How Much Does It Cost To Create A Poster Design

Working as a designer might look like an easy and rather free career. However, it is one of the most delicate jobs you can ever consider. It includes when talking about cost. Many people and customers do not care about the cost and underestimate the effort to make a quality product. Are you one of them? Hopefully, you are not part of those evil customers. 

It is also worth mentioning that such a job of design can range from cheap to exaggerated prices. How so? Because every designer has a different style, experience, and value. So how much money do you need to pay? In this article, we are focusing on talking about the proper cost for poster design. Is it high, low, or good? To be a good customer, check out these details. 

The Average Cost 

The first thing that you need to understand is the average cost. With the online and digital age, the number of designers is blooming. You can easily find poster projects that cost from $15-$50 according to the client's requirement. That is the minimum cost you can get for such services. But it can also increase based on the client's need and condition.

Those price tags are basically for the lower-end or newbie designers. Poster design that is done from and for big stake can charge more than 1K. It can also climb up to 5K based on the company or the client. But realistically, you can see that the average payment can range from one person to another. Moreover, there are also so many factors that affect the design cost. 

To give the best estimation and quality product, you might have to spend $50 an hour to design. Yes, it is pretty high. But for a professional and good poster design, the hourly cost can reach up to $100. In many cases, those numbers are not a generous budget. But for a high-quality poster, those are the possible tag you need to pay for the design. 

Hourly And Fixed Price

If you pay attention to the rates, you can see that the cost can appear as project-based or hourly. Pay attention to this matter since the number you need to pay can differ a lot. Which one is the best? If you are looking for the ideal cost, you need to consider the need, project, design, and ideas. It is not about the hourly or fixed price but about the project itself. 

In some online jobs and markets, the average hourly rate quotes a minimum of $15 per hour. It is also possible that the cost can reach up to hundreds of dollars. The average is around forty-five dollars, so you can start from there. In this case, you are paying for the time the designer spent to make your poster design. 

The more complex your request on the poster design can lead to a longer job. It means you have to pay a higher cost. The good thing about an hourly quote is that you can negotiate the price. You can also adjust your poster ideas, design, and request to reduce the number of hours. In other words, you simplify and make the project easier to work with. 

Some designs will charge per project. It is relatively easier to compare and pick. However, it can be hard to see the quality. You might even find that your poster is done faster for a higher cost. So, it is a mere time to consider the best option and some other factors. It will help you consider the best cost options. 

Factors That Can Affect The Cost 

1. Designer's Experience

Designer experience is the key to the cost. You can say that most poster design illustrators out there can boast six digits income with high-quality work and long experiences. If you don't believe it, a senior designer that makes a poster for an hourly quote can pocket $80+/hour. At some point, $100/hour is very common, even for a professional online designer. 

If you are looking for a lower tier, the middle-class cost around $45-55/ hour. It is still a good cost since you got some professional designers working on your poster design. Meanwhile, the junior stage or designer might cost around $30-35/ hour. Again, the numbers are heavily based on the designer's experience. That is why you need to check the worker's credibility. 

Another good point to highlight is the expertise. If you ever see why the similarly experienced designer costs more, it can be their expertise in the perspective field or clients are different. An example is a poster design that focuses on marketing. Since there are many more elements, it will cost more compared to motivational poster arts.  

2. Source File Type

How can source file type affect the cost? For your information, the design came in many types, formats, and production. You can also find some services that include printing or only for design. With that in mind, the rate for your poster product can exponentially increase along with the option you are taking for the source file.

The most common option is the design only work. In this case of service, you only pay for the poster design and will distribute the product by yourself. It is a good option if you are trying to print in limited numbers or have material available. Meanwhile, the printed design might cost you more, depending on the poster print number. 

Another thing to mention, along with the source file type, is the final extension. Some designers might ask for extra costs to get the original design file, such as the PSD or Ai. It is because you got the chance to change and make alternations, which means you have full ownership of the work. 

But you will always get the final product with the ready-to-use design. Again, the cost might differ based on the deliverable. Some poster designs might include AI, PSD, or INDD that are editable. On the other hand, the ready-to-use EPS and PDF are also included. So, pick based on your need to consider the poster cost. 

3. Availability And Support 

One way to explain the best availability and support is when the designer can give the service on every given day or time. Don't underestimate the fact that design can take more than days or even months. It can affect the cost. As a customer, you can also consider the duration and deadline. Some designers might charge more depending on the deadline. 

As an example, it is a quick delivery, which is instant work that needs a faster process. Don't get shocked that you will need to pay an extra dollar for the design project. Poster design is not easy to make, especially if you give or add some addition to it such as adding typography, illustration, logo design. So, working on a tight schedule and deadline only means increasing costs. 

4. Size And Quality 

Your poster size and quality can affect the cost. Yes, it is the most obvious increase you can ask for your project. In many cases, you need to consider the job difficulties. When the design and requirement are too complex, the designer will need to take more time to work on it. It only means your job will cost more. 

Moreover, a quality job also takes more money to get done. It is similar to the designer experience. The higher the quality means, the better the worker is. It also means that you need to pay some extra pennies for the job. As mentioned before, professional service can cost around $100 per hour. Or you can also ask for a fixed price that is still higher for a better quality product. 

Size is also a key to why your poster design can cost heavenly. While some options allow resizing the design, doing so for posters only deters the quality. As an example, you ask for an A4 poster size and resize it to a bigger size. Without any changes or design alterations, it only makes every element in the poster design look bigger. 

The same goes with making the design in a smaller size. Even though the image quality still looks crisp, a smaller media needs a proper adjustment. Only resizing it into a smaller size can make the poster look cramped. That is why different-size products tend to come with different costs and rates. Make sure you get the idea before hiring a designer. 

 5. References 

Surprisingly enough, your poster design cost can also be affected by reference. It is the same as allowing your designer to go blind and free or letting your project go with measured steps. Why do you need to provide or not give a reference? One of the reasons is revision. Some designers might ask for a higher cost depending on the revision you ask. More of it means more money. 

When you are providing references, it can help your designer to work faster and understand your preference better. For example, if you going to request for a logo design, you should find some logo design ideas you prefer. However, some references can also be based on previous work or preference. Preference also gives a glimmer of ideas on what you want, what you don't want, and what you want to modify, copy, or refine. So, you can save extra costs for revision. 

While not all designers ask for some extra cost for a completely new project, it can be a bit frustrating. Many chances going with no reference means giving the designer freedom to design the poster. They might give you a rundown on how the design will look like, the possible outcome, and update now and then. 

But it also has a high risk that you won't like the design at all. It only leads to more revision or new work. It can only mean you need to pay more cost on the poster design. Except you put trust in the designer's hand, going with no reference is easier to do. The designer can express their expertise and understanding and do stellar work for your poster.  

Design Ideas To Give You More Work Options 

The last thing that you might want to learn is how every poster design idea comes with different costs. Yes, depending on the design types, you might have to pay different costs since each of them has varying elements, styles, and difficulties. What should you pick? Here are some design ideas that also come with a diverse rate to consider. 

1. Typography 

Typography is one of the most versatile models you can pick for the poster. In this poster design, you can depict many impeccable illusions for the viewer and create a sweet interest in the crowd. It is also a work that can handle many experiments and many possible functions, including art, marketing, and other functions. 

As a design that mostly focuses on text and design, the work can be a bit medium-difficult. However, it can also appeal to some easy work. That is why the cost is mostly focused on the intricacy level and the function. The average cost for this poster can be around $15 to $50 with some revisions and edits. 

Created by Aneta Lewandowska | https://www.behance.net/gallery/140934265/The-Krzysztof-Penderecki-Academy-of-Music

2. Theme-Based Graphic 

Another good inspiration that won't cost you too much is the theme-based graphic. It can cost around $20 to $100. The point why it can be this affordable is because the design tends to depend on the company portfolio and reference. So, the designer and poster design only follow the previous project elements. 

Some elements such as font size, color palette, pictures, a hint of themes, brand, and objective are determined by the theme. While it does make some of the job easier, creating a poster with a designated theme can take time. It can be hard to do, which makes the cost increase in some ways. 

Created by Au Chon Hin | https://www.behance.net/gallery/106809045/HUSH-FULL-MUSIC-2020

3. Shapes And Symmetry

Shapes and symmetry poster design might be one of the less expensive works you can find. In this case, the work will focus on creating a new dimension and bringing a beautiful element to the poster. Again it sounds pretty easy, but to understand the concept of shapes and symmetry, designers need to brainstorm and make drafts. That is why the average cost is around $10-$30.

Created by Vratislav Pecka | https://www.behance.net/gallery/97022327/PosterLad-2020-series-Month-5?

4. Lines

Ranging from $50 to $100, this is a good idea that can make your poster look professional and made with a huge expense. With a proper concept, brief, and poster model, you can find some designers that are experts in this idea. Thus, you can get those complementing lines that make every word, letter, icon, or shape look outstanding. 

But what makes line poster design unique is the versatility and its varying possibility. You can find varying lines made out of mixed lines, dots, merged shapes, and many more. It is not only creating boundaries, but it can lead readers' and viewers' attention. In many cases, this project is pretty complex, which affects the overall cost of the work.

Created by Janusz Jurek | https://www.behance.net/gallery/41053035/Papilarnie-IV

5. Minimalism

With trends and tastes shifting for almost every given time, you can always pick minimalism as the best idea. It is timeless, which makes the concept stick out even in the digital craze age. When talking about minimalism, you can put it on the newbie or entry-level work. Minimalism sounds very easy to tackle since it employs less is more concept.

However, it takes a huge amount of attention to the use of shapes, text, color, icons, and visuals. Every piece of the elements is less than a normal poster design. However, it needs the proper calculation to avoid the poster looking dull. In other words, it is pretty much on the expert skill tier. That is why the cost can go from as low as $100 to as high as $400. 

Created by David Vineis | https://www.behance.net/gallery/101196937/Barcelona-Chair-Bauhaus-Poster-Design

Final Words

Understanding the effort and the job can help customers get the proper cost for their work. In the case of poster design, the price can differ in many ways. The general price tag is around less than $50 for beginners, an average professional is $50, and a high tier one is over $100. Aside from experience, you can also see many other possible cost factors. 

It can be the difficulties of the job, the poster type, the size, quality, and its references. Believe it or not, many poster illustrators will try to get the best price based on their ability, quality, and need. That is why you need to understand that this job is not a joke. Be respectful and careful in hiring designers, so you won't get disappointed.