Graphic design invoice
Invoice template for graphic designers: concept design, design revisions and print-ready files. Fill it in online, download Excel or Word, or print to PDF.
Templates by industry
- Concept design
- Design revisions
- Print-ready files
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Concept design" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Print-ready files". Hand over approved versions and a file manifest, confirming usage scope and completed revisions.
Send the billing record
Send the final charges, delivery reference and due date to the customer, then reconcile payment against the invoice number.
Design invoices are most often questioned over revisions: the client remembers asking for small changes, the designer remembers five rounds. Putting concepts, revisions and the final print files on separate lines turns that memory into a count. The concepts line shows how many directions were presented, the revisions line the rounds beyond what was included, and the files line what was handed over, so a printer's later request for another format can be billed as new work.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Concept design, Design revisions, Print-ready files: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Concept design
- Give the number of concepts presented and the date the client chose one; if every concept is rejected and new ones are wanted, a new concept round has begun.
- Design revisions
- Bill only the rounds beyond those included in the fee, each with its date and a few words on what changed.
- Print-ready files
- List the files delivered, for example a press PDF in CMYK with 3 mm bleed plus web versions, and the date the client signed off the final proof.
- Quantity and output format
- Record pages, images, word counts or running time, final file formats and whether editable source files are included.
- Review and usage scope
- Specify the draft approver, revision rounds, intended media and duration, and who supplies third-party assets.
- Scope to agree
- Specify how many concepts and revision rounds are included, the file formats delivered, and whether editable source files are handed over.
Before sending
- Does “Concept design” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Design revisions” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Print-ready files” finished and accepted, or does it belong on a later invoice?
Show 3 more
- Agree when a change of direction after draft approval becomes additional work.
- Check separately whether editable sources and final delivery files are included.
- Match completed work to the order or approval record, and confirm the payment due date and amounts already received.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Concept design | 8 × $180.00 | $1,440.00 |
| Design revisions | 20 × $1,500.00 | $30,000.00 |
| Print-ready files | 8 × $95.00 | $760.00 |
| Subtotal | $32,200.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $2,576.00 | |
| Total | $34,776.00 | |
Net amount $32,200.00, sales tax $2,576.00, total payable $34,776.00.
What the document must show
The details an invoice has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example
Frequently asked questions
Who pays if a typo is found after printing?
Record on the invoice which proof the client approved and when. Many design terms make reprints after an approved proof the client's cost, while an error introduced after approval is the designer's; whichever rule you use, put it in your terms before the job starts.
Can I bill stock images or fonts bought for the project?
Yes, as separate lines at cost or with a stated markup, naming the licence bought. Note whose name the licence is in, because a font licensed to you may not cover the client using it in their own documents.
How is the sales tax worked out on this invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $2,576.00 on a net amount of $32,200.00, for a total of $34,776.00. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I use it in another language or currency?
Yes. The document language can be set to any of 33 languages, and changing the country setting updates the currency, the date format and the tax rate.
Can I email it to the customer?
Yes, from your own mail app. With a free account, the editor’s download menu offers Email this document, which opens your mail app with a message about the document already written. QuoteBill sends nothing itself, so save the PDF and attach it before you send.
Read next
Reading for the Graphic design invoice: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example and Credit note vs invoice (and credit memo): how to issue one. The VAT and GST calculator works out the tax line for you.