Graphic Design Cover Letter Examples and Writing Guide

As a graphic designer, you know how to captivate an audience with visuals. But do you know what captivates hiring managers and makes them pick up the phone? The key is to show them a cover letter that speaks volumes about your creativity while showing the concrete results you can deliver, from meeting tight deadlines to keeping clients happy.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to write a top-notch graphic design cover letter that will set your application apart. 

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Graphic design cover letter example

Entry-level graphic designer cover letter

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Career-change graphic designer cover letter

1. Start your graphic design cover letter with a proper header and salutation

A graphic designer's cover letter (also called a motivation letter) should make a strong first impression with a professional header. While graphic design applicants often add creativity to their CVs, keep the cover letter simple. Use a standard business format with a well-structured header and salutation to help the hiring manager quickly identify your identity and the role you're applying for.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Align your name and contact details at the top right of the page. Include essential information such as your phone number, email address, and a link to your online portfolio (e.g., your Behance profile or personal website). 
• List the hiring manager’s name (and title, if known), the company name, and the company’s address on the left side below your personal details.
• Add the current date and a subject line indicating the position you are applying for. Place this just above the salutation to clearly state the purpose of your letter.
• Begin with a greeting. If you know the hiring manager’s name, address them directly (e.g., Dear Lucy). If not, use a polite generic salutation like Dear Hiring Manager instead of “To Whom It May Concern.”

Graphic designer cover letter examples—header

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2. Make a strong opening statement

Start your cover letter strong to immediately catch the hiring manager’s attention. Instead of vague claims about your passion for design, show understanding of their priorities and how you can add value, backed by data or achievements. Briefly summarise your experience and key accomplishments relevant to the role.

Here’s how to do it right:

• State your role and years of experience, along with a notable career highlight. This immediately signals your expertise and impact. 
• Include one or two key achievements with figures to quantify your success. Showing specific results provides the hiring manager with proof of your abilities right from the start. 
• Tailor your opening to the employer’s main priority. Read the job advert carefully and identify their most important requirement or challenge. Then, craft a sentence to show that you can meet that need. 
• Keep it concise and factual. Aim for about 40–80 words in your opening paragraph. This should be a punchy introduction that highlights your value briefly, encouraging the reader to learn more in the rest of your letter.

Graphic design cover letter examples—opening example

3. Showcase your experience, skills, and achievements in the body of the letter

After the engaging introduction, use the main part of your graphic designer cover letter to detail your work experience, key skills, and achievements. Remain focused on accomplishments and results that are relevant to the role, rather than personal design philosophies or styles.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Stick to professional achievements and avoid discussing personal tastes or design preferences. Prove your competence through concrete examples of your work.
• Emphasise outcomes over duties. That’s what a cover letter should include, so rather than just listing responsibilities from past jobs, describe what happened because of your work. Quantify these results whenever possible.
• Highlight a mix of skills and successes that match the job description. Make every example count in demonstrating that you are a good fit for the role.
• Tailor your cover letter to each opportunity because a generic one won’t stand out. Personalising your cover letter will help it fit the role and organisation by showing research into their style, values, or projects, and linking these to your skills, while emphasising relevant experience.
• Showcase your portfolio and top work. Use your letter to guide employers there, including a direct link and highlighting relevant projects. 
• Express passion and personal alignment with design. Link your core values to the company’s mission to show cultural fit. Add personality while staying professional, ending with a strong desire to contribute. Real enthusiasm helps your letter stand out.
• Aim for clarity and brevity. About 120–200 words are enough to give a rich background without overwhelming the reader. You want to impress and showcase your potential, not get bogged down in details.

Graphic design cover letter examples—main paragraph

4. End with a call to action and a professional closing

Your final paragraph is your closing argument. It’s the last impression left from your cover letter, so this part should strongly reinforce your enthusiasm for the role and prompt the hiring manager to take the next step. All while summarising why you’re a great fit and suggesting a follow-up.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Summarise your value and express confidence. In one short paragraph (around 60–80 words), concisely state how your experience and skills will benefit the employer. Avoid sounding unsure; this is the time to firmly reinforce that you can do the job.
• Include a clear call to action. Encourage the hiring manager to take the next step, mentioning that you welcome the chance to discuss your portfolio or share more details in an interview. This invites them to contact you or arrange a meeting.
• End on a courteous note. Thank the hiring manager for their time or consideration, if you haven’t done so already. 
• Close your cover letter formally, with ‘Best regards’ or ‘Sincerely,’ followed by your full name. For physical letters, leave space for a signature. Though traditional, it ensures a respectful and professional ending.
• Proofread by reviewing grammar, spelling, names, links, and layout. 

Graphic design cover letter examples—closing

5. Use the proper format and layout for a professional look

The cover letter needs to be a certain length, so you’re limited in the artistic spin you could put on this document. Save that for the CV and portfolio if you must. To convey the maximum amount of information, follow the classic cover letter format. 

Graphic design cover letter length rules

• 200–350 words total
• Strictly limited to 1 page of A4
• 1st paragraph: 40–80 words
• 2nd paragraph: 120–200 words
• Closing paragraph: 60–80 words

6. Match the CV format

Ensure that your fonts and the overall style of your graphic designer CV, letter of application, and portfolio align perfectly. It would be difficult to trust a designer who can’t even create their own visual identity.

Here’s how to do it right:

• Use a readable font, such as Times New Roman, Arial or Georgia. Choose an elegant but simple font in a 10–12 size. Readability is of far more importance here than novelty, or standing out.
• Use even margins and white space. For a neat cover letter layout, use 1-inch margins on all sides. Space out sections and paragraphs with white space. Consider some bullet points for your key achievements.
• Save your perfectly crafted cover letter in *.pdf to protect the formatting (unless you're writing an email cover letter).

“Creative professionals should format their CVs to balance creativity with professionalism by avoiding excessive use of photos, colours, or icons. Instead, focus on clarity and conciseness, ensuring the CV conveys information effectively to both technical and non-technical readers. Reserve more creative elements for your portfolio while keeping the CV clean and straightforward to highlight your skills and experience”.

 And that’s it. Now you know everything there is to know about writing an impressive graphic design cover letter. Good luck!

Need a different cover letter? Check these samples:

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• Project Manager Cover Letter Example
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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our cover letter samples.

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How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with LiveCareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

Sources

• Tony Daloisio, PhD, "Why First, and Last, Impressions Are So Important"
• Chai M. Tyng, Hafeez U. Amin, Mohamad N. M. Saad, Aamir S. Malik, "The Influences of Emotion on Learning and Memory"