Illustration invoice
Invoice template for illustrators: cover illustration, interior illustrations and illustration license. Fill it in online or download Excel or Word.
Templates by industry
- Cover illustration
- Interior illustrations
- Illustration license
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Cover illustration" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Illustration license". 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.
Illustrators often sell two things at once: the work of drawing and the right to use the drawings. This invoice keeps them apart. The cover and the interior pieces are billed as artwork, and the license has a line of its own that states where the images may appear, for how long and in which territory. Publishers and agencies read the license line closely, because it defines what they have bought, so word it as the commission agreement does.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Cover illustration, Interior illustrations, Illustration license: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Cover illustration
- Bill the cover as one piece, name the title or project, and mention the final file delivered, such as a layered file at print size.
- Interior illustrations
- Enter the number of finished pieces as the quantity and note whether spot illustrations and full-page pieces carry different prices.
- Illustration license
- Describe the use granted, for example print and e-book editions for five years, and whether it is exclusive.
- 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
- Separate cover and interior illustration counts, print and online usage, and the files delivered at each size.
Before sending
- Does “Cover illustration” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Interior illustrations” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Illustration license” 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cover illustration | 20 × $750.00 | $15,000.00 |
| Interior illustrations | 12 × $95.00 | $1,140.00 |
| Illustration license | 20 × $120.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Subtotal | $18,540.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $1,483.20 | |
| Total | $20,023.20 | |
Net amount $18,540.00, sales tax $1,483.20, total payable $20,023.20.
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
How do I bill a kill fee when the project is cancelled after sketches?
Invoice the stage reached, at the kill fee or percentage your agreement sets, and write in the line that the project was cancelled after the sketch stage. No license line is billed then, because the images will not be used.
Where do revision rounds beyond the agreed number go?
Add them as a separate line with the number of extra rounds and your rate, so the artwork price stays as quoted. Mention the date the client asked for them, since extra rounds are easier to accept when they are documented.
Does this invoice transfer my copyright?
An invoice records what was charged and paid; the rights granted are whatever your agreement says. Describe the license on the invoice in the same terms as the agreement, and do not write that all rights are transferred unless that was actually agreed.
How is the sales tax worked out on this invoice?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $1,483.20 on a net amount of $18,540.00, for a total of $20,023.20. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
Read next
Reading for the Illustration 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.