger clause: if the work is ever used commercially, full licensing fees apply automatically. Don't let "nonprofit" become a permanent free license.

When royalties are better than a flat fee:

— The product has real commercial potential
— The client is established and financially transparent
— You can verify sales numbers (get audit rights in writing)
— The expected royalty over 1–2 years would exceed the flat fee offer

When flat fees are better:

— You can't verify sales
— The client is new or small
— You need certainty over upside
— The license term is short

// Royalties are how artists get paid multiple times for work they did once. But only if the contract is tight and the client is honest. Get audit rights in writing or stick to flat fees.

Non-exclusive: The default for most licensing. You can license the same artwork to multiple buyers. Standard rate applies.

Exclusive: They're the only company in the world allowed to use this artwork during the license term. You can't license it to their competitors or anyone else. This is a significant restriction on your business — charge accordingly. Add 75–200% to the base licensing fee.

Category exclusivity: Exclusive in their industry or product type only. You can still license the work outside that category. Example: exclusive for brewery merchandise, non-exclusive everywhere else. Add 30–75% premium.

Also consider: unit caps. Even on a flat-fee license, defining a maximum print run or unit count protects you if the product becomes wildly successful. Above the cap, they negotiate a new license or pay a per-unit royalty.

// A licensee who wants exclusivity is telling you the work has real commercial value. Price it like it does.

A retainer is guaranteed income in exchange for guaranteed availability. Price it like both of those things have real value — because they do.

Hourly rates by discipline and experience:

Graphic designer, entry (0–2 years): $35 – $60/hr

Graphic designer, mid (3–6 years): $65 – $110/hr

Graphic designer, senior (7+ years): $110 – $175/hr

Brand designer / strategist: $100 – $200/hr

Illustrator, editorial / commercial: $75 – $150/hr

Art director / creative director: $125 – $250+/hr

Web / UI designer: $85 – $175/hr

Copywriter / content strategist: $65 – $150/hr

Motion designer / animator: $85 – $175/hr

Monthly retainer ranges by commitment level:

Advisory / light support (under 5 hrs/mo): $300 – $600/mo — Brand oversight, quick reviews, one-off assets.

Part-time support (5–10 hrs/mo): $600 – $1,200/mo — Regular deliverables, social content, minor updates.

Regular work (10–20 hrs/mo): $1,200 – $2,800/mo — Consistent design support, campaigns, ongoing brand work.

Heavy involvement (20–40 hrs/mo): $2,800 – $6,500+/mo — Near-embedded creative, multiple projects running simultaneously.

Full creative partnership (40+ hrs/mo): $5,000 – $12,000+/mo — Essentially a fractional creative director or in-house designer. At this level, compare against the cost of a full-time hire.

How to structure retainer pricing:

— Start with your standard hourly rate
— Multiply by estimated monthly hours
— Apply a 10–15% retainer discount if and only if the client pays on time, every time
— Never give the discount upfront — earn it over 2–3 months of reliable payment

What the retainer fee should cover:

— Your available hours for that month
— Response time guarantee (e.g., within 24 business hours)
— Any project management overhead
— Priority scheduling over non-retainer clients

Unused hours policy:

Standard industry practice: unused hours do not roll over. The retainer fee is for availability and priority, not just for delivered work. A client who uses 4 of their 15 included hours still pays the full retainer. If they push back on this, remind them they're paying for your availability, not just your output.

When to raise your rate:

— At contract renewal (always)
— When scope has expanded beyond the original agreement
— When you take on a significant new client (your time is finite — price accordingly)
— Annually, as a baseline — 5–15% per year is completely standard

Red flags in retainer clients:

— Consistently exceeds the hour limit without acknowledging it
— Late payments on a recurring basis
— Treats the retainer as an "on-call for anything" arrangement
— Asks for work outside the agreed scope without a change order conversation

Any of these is a signal to renegotiate — or exit. A retainer should feel like stability, not like being taken advantage of on a schedule.

// The retainer discount is a reward for reliability — not a starting point. Give it when they've earned it. Remove it if they stop earning it.

Photography pricing has two components: your creation fee (shooting + editing) and your licensing fee (how they can use the images). Know both before you quote.

Event Photography:

2-hour mini session (portraits, headshots): $250 – $700

Half day shoot (4 hours, corporate / event): $600 – $1,800

Full day shoot (8 hours): $1,200 – $3,500

Wedding — ceremony only: $1,500 – $3,000

Wedding — full day + editing + gallery: $3,000 – $8,000+

Concert / live music (per show): $400 – $1,500

Corporate event / conference (full day): $1,000 – $3,000

Portrait & Headshots:

Individual portrait session (1 hour, 10–15 edited images): $200 – $600

Professional headshots, individual: $250 – $800

Corporate headshots, team (per person): $125 – $350/person

Corporate headshots, on-site team day (10+ people): $1,200 – $3,000 flat

Actor / model comp card session: $300 – $900

Commercial & Advertising:

Product photography, simple (white background, per product): $50 – $150/product

Product photography, lifestyle/styled (per day): $1,000 – $4,000

Brand / campaign shoot (half day, small brand): $1,500 – $3,500

Brand / campaign shoot (full day, mid-size brand): $3,000 – $8,000

National advertising campaign: $5,000 – $25,000+ — includes creation fee plus usage licensing.

Food / beverage photography (per day): $1,200 – $5,000

Automotive photography (per day): $2,000 – $8,000

Editorial:

Online editorial (blog / web article, per image): $75 – $300

Magazine editorial shoot (half day): $500 – $1,800

Magazine editorial shoot (full day): $1,000 – $3,500

Magazine cover: $1,500 – $5,000+

Newspaper / press (per image, one-time use): $100 – $400

Real Estate & Architecture:

Residential listing (standard, under 2,500 sq ft): $150 – $400

Residential listing (luxury / large): $400 – $900

Commercial space / office (per day): $800 – $2,500

Architectural / design portfolio shoot: $1,000 – $4,000

Aerial / drone add-on: $150 – $500 per session (requires FAA Part 107 certification — if you don't have it, don't offer it)

Licensing — images used beyond personal / portfolio:

Web use, 1 year (social + website): $200 – $800 per image

Print advertising (regional, 6 months): $500 – $2,000 per image

National print advertising (1 year): $2,000 – $8,000+ per image

Packaging / product use (1 production run): $500 – $3,000 per image

Broadcast / TV commercial (1 year): $2,000 – $10,000+ per image

What to include in your quoted rate:

— Shooting time
— Culling (sorting through all images — this takes real time)
— Editing and retouching (most photographers undercharge here)
— File preparation and delivery
— Travel time if applicable
— Equipment costs (insurance, wear, rentals)

Post-production rates if billed separately:

Basic editing (color correction, crop, exposure): $5 – $15/image

Advanced retouching (skin, compositing, object removal): $25 – $100+/image

Travel and expenses:

Mileage: IRS standard rate (currently $0.67/mile for 2024). Out-of-town shoots: full travel, hotel, and per diem billed to client. Always get pre-approval in writing before incurring travel expenses.

// Never quote just the shoot. Quote the whole process: shoot + cull + edit + deliver. If you charge $800 to shoot and spend 6 hours editing, your effective rate dropped by half. Price the full job.

Territory is one of the most underpriced variables in creative licensing. Most artists charge a flat fee regardless of where the work is used. That's leaving real money on the table.

US only (base rate): Your standard fee. One market, defined audience, limited exposure.

US + Canada: Add 15–25% to US base rate. Canada is a natural extension but it's a separate market with separate commercial value.

Worldwide: 2–3x your US base rate minimum. You're licensing out every market on earth — present and future. The client can run campaigns in Japan, Brazil, and Germany on the same agreement. That's enormous commercial value. Price it like it.

Regional / local: 50–75% of your US base rate. Smaller reach, smaller fee. A regional campaign for a local restaurant chain is a fundamentally different scope than a national rollout.

The principle: Every territory you add is another market your work will generate commercial value in. You get paid once. They use it everywhere. The fee should reflect the full scope of that value — not just the effort it took to create the work.

// If a client asks for worldwide rights at a US-only price, the answer is no. Worldwide rights at worldwide rates — or US rights at US rates. Your choice of which to offer.

A kill fee is what the client owes you if they cancel a project after work has begun. It protects you from doing real work — concepting, researching, sketching, drafting — and getting nothing because the client changed their mind.

Standard kill fee structures:

— Deposit only: Client cancels, they forfeit the deposit. Simple. Common for smaller projects. Works when your deposit reflects real work.

— 25% kill fee: Client pays 25% of the total fee if cancelling before the project is half complete. Low friction, easy to enforce. Common for project-based work under $5k.

— 50% kill fee: Industry standard for larger commissions and licensed work. Used widely in editorial, advertising, and publishing. If you're assigned the work, half the fee is owed whether it runs or not. Standard for editorial and advertising illustration.

— Milestone-based: Different percentages at different stages. 25% at concept sign-off, 50% at rough completion, 100% at final delivery. Clearest protection — each stage has a price. Best for complex, multi-stage projects.

When clients push back on kill fees: "Magazines and publishers have used kill fees for 50+ years. It's not a penalty — it's compensation for work that was done but won't be published. I've already invested time in this project."

// You can't un-spend the hours. A kill fee is the only way to recover them.