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Guide

What packaging design costs in Australia.

Typical market ranges, what drives the price, and an estimator to help you budget. These are general guides to help you plan, not quotes.

What it costs

Estimate your budget.

Typical market ranges by scope, then set your project for an indicative number. A planning guide, not a quote.

Single label refresh
One SKU, existing brand
$3k–$8k
New product: brand + pack
First launch, one hero product
$8k–$18k
Brand + range system
A full range built to scale
$18k–$40k+
Structural / custom
Bespoke pack engineering, added
+$5k–$20k+
Indicative range
$8,000–$18,000
A new product brand and pack, boutique studio, 1 SKU.
    Indicative only, based on typical Australian market ranges. Real quotes vary by studio, complexity and timeline. Always brief and get it in writing.
    Who to hire

    Which kind of studio fits?

    Boutique studio

    1–5 people

    Hands-on senior craft, often with the founder on your project. The sweet spot for launching brands and first ranges.

    Medium studio

    5–10 people

    A dedicated account manager and finished artist. Smoother for multi-SKU ranges and steady delivery.

    Large studio

    10–20 people

    Runs large national accounts, usually with offices in more than one state.

    Global agency

    20+ people

    Manages household brands across the world, with offices in major business hubs.

    A skilled freelancer can suit a single, simple pack where you already have clear direction, but you trade away account management, finished art and a compliance backstop. The cheapest quote is rarely the true cost once rework and a brand that cannot scale are counted.

    What drives cost

    Five things that move the number.

    Ranked by how much each one tends to swing a budget, with a rough effect to plan against. Guides, not quotes.

    Scope
    A one-label refresh versus a full brand-and-range system. This sets the budget more than anything else.
    $3k – $40k+
    The biggest lever
    Studio tier
    The same brief costs least at a boutique and several times more at a global agency.
    about 1–3× fee
    Boutique to global
    Strategy & naming
    Positioning, brand architecture and naming add work up front, and usually pay for themselves on shelf.
    + an up-front phase
    Often worth it
    Structure
    Designing to a stock format adds nothing; custom pack engineering and tooling are charged on top.
    + $5k – $20k+
    If custom-built
    Number of SKUs
    The lead product carries the design. Every extra variant adds artwork and rollout.
    + per variant
    Scales with the range
    Compliance
    Regulated categories like supplements and food need mandatory information and claims designed in from the first concept.
    + artwork time
    Regulated categories
    Next step

    Find your packaging designer.

    Browse the independent directory, or start with an expert read of your current pack.

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