HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a graphic designer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to graphic designers. Here is how to get ownership, fonts and images sorted, what to ask, and which files to expect.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a graphic designer in five steps

  1. Send a short written briefWhat the piece is for, the size and format, where it will be printed or posted, the words, and the deadline.
  2. Ask for an estimate in hoursGraphic designers often charge by the hour; get the estimated hours and what happens if the job runs over.
  3. Agree who owns the artworkAn assignment of copyright on payment, or a licence that clearly covers how you will use it.
  4. Check fonts and images are licensedStock photos and typefaces have their own terms. Ask who holds the licence.
  5. Approve a proof before printCheck every word, number and colour on a final PDF before anything goes to the printer.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses graphic designers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is needed to offer graphic design. The checks worth doing are the portfolio, a reference and a written agreement on hours, files and rights.

Ask for samples of the same kind of work (a flyer, packaging, a brochure) and one client you can contact.

Copyright in the artwork

Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 the author owns the copyright in artistic work, and a graphic designer working freelance is not your employee. Section 90 makes an assignment effective only if it is in writing and signed by the designer.

For anything that carries your brand, ask for a signed assignment of copyright on payment; for one-off pieces, a written licence that covers print and online use. legislation.gov.uk →

Stock images and fonts

Photographs, illustrations and typefaces are protected by copyright automatically, with no register. A graphic designer who drops in an image from a search engine, or a font licensed only for personal use, leaves you exposed when the piece is published.

Ask for a list of every stock image and font used, where it came from and whose name the licence is in. gov.uk →

Data you hand over

If you send a mailing list, customer photos or staff details for a design job, the graphic designer is processing personal data. Most businesses and sole traders that do so must pay the ICO data protection fee.

Ask whether they are registered with the ICO, and send only the data the design needs. gov.uk →

VAT

Graphic design is standard-rated, so a registered graphic designer adds 20% to the hours or fixed price and to printing or stock bought in for the job. Registration becomes compulsory once a graphic designer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the graphic designer for the VAT number, or a note that they are not registered, before the first concept round. gov.uk →

“How many hours do you expect this design to take?”

A good answer: A number, broken down roughly into concept, changes and artwork, and a promise to check with you before going over it.

“How many rounds of changes are included?”

A good answer: A set number, often two, and the hourly rate for more. A graphic designer who offers unlimited changes is either very slow to bill or will rush the end.

“Will I own the graphic design artwork, or be licensed to use it?”

A good answer: A clear answer in writing. For branded items, an assignment of copyright; for a single poster, a licence that matches how you will use it.

“Which fonts and stock images will you use, and who holds the licences?”

A good answer: Named sources and licence types, with commercial licences in your name or bought for this design project.

“Can you supply print-ready files for my printer?”

A good answer: Yes: a PDF with bleed and crop marks in the colour mode the printer asks for, plus web versions of the design where needed.

“Will you send the editable source files at the end?”

A good answer: Agreed either way in writing. Many graphic designers charge to release source files; you should know that before you start.

“When will I see the first design proof?”

A good answer: A date, and a sensible gap between proofs so you can check properly.

Getting the quote right

  • The hourly rate and the estimated hours, or a fixed price for the piece
  • Who actually attends to the artwork: the graphic designer whose portfolio you saw, an employee, or a subcontracted designer
  • The number of concepts and revision rounds included, and the rate after that
  • Stock images, fonts and printing listed as included or extra
  • The file formats: print-ready PDF, web images, editable source files
  • Ownership: an assignment or the licence terms, in writing
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% under the design fee

Walk away if

  • Images taken from a web search with no licence
  • No written estimate of hours before the clock starts
  • Refusal to put ownership or licence terms in writing
  • A portfolio that does not include the kind of work you need
  • No proof to approve before files go to print
  • Rush fees added after the deadline was already agreed
LOW
£15
TYPICAL
£35
HIGH
£100

What a graphic designer costs: £15–£100 per hour

Graphic designers usually charge by the hour or quote a fixed price for a defined piece, with printing, fonts and stock images on top. Graphic Designer 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

Graphic designers 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, or book by the hour.

  1. Brief and estimateThe graphic designer confirms size, format, words, deadline and an estimate of hours.
  2. ConceptsOne or more first designs to choose from, as low-resolution PDFs or images.
  3. RevisionsChanges within the agreed rounds, with each proof dated so nothing gets lost.
  4. ArtworkThe final file built to the printer's specification or the platform's sizes, with fonts and images licensed.
  5. Proof and deliveryA final proof for your sign-off, then the files, the licence list and the invoice.

Bleed
Extra image beyond the trim edge so no white line shows when the print is cut.
Print-ready PDF
A file built to the printer's size, colour and bleed specification.
CMYK / RGB
Colour modes for print and for screens; artwork in the wrong one can print dull.
Proof
The final version you check and approve before printing or publishing.
Source file
The editable working file, as opposed to the exported PDF or image.
Stock licence
The terms under which a stock photo or illustration may be used, and for what.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the files and the licences togetherFinal artwork, editable files if agreed, the font and image licence list and the invoice in one folder the business owns.
Check the printed resultCompare the printed piece with the approved proof. Colour, trim and spelling errors caused by the artwork should be fixed under the agreement.
Note the hours billedCompare the invoice with the estimate. Time beyond it should have been agreed with you first.
Leave an honest reviewBooked work is the only kind reviewed on Locufy, which makes each review of the graphic designer worth reading. Use the make-it-right step first if anything is unresolved.

STEP 1Start with the graphic designerEmail the graphic designer with the facts, the evidence and a date for a reply. Reasonable care and skill is a term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads into every service a trader sells you, and a shortfall entitles you to have it redone or pay less.
STEP 2Make-it-right on LocufyRate the job under four stars and you can send it to the graphic designer through the make-it-right step. We keep track of it, then you post the review.
STEP 3The consumer helplinesNo regulator oversees graphic designers. If the graphic designer will not respond, Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsWhen the graphic designer has had a fair chance and nothing has changed, small claims is built for you to use yourself: £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a graphic designer: questions people ask

No. No licence, register or qualification applies to graphic designers in any UK nation. Judge them on portfolio, references and a written agreement.

Not unless copyright is assigned. The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 makes the freelance designer the first owner, and an assignment must be in writing and signed by them. Otherwise you have a licence to use the work.

The person publishing it can face a claim from the copyright owner, which is why you want a list of images and licences from the graphic designer and a promise in the contract that everything used is licensed.

Between £15 and £100 per hour, most often near £35. Experience, print artwork and the number of revision rounds move the hourly figure most. For the reasons behind the range, read the graphic designer price guide; for local graphic designers, enter your town above.

A print-ready PDF for print jobs, web-ready images for screens, and editable source files if that was agreed. Ask in advance, as some charge to release source files.

Small pieces such as a flyer or social template take a few hours; brochures and packaging can take days or weeks, mostly in rounds of changes.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Logo DesignerHow to hire: Brand DesignerHow to hire: IllustratorHow to hire: Web DesignerHow to hire: Motion Graphics DesignerHow to hire: Social Media ManagerHow to hire: CopywriterHow to hire: AnimatorAll 701 hiring guides →

Graphic designers near you

Graphic designers in LondonGraphic designers in ManchesterGraphic designers in BirminghamGraphic designers in GlasgowGraphic designers in BelfastAll graphic designers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 11 — first ownership
  2. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  3. gov.uk — how copyright protects your work
  4. gov.uk — pay the data protection fee
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register