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Templates / Contract

Free Freelance Graphic Design Contract Template

A freelance graphic design contract covers the deliverables, payment schedule, revision rounds, ownership, portfolio use, liability limits, and how early termination gets settled.

Freelance Graphic Design Contract template preview

Language:

en

Last updated:

October 2026

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A client can approve a design that looks right in a mockup, then watch it break the moment a printer, platform, or sign maker touches it. A Freelance Graphic Design Contract gives both sides one place to agree what gets delivered, what “approved” means, and how the final files get handed over so the work holds together in the real world. The pages sit under deep teal blocks with brass accents and Lora headings over Roboto body text, which keeps the contract readable while it gets specific about production details.

The opening section names the designer and ties the agreement to any written proposal already accepted, then What I’m making moves from brief to production artwork and calls out the deliverables, including print-ready PDFs, web and social exports, and a visual guidelines PDF. Payment anchors the job to a 30% booking invoice and a 70% final invoice, with 14-day terms and a pause on work and handoff if payment goes late... and Revisions and changes defines a revision round as one consolidated list, then explains what happens when extra rounds or new pieces get added.

  • What I’m making Defines the scope from brief through final production artwork and lists the deliverables, including print-ready and digital exports.
  • Payment Sets the 30% booking invoice, the 70% balance on handoff, 14-day payment terms, and what happens when payment is late.
  • Revisions and changes Explains how revision rounds work, where the included rounds come from, and how changes get priced and confirmed.
  • Who owns what Splits ownership between final approved files after final payment and the designer’s working files and systems, with an option to agree working files up front.
  • Ending the project Covers written notice, what gets handed over at the stop point, and how overpayment or underpayment gets settled after the account is closed.

The contract goes into your workspace with the wording already in place, so you swap in your names, dates, and rates, then send it for signature. Once the client signs online, both sides have the same record to refer back to when approvals, handoff, or an early stop needs to be handled in writing.

We went from spending hours on every proposal to creating fully customized ones in under 5 minutes. That's not an exaggeration - we timed it.

Yazan & Mawaheb
Yazan & MawahebAgency Owners

What to include in a freelance graphic design contract

PartWhat it covers

I’m Maja Fisker, Graphic designer, and

Introduces the designer and ties the agreement to any written proposal already accepted, then frames how feedback, approvals, payment, and handoff will work.

What I’m making

Describes the project from brief through production artwork and lists the deliverables, including print-ready PDFs and web and social exports, with a note to collect printer or developer specs before production starts.

Payment

Sets a 30% booking invoice to start, a 70% invoice on handoff, 14-day terms, and a pause on work and handoff until late accounts are brought up to date.

Revisions and changes

Defines a revision round as one consolidated list of changes, points back to the accepted pricing for included rounds, and explains how extra rounds and scope changes get priced and confirmed in writing.

Who owns what

Gives the client ownership of final approved files after the final invoice is paid, while keeping working files and underlying systems with the designer unless working files are agreed up front.

Showing the work

Grants portfolio rights for finished work and explains how confidentiality can change what gets shown, when it gets shown, or whether it gets shown at all.

Limits in plain terms

Splits responsibility for accurate supplied content and final proof approval, notes limits around colour reproduction across materials and devices, and treats post-approval changes as new work.

Ending the project

Explains how either side can end the project in writing, and includes a Signature block so the agreed stop date, handoff, and final settlement sit on the same record.

Who it is for

Freelance graphic designers handling anything from print & editorial through packaging design and presentation design, and clients who need the scope, approvals, and file handoff agreed in writing before production.

The contract in full

I’m Maja Fisker, Graphic designer, and I’ll be the person doing the work.

This agreement covers the project we’ve discussed, along with any written proposal you’ve accepted. It sets out what I’ll deliver, how feedback and approvals work, and how payment and handoff happen so the files you sign off are the same files your printer, developer, or platform can use.

What I’m making

This project covers freelance graphic design from brief through final production artwork. I’ll take your goals, content, and direction and turn them into finished files that hold together across print and digital, including the right sizes, bleed, colour mode, and export settings.

The deliverables for this project are listed below. If you want me to work to a specific printer or developer requirement, I need those specs before I start production artwork, not after the designs are already approved.

* Creative brief summary * Moodboard and directions * Final design files * Print-ready PDF package * Web and social exports * Visual guidelines PDF

Payment

To book the work, I invoice 30% of the price when you sign. I start once that booking invoice is paid and I have what I need from you to begin (your decision-maker, your deadline, and any required sizes or specs).

I invoice the remaining 70% when the finished work is handed over. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date. If a payment is late, I pause work and pause handoff until the account is up to date. If a deadline depends on print dates or a launch, tell me early so we can plan around invoice timing.

Revisions and changes

A revision round means one consolidated list of changes from you, sent in one go. It works best when your decision-maker gathers feedback internally and I receive one clear set of notes, rather than separate messages from multiple people.

Your project includes the number of revision rounds shown in the pricing you accepted. After those rounds, extra rounds are no problem, but they’re billed as additional work. If you change the plan after I’ve started, for example adding new pieces, new sizes, or new uses, I’ll price the change and confirm any timeline impact in writing before I continue.

Who owns what

Once the final invoice is paid, you own the final approved design files I deliver for this project, and you can use them for your business as agreed. That includes the print-ready and digital exports that are intended to be sent out into the world.

I keep ownership of my working files, source files, and anything I use to do the job, like templates, processes, and design systems I’ve built over time. If you need working files (for example, so an in-house designer can take over later), I’m happy to include them, but we need to agree that up front because it changes what I prepare and how I package the handoff.

Showing the work

I may show the finished work as part of my portfolio, including on my website, social channels, and in presentations. I’ll show it in a straightforward way: what it is, who it was for, and how it looks in use.

If you need confidentiality, tell me before the project starts, or ask for it in writing at any point. That can mean I don’t show the work at all, or that I wait until your launch date, or that I share only a cropped or obscured version. If a project involves unreleased product details or a time-sensitive announcement, I’m used to working quietly until you’re ready.

Limits in plain terms

I’m responsible for delivering the work with care and in line with the brief, and for supplying files that match the specs we agreed. You’re responsible for checking that names, dates, addresses, prices, and other factual content you provide are correct, and for giving final approval on proofs before anything is printed or published.

I can coordinate with a printer and provide press-ready files, but I can’t guarantee how colours will reproduce across different papers, presses, screens, and finishing methods. If you approve a final proof and later want changes, those changes are treated as new work. I’m not responsible for losses caused by delays outside my control, like third-party platforms, printers, or late feedback.

Ending the project

Either of us can end the project by giving notice in writing. In that note, we’ll agree the stop date and what happens next, including which files you need and what I can reasonably hand over based on the stage of the work.

If the project ends early, you pay for the work completed up to the stop date, plus any non-cancellable costs you asked me to commit to. If you’ve already paid more than the value of work completed, I refund the difference. If you’ve paid less, I invoice the balance. After the account is settled, I’ll deliver what’s been completed and usable at that point.

Signature

Legal Notice: Please consult legal advice and carefully review the content of this contract template before implementing this template in your business.

Questions about this contract template

How many revision rounds are included?

The contract says the included revision rounds are the ones shown in the pricing you accepted. The revisions section also defines a revision round as one consolidated list of changes sent in one go, then prices extra rounds as additional work.

What files do I get at the end?

The deliverables list includes final design files, a print-ready PDF package, web and social exports, and a visual guidelines PDF. The contract also says the client owns the final approved design files after the final invoice is paid.

Do I get the source files too?

The contract keeps ownership of working files and source files with the designer by default. The ownership section says working files can be included if both sides agree up front, because that changes how the handoff gets prepared.

When does the work start and when do I pay?

The payment section says a 30% booking invoice gets issued when the client signs, and work starts once that invoice is paid and the designer has what’s needed to begin. The remaining 70% gets invoiced when the finished work is handed over, and each invoice is due within 14 days.

Can the designer talk to my printer or handle press-ready files?

The limits section says the designer can coordinate with a printer and provide press-ready files. The same section also notes that colour reproduction can vary across papers, presses, screens, and finishing methods.

What happens if the project gets cancelled or ends early?

The ending section says either side can end the project by giving notice in writing, then both sides agree a stop date and what can be handed over at that stage. Payment gets settled based on work completed plus any non-cancellable costs, with a refund or balance invoice as needed before delivery of usable work.

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