Anything with client-side interactions is going to have some interesting needs. While some clients are going to be fabulous, others get a bit nitpicky. Not to mention, the vagueness of some orders can lead to the designer guessing as to what is needed, leading to some revisions down the line.

Professional Graphic Designers charge at least an hourly rate for all services, including revisions. Depending on the type of revisions needed, sometimes waiving this fee, or even discounting it is acceptable.

Revisions are still work on the designer’s part and thus should be paid for. If it’s only fixing a typo or something that small caused by basic human error on the designer’s part, some choose to waive any fees associated with the fix. If it’s much more than that, it’s a good idea to charge for these revisions. Keep reading to learn more.

What are Graphic Design Revisions?

Revisions are anything that someone might need changed after the final product has been delivered. These can range from many things from fixing typos or to changing their mind entirely and wanting something significantly different than they ordered.

Sometimes people want revisions on work they got elsewhere rather than revisions on something that the designer just made. Perhaps they also want revisions on past orders to make them viable for something new. These sorts of things also fall under the revisions umbrella.

Do You Have to Accept Revision Requests?

Revision requests don’t always have to be accepted, but if this is common practice, it should be clearly noted at the beginning. Some designers only accept small edits such as fixing typos or swapping out a single, easily changed color. Basically, things that would take only a few minutes to change. Others will accept any and all revision requests.

Know personal limits on what is okay and be sure to always stick by them. Otherwise, it is highly possible that clients will start out vague in hopes of getting more than they paid for. Always charge for any significant revision to make it worth the time put into any fixes. Additionally, if this happens regularly, consider updating the means of ordering with a clearer form or something so that there’s less opportunity for confusion to occur.

Average Graphic Design Rates

Revisions are a sticky subject. For something tiny like fixing a typo, it’s relatively common practice to just quickly do that for no charge. For just about everything else, it’s best to charge it like any other service. This is especially true if the revisions are coming from outside.

Average Designer Salary

To start coming up with rates for design, including revisions, it’s good practice to look at similar salaries for similar jobs, services, and positions. This helps to ensure that there is a fair rate being charged. There’s no point in trying to undercharge oneself just for hopes of more clients. Quality is almost always better than quantity.

Here are the average annual salaries for Graphic Designers working in a firm:

• Entry Level: $32,000 USD
• Junior Level: $53,000 USD
• Senior Level: $77,000 USD

While this may not be the most helpful for a revision request, it is useful to keep in mind for the big picture. That way, everything is kept into perspectives on whether or not rates are competitive and fair.

Average Hourly Rates for Graphic Designers

This is where things get to be a little bit more direct. The hourly rate for Graphic Designers falls between $15-150 USD per hour, with an average of $31.25. Consider personal levels of skill, the length of time that similar things take or are expected to take, and anything else needed to go about revising the service. For example, if there were printing costs or shipping fees involved with the initial product, add those in too.

Decide on Any Additional Fees

Chances are that when revision requests are being brought up, it’s already gotten to the additional fee category. Otherwise, the initial rates are being decided and costs are being preemptively decided just to ensure that there isn’t a frantic scramble should the need arise.

Here are some additional fees to always consider adding should they be relevant:

• Printing costs: including needing to go to a professional printer, any ink, paper, or other needs associated with printing the work. This also includes paper upgrades.
• Shipping costs: Unless it was a digital design or something physically handed to the client, there will be shipping costs. Including these into the rate allows for the designer to add Free Shipping to the shipping sections, which looks more appealing than even nominal, additional charges at the end.
• Embellishments: Anything extra that needs to be added such as glitter, embossing, die cutting, special effects, etc.

Revision needs are going to be unique no matter how it’s sliced, so always consider it as a service. If anything tangible goes into the revision, also be sure to include those too, just like if it were a fresh piece. Don’t operate at a loss, even a loss of time.

Conclusion

Always be up front about any and all costs associated with a design. Revisions as small as fixing a typo or doing a quick color change on something the designer did themselves is usually done freely out of courtesy. However, anything beyond that is suitable for additional compensation. Some designers choose to discount revision requests, while others charge them at the same rate as everything else. Do whatever is most comfortable.

It’s also important to not let emotions get in the way. Revisions are inevitable no matter how hard someone tries to make sure things are clear, but trying too hard to be nice can easily get taken advantage of. Revisions are still work and should still be treated as such. Use an hourly rate to start with and go from there when deciding on how much to charge for any service, including revisions.