A freelance graphic designer contract in India should state the number of concepts and revision rounds, the final file formats, whether editable source files are included, who pays for fonts and stock images, and when the copyright in the final design passes to the client. Tie the transfer to full payment and keep unused concepts and portfolio rights for yourself.
By Saiyam Kumar, Founder, Defellix · Last updated 2026-10-17
A graphic designer contract is a services agreement between a designer and a client that sets out the design work, concepts and revisions, file formats, price and payment dates, and who owns the finished artwork. In India it is an ordinary contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, and it can be signed electronically.
Design disputes usually come from open-ended revisions, missing source files and unclear ownership. These clauses settle each one before you start.
| Clause | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Concepts | Number of initial concepts | More concepts means more unpaid work |
| Revisions | Rounds included on the chosen concept, and the rate after | Stops endless “small tweaks” |
| Final files | Formats and sizes, for print and web | Avoids arguments about what “final” means |
| Source files | Included, or available for a fee | Source files are often worth more than the final export |
| Fonts and stock | Client buys any paid licences | The licence must be in the client’s name |
| Copyright | Final design assigned to the client on full payment | Copyright stays with the designer until assigned in writing |
| Unused concepts | Remain the designer’s | Only the chosen design is transferred |
| Portfolio | Designer may show the work after launch | Keeps your right to market your work |
The designer, until the copyright is assigned. Under Section 17 of the Copyright Act, 1957 the author of an artistic work is its first owner, and a freelance designer is not an employee. The client gets ownership only through a written, signed assignment under Section 19.
This matters for logos in particular, because a client who wants to register the logo as a trademark needs clear ownership of it. Assign the final logo on full payment, and say that unused concepts stay with you. More detail is in who owns freelance work.
Settle these points before the first concept.
Only if the contract says so. Editable files let the client change the design without you, so many designers either include them in a higher price or charge separately. Whichever you choose, write it down, because a client who expected source files will treat their absence as a breach.
These come up again and again in design disputes.
On Defellix you can start from a ready-made graphic designer template with the concepts, revisions, source-file, licence and ownership clauses already written, then replace the bracketed details. Your client signs by email OTP, and each approval and payment is recorded with a timestamp. Your first contract is free.
Two or three rounds on the chosen concept is common. Define a round as one consolidated list of changes, and set a rate for further rounds.
Not if your contract ties the copyright transfer to full payment. Until then the client has no right to use the final design.
The contract should say. Usually the client buys the font licence in its own name, because it will keep using the font after the project.
Yes, if your contract says unused concepts remain yours. Only the design the client chooses and pays for is assigned.