Freelance Graphic Designer (Print Specialist)

Fulcrum | Sydney | Freelance

We have partnered with a direct-to-consumer subscription brand that sends physical products to hundreds of thousands of customers every month. Their model lives and dies on the physical experience, from the moment a box lands on a doorstep to the materials inside it. Print is not a support function here. It is a core part of the customer experience, and it is treated accordingly.

The role

If you have spent your career making things you can actually hold, not decks, not banner ads, not social tiles, this engagement was built for you.

We are looking for a freelance print specialist to step in immediately and own the design of physical customer-facing materials across a high-volume, fast-moving production environment. The work is varied, the standards are high, and the output is tangible. You will be designing assets that land directly in front of customers, which means accuracy, brand consistency, and production-ready craft matter on every file you send.

This is a freelance engagement with an ASAP start. We are not putting a fixed end date on it, but we expect it to run for a meaningful period.

What you'll do

• Design and produce a range of print materials including inserts, brochures, booklets, promotional cards, and packaging collateral
• Work to brand guidelines and adapt them across multiple print formats and specifications
• Prepare print-ready files, managing bleed, colour profiles, resolution, and pre-press requirements to production standard
• Liaise with print suppliers and production teams to ensure files meet technical specifications and deadlines
• Manage concurrent briefs across different asset types, prioritising without dropping quality
• Review proofs and approve artwork before it goes to press
• Flag artwork issues early, particularly where brief, budget, or timeline conflict with production reality

What you'll bring

• A strong portfolio built predominantly on print, including inserts, booklets, brochures, direct mail, or similar physical collateral
• Confident production skills: you understand print specifications, file set-up, and pre-press requirements without being walked through them
• Experience working in or alongside a high-volume production environment, whether in-house or agency
• Proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Illustrator as primary tools, with Photoshop as a support tool
• The ability to work to a brief independently, manage your own workload, and communicate clearly when something needs resolving
• Backgrounds in FMCG, publishing, direct mail, catalogue, or subscription brands are all relevant

Who this role is for

You are a print designer. That is not a limitation for you, it is a point of pride. You are comfortable with the fact that this engagement will not involve social media campaigns, digital ads, or motion graphics. The work is physical, and that is exactly what you want.

You work well under production pressure. High-volume environments with tight deadlines and multiple concurrent briefs are familiar territory for you, not a source of anxiety. You understand that getting a file wrong costs real money, so you are thorough by default.

This role is not for you if

• Your portfolio is split evenly between print and digital, and you would rather keep it that way
• You need significant creative direction or regular feedback to move forward
• You are looking for a permanent role with a defined career path
• You find production-focused, specification-heavy work repetitive rather than satisfying

Why this works

• Immediate engagement: the work is there now and the start date is as soon as possible
• Genuine print volume: this is not a role where you produce two brochures a quarter; the output is consistent and substantial
• A brand that invests in the physical customer experience, which means print is taken seriously at a senior level
• Freelance flexibility with meaningful duration