Client work · Template
A graphic design contract sets scope, revisions, rights and payment for a design project so both sides know what is included and when it is done. Describe your deal in a sentence and Lex drafts it, with Plain English beside every clause.
Last updated 28 October 2026
TL;DR
A graphic design contract sets scope, revisions, rights and payment for a design project so both sides know what is included and when it is done. Draft with Lex, share one link, and both sides redline, agree and e-sign. The other side never pays.
Lex drafts it in Plain English beside the legal wording. Share one link; both sides agree and sign.
A graphic design contract is the agreement a designer and client sign before work starts. It fixes the brief and deliverables, rounds of revisions, the fee and payment timing, and who owns files and rights. It often distinguishes source files from finals, and either assigns IP on payment or licenceA licence is permission to use work in an agreed way, without taking ownership away from the person who made it.More in the glossary use for agreed channels and time.
Also called: design contract, graphic design agreement, graphic design contract, design agreement.
Example wording Lex starts from, with what each clause means. Your draft is written around your deal, so the wording changes with it.
Legal wording · example
The Client shall pay a Deposit of [30%] on signature. Each undisputed invoice is due within [14] days of its date. The Supplier may pause work while any undisputed invoice is more than [7] days overdue.
In Plain English
A deposit up front, short payment termsPayment terms say how much is paid, when the clock starts, and what happens if an invoice is late.More in the glossary, and a right to pause if payment is late.
How this clause works →Legal wording · example
On receipt of full payment the Supplier assigns to the Client the rights in the final Deliverables. Pre‑existing materials and working files are licensed for use only as part of the Deliverables.
In Plain English
The client owns the finals once fully paid; your libraries and working files are licensed, not handed over.
How this clause works →Legal wording · example
Two rounds of consolidated feedback are included per Deliverable. Further rounds, or changes outside scope, are quoted and agreed in writing before work starts.
In Plain English
A clear number of rounds, and extra work is priced first.
Legal wording · example
If the Client cancels after work has started, the Client shall pay for work done to date and a cancellation fee of [25%] of the remaining Fee.
In Plain English
If the client stops the job mid‑way, they pay for what is done plus a fair kill feeA kill fee is a payment due to a creator or supplier when a client cancels a project before it is finished.More in the glossary.
How this clause works →The governing lawGoverning law is the legal system the parties choose to interpret their contract and decide disputes about it.More in the glossary clause decides which legal system reads the contract. Some rules, such as how documents are signed, time limits for claims and terms that cannot be excluded, differ by place. These pages cite the legislation:
No jurisdictionJurisdiction is which courts will hear a dispute if the parties cannot agree.More in the glossary pages yet for this type.
No jurisdiction versions yet. Lex can still draft this type under a named law from the composer above. See law by country.
No, there is no blank Word or PDF file. You describe the deal in a sentence, Lex drafts the graphic design contract with your details already in it, and you share one link. The other side reads it in Plain English, suggests changes and signs in the browser, free.
Commonly the client owns the final exported files once the invoice is paid, and the designer keeps pre‑existing materials and working files (libraries, templates) and licenses them for this project. Some jobs use a licence for all use instead of an assignment; write down which you chose.
Only if the contract says so. Many designers hand over final exports and keep source files. If the client needs source files for future edits, price that separately and keep pre‑existing libraries licensed, not assigned.
Two consolidated rounds per deliverable is a common starting point. Name what a “round” is and price extra rounds. Silence is often read as “until we like it”.
A set sum if the client cancels a booked project. It compensates time held and work done. It usually rises closer to delivery and sits alongside payment for work already done.
Many designers take 30–50% up front and invoice the balance on delivery or by milestone. Keep short due dates (Net 14 or Net 30Net 30 means the client has 30 days from the invoice date to pay.More in the glossary) and a right to pause if an invoice is overdue. UK invoices may also cite statutory late‑payment interest.
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The legal wording governsLast reviewed 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review