Before pricing any project, you need one number: your personal hourly rate. Calculate it here first — then carry it into every other worksheet.
Original paintings and limited-run prints need different formulas — use both together.
Illustration pricing depends on complexity AND how the client will use the work. Both matter.
Photography has two phases: shooting AND editing. Most beginners price only the first one.
Logo design and print layout (brochures, flyers, etc.) — use flat-rate project pricing, not hourly.
Student-level starting ranges. As your portfolio grows, move up. This is where you begin, not where you stay.
| Work Type | Starting Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original painting (small, 8×10–11×14) | $75 – $250 | Size + hours drive this |
| Original painting (large, 16×20+) | $200 – $600+ | Don't fear the higher end |
| Art print (open edition) | $15 – $50 | Cost × 2.5–3 |
| Art print (limited edition) | $35 – $100 | Smaller = more valuable |
| Illustration (personal use) | $50 – $150 | Per piece, flat-color to full |
| Illustration (small commercial) | $150 – $400 | Usage rights drive this up |
| Portrait photography session | $75 – $200 | Includes editing, 25–40 images |
| Event / graduation photos | $100 – $250 | Longer sessions, more images |
| Product photography | $75 – $200+ | Per session or per product |
| Logo design | $150 – $400 | Includes files, 1–2 revisions |
| Trifold brochure layout | $100 – $250 | Higher if you write copy |
| Flyer / single-page layout | $60 – $150 | Simpler = faster = lower |
After every 3–5 completed projects
Each project makes you faster and better. Your rate should reflect that growth.
When clients stop flinching at your price
If everyone says yes immediately, you're probably too cheap. Mild hesitation is healthy.
When you have 5–10 portfolio pieces
A strong portfolio reduces pricing risk. Clients pay more when they can see your work.
The math is the easy part. These are the beliefs that will actually determine your success.
Exposure is not payment.
Working for free "for exposure" should be a conscious strategic choice, not a default. Choose it intentionally — never let someone choose it for you.
You're selling skill, not just time.
A logo that takes you 4 hours took years of training to be able to do in 4 hours. The years count. Charge for them.
Low prices don't attract better clients.
Cheap pricing often attracts the most difficult clients and the most revisions. Reasonable pricing signals confidence and filters for clients who value your work.
Your discomfort is not a pricing signal.
Feeling nervous about saying a number doesn't mean it's too high. It means pricing is a skill you're still developing. Practice it like you practice your craft.
Scope creep is real. Define the scope.
Always be clear about what's included before you start. "One round of revisions" in writing beats "unlimited changes" in memory. Protect your time.
Friends and family get one discount.
A "friend discount" is a gift. It's okay to offer it once. It's not okay to become the person in your social circle who works for nothing forever.
Pricing is a career-long practice.
You won't get it perfectly right today. Neither did any working professional. The goal is to price honestly for where you are, then grow from there.