The Artist Guide
Your one-stop walkthrough for everything you need to know as an upcoming Scratch artist ;)
New here? Start with For Artists for the short version, then come back when you're ready to start creating!
Getting on Scratch
There are two ways in. If you have an invite code from another artist, you're in instantly.
No invite code? Share a portfolio link and we'll get you set up. We care about what you make, not how many followers you have.
Either way, you'll need to agree to the artist agreement: you're 18+, your work is original, and you follow our content policy.
Setting Up Your Profile
Before you can accept requests, you need to configure your pricing and preferences. Here's what to set up:
All of these live in your dashboard settings. We cover each one in detail in the All Your Settings section below.
Getting Paid
When you deliver, your Earnings are credited on Scratch. You can request a manual withdrawal once every 7 days when you have eligible Earnings, and automatic payouts run every 2 weeks when eligible Earnings are at least $100.
The biweekly schedule is a Scratch policy. Batching automatic payouts helps Scratch cover standard payout costs from the Scratch fee, check refund and dispute holds, and troubleshoot failed or returned payouts on a predictable timeline.
Stripe Connect is the recommended beta withdrawal route. Scratch Payouts is stable where available and usually arrives in about 2-3 business days after payouts are sent, but bank timing can vary.
Check Payout Country Support for the current Stripe Connect and Scratch Payouts country lists. If your country is not open yet, tell us where you're based so we know where artists are waiting.
Fees & Payouts
Scratch takes 10% when you get paid. That's the whole fee: no signup fee, no subscription.
We cover payment processing, cross-border fees, foreign card costs, and supported Scratch Payouts foreign exchange.* We want you to know what you earn before you accept, no matter where your client lives.
Example: on a $100 commission or boost, $90 goes to your Earnings.
*Some legacy payout routes may use their own conversion rate for non-USD withdrawals.
The Request Lifecycle
When a client sends you a request, their card is saved but not charged yet. From there, you have three options: accept, decline, or ask a clarifying question.
You have 30 days to respond. If you don't respond in time, the client is refunded automatically and it counts as an expired request.
Once you accept, you have 60 days to deliver. Same deal: if the deadline passes without a delivery, the client gets their money back.
For the full flow from the client's perspective (including how pricing and options work on their end), check out How to Scratch.
Delivering Work
When your piece is ready, upload it through the request page. You can attach up to 10 files, each up to 500 MB.
Supported formats:
Videos can be up to 10 minutes long.
You can also add an optional watermark to the public preview (the version non-clients see on your profile) and include a delivery message for the client.
Your Profile & Gallery
Every completed request shows up on your profile by default. It's your live portfolio, built as you work.
If you allow private requests and a client uses that option, the finished piece stays private to the commission parties instead of appearing publicly on your profile.
Your completion rate tracks how many accepted requests you've delivered. It's visible to potential clients, so keeping it high builds trust. Deliver on time and you'll be golden.
All Your Settings
Here's every setting in your artist dashboard.
Your Request Box
Master toggle. Flip this on when you're ready to open your request box to clients. You'll need your pricing and payment set up first.
Min Price
The absolute floor. Clients can't offer below this number.
Suggested Price
What you typically charge for a standard piece. Shown to clients as a starting point.
Commission Description
Up to 2,000 characters. This is what clients read before deciding to request. Cover what you draw, what you don't, turnaround expectations, anything that helps them write a better brief.
NSFW Requests
Opt in to receive mature content requests. Off by default.
Commercial Use
Allow clients to request commercial rights (merchandise, branding, print products). When enabled, you set an uplift percentage that increases the minimum price for commercial requests.
Private Requests
Choose whether clients can ask to keep finished work off your public gallery image. You can also set an uplift percentage for private requests.
Typical Delivery Time
Pick from: Within a few days, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, or A month or more. Displayed on your profile so clients know what to expect.
Show Queue Count
Display how many active requests you're working on. Helps clients gauge your current workload.
Description Length Limit
Controls how long client descriptions can be. Adjustable from 1,000 to 5,000, defaults to 2,000. Set this based on how much detail you want from clients.
Invite Codes
Every artist gets 5 invite codes. Use them to bring in artists you trust. You can send codes via email or copy the link directly from your dashboard.
Invited artists skip the portfolio review entirely, so share your codes with people whose work you'd vouch for.
Work Freely
If you connect with a client through Scratch and want to work with them directly next time, go for it. We don't restrict who you work with or how.