A graphic design quote lists who it's for, what you'll deliver, how much each part costs and the terms the client is agreeing to. Break the project into line items with hours or a fixed price, add any costs, show the total and deposit, and state revisions, timeline and validity.
Below is a template you can copy, a fully priced example for a logo and brand board project, and the terms that save you from endless revisions and late payments.
What goes in a graphic design quote?
- Your details: name or studio, contact info and logo.
- Client details: name, company and contact.
- Quote number, date and expiry date.
- Project summary in one or two lines.
- Line items: each deliverable with quantity or hours, rate and amount.
- Subtotal, any discount, tax if you're required to charge it, and total.
- Terms: revision rounds, timeline, deposit, file formats, ownership and what's not included.
- How to accept: the one step that gets the project started.
Graphic design quote example
A logo and one-page brand board for a small bakery, priced at $40 an hour:
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery call and creative brief | 2 h | $40 | $80 |
| Logo concepts (3 directions) | 8 h | $40 | $320 |
| Refining the chosen concept | 4 h | $40 | $160 |
| Logo variations (horizontal, stacked, icon) | 3 h | $40 | $120 |
| One-page brand board | 3 h | $40 | $120 |
| Final files (SVG, PNG, PDF) | 1 h | $40 | $40 |
| Commercial font license | 1 | $30 | $30 |
| Total | $870 | ||
| Deposit to start (50%) | $435 | ||
| Balance on delivery | $435 | ||
Terms in the example: two revision rounds on the chosen concept, delivery three weeks after the deposit and the client's brief, extra revisions at $40 an hour, final files and usage rights transferred once the balance is paid. Valid for 15 days. Add tax only if your location requires you to charge it.
How were those prices worked out?
Each line is hours multiplied by an hourly rate, plus the one direct cost (the font license). The $40 rate comes from a simple formula: (the salary you want + business expenses) ÷ billable hours. The full method, including how to add a profit margin and turn it into packages, is in how much to charge for a logo.
Showing hours is optional. On bigger projects it helps the client see where the money goes; on small jobs a fixed price per deliverable reads more cleanly.
Which terms should every design quote include?
- Revisions: how many rounds are included and what an extra round costs.
- Timeline: when the clock starts, for example once you have the deposit and the client's materials.
- Deposit and balance: how much and when.
- Files and ownership: which formats you deliver and when rights transfer.
- Exclusions: paid stock photos, printing, copywriting or ad spend.
- Expiry date: a specific date, not "for a while".
A template you can copy
QUOTE #[000] · Date: [mm/dd/yyyy] · Valid until: [mm/dd/yyyy]
From: [Your name or studio] · [email] · [phone]
For: [Client] · [Company]
Project: [one-line summary]
[Item] · [hours or qty] × [rate] = [amount]
Subtotal · Discount · Tax (if applicable) · Total
Includes: [revision rounds] · [file formats] · Delivery: [timeline]
Not included: [what's billed separately]
Payment: [deposit %] to start, balance on delivery · [payment methods]
To accept: reply "Approved" and pay the deposit.
Not sure whether you need a quote, an invoice or a receipt at each stage? See quote vs. invoice vs. receipt, and for the general structure of any quote, how to write a quote.
Common quoting mistakes
- Sending a single total with no breakdown, which invites haggling.
- Leaving revisions open-ended.
- Starting work before the deposit lands.
- Forgetting the expiry date and having to honor an old price.
- Quoting the same rate for years. See how to raise prices.
Frequently asked questions
You can show hours or just a price per item. Hours make the price easier to justify on bigger projects; a fixed price per deliverable is cleaner for small jobs.
Pick a clear window, such as 15 or 30 days, and write the date. It protects you if your rates or availability change.
Not exactly. A signed quote with clear terms covers a lot on small projects, but for large or long jobs a separate contract is safer.
A quote is the price you propose before the work starts. An invoice requests payment for work that has been agreed or delivered.
Wrapping up
A good design quote breaks the work into clear items, caps revisions and tells the client exactly how to get started. That's what lets you charge fairly without arguing later.
Next step: build your quote for free in Cotiza Fácil, and to stand by your prices when clients ask for a discount, read Charge What You're Worth.