Graphic Design in Dundalk

Use a marketplace (Fiverr, 99designs) for a fast, cheap one-off where brand consistency doesn't matter much. Hire a freelancer for a defined project with a real conversation about your brand. Pay agency rates when you need strategy, multiple assets and accountability under one roof. Most small businesses start freelance and stay there.

No contract, no source files or copyright transfer, a portfolio of only personal/spec work with no real clients, 'unlimited revisions' with no defined scope, 100% up-front payment, and using stock or AI-generated art passed off as bespoke without disclosure. Recycled or lightly-edited template work sold as custom is another warning sign.

Fixed price for a defined deliverable (a logo, a brochure) protects both sides; hourly suits open-ended or ongoing work. Standard structure is a 30-50% deposit with the balance on delivery — never pay 100% up front for creative work you haven't seen.

A logo is one mark; a brand identity is the whole system — logo variations, colour palette, typography, and usage guidelines that keep everything consistent. If you only ever need one graphic, buy a logo. If you'll produce ongoing materials, the identity package pays for itself by keeping every future asset on-brand.

You should — insist the contract transfers copyright on final payment and that you receive the editable source files (AI, PSD, Figma), not just flattened JPEGs. Font licensing can be separate. Designer-retained source files are the most common lock-in trap: without them, every future edit routes back through the original designer.

There are three tiers everywhere: crowdsourced/marketplace design at the low end, freelance designers in the middle, and studios/agencies at the top. Price tracks the deliverable, the designer's experience, and how many concepts and revision rounds you get — a $50 logo and a $2,000 logo are buying very different processes and rights.

Freelancers typically charge €30-110/hr, with logos commonly €300-2,000 and brand-identity packages €1,800-8,000+. Dublin studios sit above regional freelancers.