Terms of Service

Effective Date: September 10, 2026

1. Introduction and acceptance of terms

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") govern the provision of services by North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd. ("North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd.", "we", "us", or "our") to clients, customers, and website users (collectively, "you" or "Client"). By requesting a quote, engaging our services, making payment, approving a proposal, or otherwise using our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that entity. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our services.

These Terms apply to all services provided by North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd., including custom editorial illustration, brand and advertising illustrations, packaging artwork and label visuals, children's book illustration, concept art and character design, digital vector illustration, and illustration style guides for brands.

2. Scope of services

North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd. provides illustration-studio services on a project-by-project basis, which may include one or more of the following:

  • Custom editorial illustration;
  • Brand and advertising illustrations;
  • Packaging artwork and label visuals;
  • Children's book illustration;
  • Concept art and character design;
  • Digital vector illustration; and
  • Illustration style guides for brands.

The specific deliverables, timelines, milestones, revisions, technical specifications, usage rights, and fees for each engagement will be set out in a written quotation, estimate, proposal, statement of work, invoice, or email confirmation (collectively, the "Project Terms"). If there is any conflict between these Terms and the Project Terms, the Project Terms will prevail to the extent of the conflict.

Unless expressly agreed in writing, we do not provide printing, production management, legal clearance, trademark searches, copyright registration, or regulatory review services. You are responsible for obtaining any necessary legal, technical, or regulatory advice for your project.

3. User obligations and responsibilities

You agree to:

  • Provide accurate, complete, and timely information, reference materials, and instructions necessary for us to perform the services;
  • Ensure that all materials you supply, including text, images, logos, references, and brand assets, do not infringe any third-party rights and may be lawfully used for the project;
  • Review and approve deliverables promptly and provide consolidated feedback within the timelines agreed in the Project Terms;
  • Obtain all required permissions, licenses, model releases, trademark clearances, and regulatory approvals relating to the intended use of the deliverables;
  • Use the deliverables only within the scope of the rights granted under the applicable Project Terms and any paid license or assignment;
  • Not alter, misrepresent, or remove any authorship, attribution, copyright, or proprietary notices unless expressly authorized in writing; and
  • Not use our services for unlawful, defamatory, discriminatory, infringing, misleading, or harmful purposes.

You acknowledge that delays caused by incomplete instructions, late feedback, scope changes, or failure to provide required materials may affect project timelines and may result in additional fees.

4. Payment terms and conditions

Fees for services will be stated in the applicable Project Terms or invoice. Unless otherwise agreed in writing:

  • A non-refundable deposit or retainer may be required before work begins;
  • Remaining balances are payable upon milestones, delivery, or prior to final file release, as specified in the Project Terms;
  • All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars (CAD) unless otherwise indicated;
  • Taxes, including GST/HST and any applicable provincial taxes, will be added where required by law;
  • Late payments may accrue interest at the lesser of 1.5% per month (18% per annum) or the maximum rate permitted by law, calculated from the due date until paid in full;
  • We may suspend work or withhold final deliverables if invoices are overdue; and
  • You are responsible for bank charges, wire fees, credit card fees, foreign exchange charges, and any collection costs permitted by law.

Any work requested outside the agreed scope, including additional concepts, extra revisions, urgent turnaround, file conversions, or alternative usage formats, may be billed separately at our then-current rates or as otherwise agreed in writing.

5. Cancellation and refund policy

Either party may cancel a project by providing written notice, subject to the Project Terms and the following conditions:

  • Deposits and retainers are non-refundable unless otherwise required by applicable law or expressly stated in writing;
  • If you cancel after work has commenced, you remain responsible for payment for all work completed, expenses incurred, and approved milestones up to the cancellation date;
  • Where a project is cancelled due to your breach, failure to communicate, or failure to provide materials or approvals, no refund will be owed for completed work or reserved production time;
  • If we cancel a project for reasons within our control and you have prepaid for work not yet performed, we will refund the unearned portion of fees, less any non-refundable deposit and amounts due for completed work;
  • Refunds, if any, will be processed using the original payment method or another reasonable method at our discretion within a commercially reasonable time.

Because our services involve custom creative work, all approved, completed, or delivered work is generally non-refundable except where required by applicable consumer protection law.

6. Liability limitations

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, revenue, goodwill, business opportunities, data, or anticipated savings, arising out of or relating to the services or these Terms, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to any project, claim, or series of related claims shall not exceed the total fees actually paid to us by you for the specific services giving rise to the claim during the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to liability, or CAD $500, whichever is greater, except where such limitation is prohibited by law.

We do not warrant that deliverables will be suitable for every intended use, accepted by third parties, free from all errors, or cleared for legal compliance in every jurisdiction. You are solely responsible for final review, implementation, and use of the deliverables.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, including liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or gross negligence to the extent such limitation is prohibited.

7. Intellectual property rights

Unless otherwise agreed in a written assignment or license, all preliminary concepts, sketches, source files, draft artworks, compositions, styles, and final illustrations created by North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd. remain our intellectual property or the intellectual property of our licensors until payment is received in full and any applicable rights transfer is expressly documented.

Upon full payment of all amounts due, you will receive only those rights expressly granted in the Project Terms, invoice, or written agreement. Any rights not expressly transferred or licensed are reserved by North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd..

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, we retain the right to:

  • Display non-confidential work, excerpts, and thumbnails in our portfolio, on our website, in social media, and in award submissions for self-promotional purposes;
  • Retain copies of project files for archival, reference, and legal recordkeeping purposes;
  • Use working methods, concepts, techniques, and general style knowledge developed in the course of a project for future projects, provided we do not disclose your confidential information or proprietary materials.

You represent and warrant that any content you provide does not infringe the intellectual property or moral rights of any third party and that you have secured all necessary permissions for our use of such materials in performing the services.

If a separate copyright assignment or exclusive license is required, it must be expressly agreed in writing and may be subject to additional fees.

8. Data protection and privacy

We collect, use, disclose, and retain personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws. Personal information may include your name, business contact details, billing information, project requirements, correspondence, and account history.

We use personal information to:

  • Provide quotations, manage projects, and communicate with you;
  • Process payments and maintain accounting records;
  • Improve our services and operations;
  • Comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access.

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Where we use third-party service providers, including payment processors, cloud storage, file transfer, and communication tools, your information may be processed by such providers subject to their own privacy practices.

By using our services, you consent to our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information as necessary to perform the services and as otherwise described in our privacy practices or required by law. If you have questions about privacy or wish to request access to or correction of your personal information, contact us using the details below.

9. Force majeure

Neither party shall be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations under these Terms to the extent caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, fire, flood, earthquake, epidemic or pandemic, power outages, internet or telecommunications failures, labour disputes, governmental action, war, terrorism, civil unrest, supply chain disruptions, or acts of third parties ("Force Majeure Event").

The affected party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of the Force Majeure Event and resume performance as soon as reasonably practicable. If a Force Majeure Event continues for an extended period and materially affects a project, either party may terminate the affected project by written notice, subject to payment for work completed and expenses incurred to the date of termination.

10. Changes to terms

We may update or modify these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our services, business practices, or legal requirements. The revised Terms will be effective when posted on our website or otherwise communicated to you, unless a later effective date is stated.

Your continued use of our services after the effective date of any revised Terms constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Changes will not retroactively affect completed projects unless required by law or expressly agreed in writing.

11. Applicable law and jurisdiction

These Terms and any disputes arising out of or relating to them, any project, or our services shall be governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You agree that the courts located in Vancouver, British Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim, or proceeding arising from or relating to these Terms or the services, subject to any non-waivable rights you may have under applicable consumer protection legislation.

12. Contact information

If you have any questions about these Terms, a project, a payment, or privacy matters, please contact:

13. Severability clause

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. If a severed provision is necessary to reflect the parties' original intent, the parties shall negotiate in good faith a valid replacement provision that most closely reflects that intent and is enforceable under applicable law.

Entire agreement: These Terms, together with any applicable Project Terms and written amendments, constitute the entire agreement between you and North Shore Illustration Studio Ltd. regarding the services and supersede prior or contemporaneous understandings on the same subject matter, except as required by law.

9/10/2026 Home