Terms and conditions

The following Terms and Conditions of Service apply to all products and services provided by Candid Creative Studio. All work is carried out on the understanding that the client has agreed to these terms and conditions.

Copyright is retained by Candid Creative Studio on all design work, including words, pictures, ideas, visuals and illustrations, unless specifically released in writing, and once all costs have been settled.

If a choice of design is presented, only one solution is deemed to fulfil the contract. All other designs remain the property of Candid Creative Studio unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Project acceptance

At the time of proposal, Candid Creative Studio will provide the client with a written estimate or quotation.

A copy of the written estimate or quotation must be signed and dated by the client to indicate acceptance and returned to Candid Creative Studio. Alternatively, a confirmation of the order may be sent by email in reply to the estimate or quotation, which binds the client to these Terms and Conditions.

No work will commence until one of these has been received.

Design charges

Charges for design services are set out in the written estimate or quotation. Upon acceptance, a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the quoted fee becomes immediately due. Work will not begin until this amount has been received.

Charges for other services

Charges for any additional services beyond the agreed design work will become fully payable (100% of the quoted amount) at the time of estimate or quotation acceptance.

Payment

A proof of the final design artwork or other deliverable and invoice will be issued prior to final publication. At this stage, the remaining balance becomes payable and the client must approve the deliverable(s) via email.

Accounts outstanding for more than 30 days from the invoice date will incur an additional charge of 2% per month on the outstanding amount.

Payments may be made by cash, cheque, BACS, or online with a debit or credit card. No publication or release of final work will take place until cleared funds have been received.

Returned cheques will incur a £50 administration fee. Candid Creative Studio reserves the right to consider an account in default in the event of a returned cheque.

Default

An account is considered in default if unpaid after 30 days from the invoice date or following a returned cheque.

Candid Creative Studio reserves the right to remove its work and/or the client’s materials from any and all systems until the outstanding balance is paid in full. This includes services such as hosting, domain registration, design, maintenance and third-party services.

Removal of materials does not relieve the client of the obligation to pay outstanding amounts. Clients in default agree to pay reasonable legal and third-party collection costs incurred in enforcing these terms.

Copyrights and trademarks

By supplying text, images or other data, the client confirms they hold the appropriate copyright or trademark permissions. Ownership of such materials remains with the client or rightful owner.

Any artwork, images or text supplied or designed by Candid Creative Studio remain the property of Candid Creative Studio or its suppliers unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Permission to reuse materials must be requested in writing and granted before reuse.

The client grants Candid Creative Studio permission to use supplied materials for the purposes of the design.

If copyright issues later arise, the client agrees to allow materials to be removed or replaced. The client indemnifies Candid Creative Studio against all claims arising from lack of permissions.

Alterations

Any changes beyond the agreed scope or made after draft approval may incur additional charges.

Candid Creative Studio is not responsible for amendments made by third parties before or after publication.

Licensing

All design, copywriting, artwork, ideas or code are licensed for one-time use only unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Candid Creative Studio is not responsible for claims arising from the use of designs and accepts no liability for loss or consequential loss. Any claim is limited to the fees paid.

Data formats

Text should be supplied electronically in standard formats such as TXT or DOC.

Images must be supplied in suitable quality and format. Candid Creative Studio is not responsible for image quality issues arising from client-supplied materials or scanned printed items.

Additional costs may apply for photography, image processing, data entry or media conversion.

Design project duration

Any timescale provided is an estimate. Project duration runs from receipt of cleared funds or confirmation in writing.

Candid Creative Studio is not responsible for delays outside its control.

Rights of access for website construction

The client agrees to provide all necessary access, permissions, usernames and passwords required to complete the project and, if necessary, remove work for non-payment.

The client agrees to supply all materials in a timely manner.

Design project completion

A project is considered complete upon receipt of written approval of the deliverable(s). Additional services such as printing or website publishing constitute separate projects and charges.

Design credits

The client agrees to allow Candid Creative Studio to place a small credit on printed materials or a link on websites.

Candid Creative Studio may showcase completed work for promotional purposes.

Rights of refusal

Candid Creative Studio reserves the right to refuse any content deemed immoral, offensive, obscene or illegal, and to remove such content without penalty.

Cancellation

Cancellations must be confirmed in writing. The client will be invoiced for all work completed beyond the non-refundable deposit.

Cancellations not confirmed in writing within 14 days may be liable for the full quoted amount.

Disclaimer

Candid Creative Studio provides services without warranties, express or implied, and accepts no liability for loss or damages beyond the fees paid.

Sub-contractors may be used, and their terms apply. Printer tolerances of up to 10% are industry standard.

Retainer working

Where services are provided on a monthly retainer basis, the following terms apply in addition to the standard Terms and Conditions.

A retainer provides the client with ongoing access to design and creative services for a fixed monthly fee, agreed in advance based on the level of support required. The scope of work may vary from month to month, but the overall level of input remains consistent.

Before a retainer proposal is issued, prospective clients will be asked to complete Candid Creative Studio’s Initial Questionnaire. This enables an informed assessment of likely workload, priorities and level of support required.

Monthly retainer fees are calculated based on a presumed number of working hours at the prevailing hourly rate. This hourly rate is used solely to determine the appropriate level of monthly support and capacity. Retainers are not tracked or billed on a per-hour basis, and time is not itemised unless otherwise agreed in writing. This approach allows flexibility in how work is delivered while ensuring the retainer remains fair and proportionate to the level of support provided. If itemised reporting of work or time allocation is requested, £50 will be deducted from the relevant month’s retainer allowance.

Retainer work may include, but is not limited to, graphic design for print and digital, website updates, campaign materials, brand support, creative advice and planning. The precise mix of activity will be agreed collaboratively and may change depending on priorities.

Retainer fees are payable monthly in advance on the 1st of each month. Where a retainer commences mid-month, the initial fee will be charged on a pro rata basis to bring the account in line with the standard billing date. Invoices must be settled in accordance with the standard payment terms. Work may be paused if payment is overdue.

While Candid Creative Studio will make every effort to accommodate requests promptly, retainers do not guarantee unlimited time or immediate turnaround. Work is scheduled sensibly and prioritised in discussion with the client.

Unused time or capacity within a given month does not roll over unless expressly agreed in writing. Similarly, excessive demand beyond the agreed level of support may require re-scoping or a revised fee.

If the level of work requested regularly exceeds the agreed scope of the retainer, Candid Creative Studio will raise this with the client. Where excessive demand continues for a period of three consecutive months, the retainer arrangement will be reviewed. This review may result in a revised scope, adjusted fee, or a change to how work is scheduled and prioritised, subject to agreement in writing by both parties. This ensures the retainer remains fair, sustainable and effective for both parties.

Either party may terminate a retainer arrangement by giving one full calendar month’s written notice, unless otherwise agreed. Any work completed up to the termination date will remain payable in full.

All copyright, licensing, liability and usage terms set out elsewhere in these Terms and Conditions apply equally to work undertaken as part of a retainer.

General

These Terms and Conditions supersede all previous versions, including those under the former name Twisty Creative.

Acceptance of a quotation constitutes agreement to these Terms and Conditions and forms a contract for business.