Illustrators send estimates when a client asks for a project quote, often after an inquiry that includes a brief, a usage description, and a deadline. Clients usually compare your price against other illustrators and against their own budget, so the quote should show what is included and what the usage rights cost.
When to use estimates: Use estimates to provide project quotes and get client approval before starting work. Once approved, convert your estimate to an invoice with one click to collect payment.
Create an invoice for payment collection
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Invoice_1001_Client_2026-10-14.pdf
A quote for one cover differs from one for a cover and ten interior pieces, so state count, dimensions, and orientation.
Defines whether the work is simple spot art or fully rendered scenes with backgrounds, which affects the hours behind it.
Specify media, territory, duration, and exclusivity. Pricing depends on this, and changes later require a new fee.
List thumbnails or sketches, color, and final, and how many changes are included at each stage.
Layered PSD, flat PNG, vector AI, or print-ready CMYK can mean extra work, so state what is included.
Gives realistic dates for sketches and finals, and notes what happens if feedback is late or a rush is needed.
Shows the deposit, milestones, and what is owed if the project is cancelled partway.
| Service | Priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial spot illustration | per piece | $250-800 |
| Full-page editorial illustration | per piece | $500-2,000 |
| Children's book interior illustration | per spread | $300-1,000 |
| Book cover illustration | flat fee | $800-3,500 |
| Character design | per character | $200-1,000 |
| Packaging or product illustration | flat fee | $600-3,000 |
| Additional revisions beyond agreed rounds | per hour | $50-125 |
| Rush fee | percent of project fee | 25-50% |
Typical US ranges. Rates vary by region, experience, and job size.
Start with a base fee for the art, then adjust for use. A small web-only job costs less than a national ad campaign or packaging that will sit on shelves for years.
Show a basic option, such as one illustration with limited rights, and a larger one with extra pieces or broader rights. Clients often choose the middle option.
Concept work and back-and-forth communication take hours that do not show up in the final art. Build them into the flat fee instead of absorbing them.
Quotes should expire in 30 days or so, since your schedule and rates may change.
Generally no. Spec work undervalues your time and often leads to disputes. Share your portfolio, and if a test is needed, charge for it and credit the fee against the final project.
Detailed enough to list the pieces, stages, revision rounds, rights, and schedule, usually one page. A clear scope reduces later disagreements about extra changes.
Reduce scope instead of price: fewer pieces, simpler backgrounds, limited usage rights, or a longer timeline. This keeps your rate consistent and gives the client a real choice.
Only if the scope changes, and the change should be put in writing. Refer to your estimate and contract, and send a revised quote for added pieces, extra revisions, or expanded rights.
Use the Illustration invoice template to bill the client, or convert this estimate once it's approved.
Illustration invoice template