HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire an illustrator in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

An illustrator in Ireland costs €40–€150 per project, typically around €70. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an illustrator in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers illustrator work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — logo and Branding Design — an illustrator can help develop custom logos and branding elements that reflect your business's identity.
  2. How does complexity of the project change the price?Anything bespoke takes longer to plan before it is made. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does illustrator's experience change the price?Training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does time required to complete the work change the price?The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Infographics and Visuals — illustrators can design infographics that visually represent data, making complex information easier to digest — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a illustrator job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

NO REGISTER APPLIES. Anyone may trade as a designer, developer or marketer, and no qualification is required. Everything that protects you is in the contract, and the clause people forget is OWNERSHIP: without an assignment in writing the creator is the first owner of copyright in what they make, so you may be paying for a licence to use your own logo or website rather than for the thing itself.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Who owns the work on delivery, in writing — assignment, not just 'full rights'; What happens to the source files, the domain and the hosting account, named; The deliverables listed with a number — how many concepts, how many revisions; The milestones and what each payment is for; For ads, whether the spend is separate from the fee, and who holds the ad account; Two references from clients whose work you can actually see.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Insurance

Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers illustrator work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — logo and Branding Design — an illustrator can help develop custom logos and branding elements that reflect your business's identity.

“How does complexity of the project change the price?”

A good answer: Anything bespoke takes longer to plan before it is made. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does illustrator's experience change the price?”

A good answer: Training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does time required to complete the work change the price?”

A good answer: The first hour costs more than the ones after it. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Infographics and Visuals — illustrators can design infographics that visually represent data, making complex information easier to digest — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a illustrator job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover — infographic Designer — creates visually appealing infographics that convey complex information in an easily digestible format.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the illustrator starts, and an itemised invoice after — editorial Illustrator — provides artwork for magazines, newspapers, and online publications that complement articles and stories.

Getting the quote right

  • Complexity of the project — anything bespoke takes longer to plan before it is made.
  • Illustrator's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it.
  • Time required to complete the work — the first hour costs more than the ones after it.
  • Medium used — it has to be seen before a firm price can be given.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: complexity of the project — anything bespoke takes longer to plan before it is made
  • They will not talk about it: illustrator's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it
  • They will not talk about it: time required to complete the work — the first hour costs more than the ones after it
  • A price for the illustrator before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the illustrator has begun
LOW
€40
TYPICAL
€70
HIGH
€150

What an illustrator costs: €40–€150 per project

The figures are for the job, per project, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Children's book illustrator and Digital illustrator each carry their own band. Illustrator price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Illustrators near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstComplexity of the project — anything bespoke takes longer to plan before it is made — that is what the illustrator is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneIllustrator's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfTime required to complete the work — the first hour costs more than the ones after it — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherMedium used — it has to be seen before a firm price can be given — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the illustrator is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, number of revisions — each addition is small, but they add up across the job.

Infographics and Visuals
Illustrators can design infographics that visually represent data, making complex information easier to digest.
Logo and Branding Design
An illustrator can help develop custom logos and branding elements that reflect your business's identity.
Digital Illustrator
Specialises in creating artwork using digital tools, suitable for websites, apps, and social media.
Concept Artist
Develops visual representations of characters, environments, and objects for video games and films.
Fashion Illustrator
Produces illustrations that showcase clothing designs and fashion concepts for magazines or marketing.
Editorial Illustrator
Provides artwork for magazines, newspapers, and online publications that complement articles and stories.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — logo and Branding Design — an illustrator can help develop custom logos and branding elements that reflect your business's identity, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the illustrator has gone.
Test what was doneInfographics and Visuals — illustrators can design infographics that visually represent data, making complex information easier to digest — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. infographic Designer — creates visually appealing infographics that convey complex information in an easily digestible format — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a illustrator's card means something — editorial Illustrator — provides artwork for magazines, newspapers, and online publications that complement articles and stories.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring an illustrator: questions people ask

The cost can vary based on the complexity of the project, the illustrator's experience, and the time required to complete the work. Custom requests and detailed illustrations typically command higher fees.

Project duration can vary widely depending on the scope of work. Small projects may take a few days, while more complex illustrations can take several weeks to finalize.

Same-day service is rare due to the time-intensive nature of illustration work. However, some illustrators may offer rush services for an additional fee if they have availability.

Yes, many illustrators are open to taking on multiple projects simultaneously. This may even lead to discounted rates if the jobs are related and can be completed in conjunction.

Illustrators generally focus on creating visual artwork and may not provide services like graphic design or web development. It's important to clarify the scope of work before starting a project.

NO REGISTER APPLIES. Anyone may trade as a designer, developer or marketer, and no qualification is required. Everything that protects you is in the contract, and the clause people forget is OWNERSHIP: without an assignment in writing the creator is the first owner of copyright in what they make, so you may be paying for a licence to use your own logo or website rather than for the thing itself.

MORE GUIDES

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Illustrators near you

Illustrators in DublinIllustrators in CorkIllustrators in GalwayIllustrators in LimerickAll illustrators on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000
  2. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  4. Courts Service — small claims
  5. Revenue — GRAPHIC DESIGNERS (Supply of a Service) — Standard rate
  6. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  7. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only