What is a Logo Design Contract?
A logo design contract is a binding agreement between a logo designer and a client who needs a professional logo design to represent its business. It is important for logo design freelancers because it not only lays out clear expectations for the clients but also acts as a protection for the designers. It serves as a handy reference (in writing) if things don’t go as planned.
What should you include in your Logo Design Contract?
So you may have agreed to design your client’s logo, but what have you really agreed to? How much will your clients be charged for using your services? How many revisions can they request? What is the deadline for the design project? And when will the payment be made? A contract answers all of these questions and more.
Here are a few key elements that every logo design contract should include:
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An introductory statement where the contact information of parties is mentioned
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Statement of Work (SoW)
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A detailed description of the services
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Deliverables that the client may expect to receive at the end of the design project
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Payment or compensation details for the services offered
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Timelines to deliver the deliverables
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Number of revisions the client can ask for
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Copyrights Ownership of the deliverables
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Cancellation or Termination policy
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Type of relationship between parties
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Standard legal clauses
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Signature and signing off
Let's take a look at them one-by-one:
1. Introductory statement
A logo design contract should start with a paragraph that stipulates the parties involved, their business names, their addresses, and the date on which the contract is signed.
2. Statement of Work (SoW)
This section clearly details the work you’re going to do for the client, what to expect, and specifics related to the project. It’s important to have these details in writing to make sure that you and your client are on the same page with expectations and responsibilities.
3. Services
Use this section to provide a detailed description of the services you’ll be offering to the client. Be specific about your design services and their pricing as any loophole may cause disagreement and hamper the relationship with your client.
4. Deliverables
It's important to describe how the final products would be delivered to the client at the end of the project. It should contain the details of the format in which the clients will receive the files (e.g. PNG, JPG, or PDF) and also how those digital files will be delivered (e.g. Email or Flash Drive).
5. Payment
This is perhaps the most important section for any freelancer. Explain exactly how you’re going to charge the client and when do you expect the payment. If you’re charging on the basis of the hourly rate, evaluate the overall time to complete the project, and intimate the client. If you’re working on a project rate, provide a detailed breakdown of the payment to the client.
Once you've decided how you'll charge the client, stipulate the payment method, e.g., cash, check, credit card, or Paypal. It’s important to specify the late fee charge if the final payment is not made within "X" business days. Don’t forget to mention the extra charge for any additional work.
6. Timeline
It's always a great idea to provide an estimated timeline for the deliverables. This will give your clients an idea of what you’re working on and will prevent constant back-and-forth with clients asking when you’ll deliver. In this section, you should also state any agreed-upon deadlines.
7. Revisions
Clients may not like the final logo design in one go. Therefore, they reserve the right to request the revision. But it’s also important to mention how many revisions they can ask for. Also, specify the extra charge for such additional revision requests.
8. Copyright and intellectual property protection
As a freelance designer, you should use this section to stipulate who will take property rights of the final deliverables. In general, clients take ownership of the final deliverables, but only after the total fee for the services is paid. However, you may mention in the contract that you can use the deliverables for business promotion.
9. Cancellation (Termination) policy
What would happen if someone chooses to terminate the freelance design contract prematurely? This section would clearly define the obligations of parties in that case. If the client terminates the contract in the middle of a project, then the client is responsible for making the payment for the work already performed. If the designer decides to terminate the contract for any reason, he/she must return the non-refundable deposit to the client.
10. Relationship to the client
You must clarify that by working with the client, you should not be deemed as an employee of the client. If you're hired as an independent contractor, you can work as per your schedule and at your place, not necessarily at the client’s place unless it’s mentioned in the contract.
11. Standard legal clauses
Standard legal clauses such as confidentiality, limitation of liability, indemnification, assignability, severability, governing law, entire agreement, force majeure, etc. are essential clauses that have to be included in the contract.
12. Signatures
As a freelancer, you want to make sure that your clients agree to all the terms and conditions of the contract. To ensure the same, it’s important to sign the contract to make it legally binding. But make sure people signing the contract are the ones you named up at the top.
Revv's ready-to-use Logo Design Contract template
Contracts are complicated. Many of the contract templates available on the internet contain legal jargons that a small businessman or a freelancer doesn't understand easily. Moreover, creating a contract that matches your graphic design or logo design business is a cumbersome job. When you're busy focusing on growing the business, you may have trouble finding the time to put together effective logo design contracts.
That's where Revv comes in!
Revv's easily customizable logo design contract template allows you to create effective contracts that will encourage the clients to use your services again in the future. It also contains an electronic signature (eSign) that will enable the client to accept and sign the contract right from within the document.
Ready to put together your very own logo design contract? Get started with Revv's sample contract templates to create a solid logo design contract to protect yourself!
Frequently asked questions
How much do graphic designers charge for logo design?
There are various websites that provide information about the charges of graphic designers for a logo design. The costs vary depending on the experience, expertise, and skills of the designer. It’s better to set a budget and then look for a graphic designer whose charges resonate with your budget.
Do logo designers get royalties?
Many logo designers wish to have the ownership rights of their logo design and hesitate in passing the rights to their clients. A lot of times, this becomes a debatable scenario and requires legal intervention. Therefore, it’s better to finalize the terms and conditions before the designer and client sign the deal.