How much deposit should a designer ask for?

It's your call, and often it's half. "I ask for 50% upfront and if they don't want to pay I don't work with them," Paul Murray wrote on Graphic Design Forums UK on February 10, 2012. Aventide's Design Project Agreement starts at 50%, which you can change on each contract. Some states limit deposits marked non-refundable, so check yours before you send.