What should a freelance designer's invoice include?

Your name and contact details; an invoice number, invoice date, payment terms, due date and any client PO number; the client; and the booking, with the project, the days booked and your day rate. Then the design days, any revision time and extra hours beyond the booking, licenses you bought for the project, any sales tax, the amount due and how to pay.

How do I invoice a day rate?

Put each block of days on its own line with the dates, the number of days in Qty and your day rate in Rate. A half day is 0.5 days. State what your day rate covers, such as an 8-hour day, and bill hours beyond it on their own line at your hourly rate, as the sample does at 60.00 an hour.

How do I bill revisions beyond those included?

Add them to "Revisions and extra time" with the date and what changed, and note how many rounds were included. In the sample, two revision rounds were part of the booked days, and a third round after sign-off is billed as half a day, 225.00.

How do I pass stock images and fonts through to the client?

List each license in "Licenses bought for the project, at cost" at what you paid, with the license type in Details. In the Excel file they're added after the sales tax line. Check each license's own terms for who it can be issued to before you buy it on the client's behalf.

Should a freelance designer charge sales tax?

It depends on where you work and what you deliver. The Excel file applies its tax rate cell to the design days and revisions and adds the licenses after tax; that's how the file is built, not a statement about what is taxable. Check the rules where you work, then set the rate or change the formula.

Should I use this invoice or the graphic design invoice?

Use this one when a client books your time by the day. The graphic design invoice is set up for fixed-fee deliverables, such as a logo suite or brand guidelines, plus hourly work, and has a line for a deposit received.

Freelance Designer Invoice Template

Bill design work booked by the day with design days at your day rate, a half-day revision round and extra hours, a sales tax line on design services and stock and font licenses passed through at cost, then download it as an editable Word or Excel file or a blank PDF to print

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Quick answer:This freelance designer invoice bills work booked by the day: design days at a day rate, revision time and extra hours beyond the booking, and stock image and font licenses passed through at cost after the sales tax line. In the sample, 7 days at 450.00, a half-day revision round and 2 extra hours come to 3,495.00, and with 110.00 of licenses the amount due is 3,605.00. It comes as Word and Excel files with a sample and a blank A4 PDF.

FREELANCE DESIGN INVOICE

Designer

Name:: Sam Example Design
Address:: 8 Example Studio Row, Sampletown
Phone / email:: [Phone or email]

Invoice details

Invoice no.:: FD-0147
Invoice date:: Dec 4, 2026
Payment terms:: Net 14
Due date:: Dec 18, 2026
PO no.:: [Client PO no.]

Bill to (client)

Company:: Example Agency Inc.
Attention:: Studio manager
Email:: [Email]

Booking

Project:: Packaging refresh for a snack brand
Days booked:: Nov 16-20 and Nov 23-24, 2026
Day rate:: 450.00 for an 8-hour day; extra hours at 60.00

Design days

Item: Design days, Nov 16-20Amount: 2,250.00
Details:
Concepts and layouts
Qty:
5
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00
Item: Design days, Nov 23-24Amount: 900.00
Details:
Final artwork and print files
Qty:
2
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00

Design days: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Design days, Nov 16-20	Concepts and layouts	5	day	450.00	2,250.00
Design days, Nov 23-24	Final artwork and print files	2	day	450.00	900.00

Design days subtotal3,150.00

Revisions and extra time

Item: Revision round 3, half dayAmount: 225.00
Details:
Changes after sign-off, Nov 25
Qty:
0.5
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00
Item: Extra hoursAmount: 120.00
Details:
Nov 20, beyond the 8-hour day
Qty:
2
Unit:
hour
Rate:
60.00

Revisions and extra time: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Revision round 3, half day	Changes after sign-off, Nov 25	0.5	day	450.00	225.00
Extra hours	Nov 20, beyond the 8-hour day	2	hour	60.00	120.00

Revisions subtotal345.00

Licenses bought for the project, at cost

Item: Stock illustration licenseAmount: 45.00
Details:
Standard license, 3 images
Qty:
3
Unit:
image
Rate:
15.00
Item: Display font licenseAmount: 65.00
Details:
Desktop, 1 user
Qty:
1
Unit:
license
Rate:
65.00

Licenses bought for the project, at cost: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Stock illustration license	Standard license, 3 images	3	image	15.00	45.00
Display font license	Desktop, 1 user	1	license	65.00	65.00

Subtotal: 3,495.00
Sales tax on design services, if applicable (0%): 0.00
Licenses bought for the project, at cost: 110.00
Total: 3,605.00
Amount due: 3,605.00

How to pay

Accepted methods:: Bank transfer, ACH or check
Account name:: [Account name]
Bank details:: [Bank name, account and routing numbers]
Payment reference:: Invoice FD-0147

Booking notes

Sample terms: the day rate covers an 8-hour day; hours beyond it are billed at 60.00 an hour.
Two revision rounds were included in the booked days; round 3 is billed as a half day.
The stock and font licenses were bought in the client's name and are passed through at cost.

Please quote the invoice number with your payment.

Freelance design invoice: sample preview. Download it below.

Key Features

Everything you need in a professional invoice template.

Designer block, and invoice details with the client's PO no.

Bill to (client) with company and attention, and a Booking block with the project, days booked and day rate

Design days: days × day rate, with a design days subtotal

Revisions and extra time: half-day revision rounds and extra hours, with a revisions subtotal

Stock image, font and other licenses passed through at cost, after the tax line

Sales tax rate cell on design services, a How to pay block and booking notes

Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) files with sample details, and a blank A4 PDF to print

Download the invoice template

The PDF is a blank invoice to print and fill in by hand. The Word and Excel files contain the sample details shown in the preview, ready for you to replace with your own. In the Excel file, each line amount is a formula: "Qty" × "Rate". The section subtotals, subtotal, tax, pass-through costs, total and amount due are formulas too. The tax rate sits in its own cell, so you can change it.

FREELANCE DESIGN INVOICE

Designer

Name:: Sam Example Design
Address:: 8 Example Studio Row, Sampletown
Phone / email:: [Phone or email]

Invoice details

Invoice no.:: FD-0147
Invoice date:: Dec 4, 2026
Payment terms:: Net 14
Due date:: Dec 18, 2026
PO no.:: [Client PO no.]

Bill to (client)

Company:: Example Agency Inc.
Attention:: Studio manager
Email:: [Email]

Booking

Project:: Packaging refresh for a snack brand
Days booked:: Nov 16-20 and Nov 23-24, 2026
Day rate:: 450.00 for an 8-hour day; extra hours at 60.00

Design days

Item: Design days, Nov 16-20Amount: 2,250.00
Details:
Concepts and layouts
Qty:
5
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00
Item: Design days, Nov 23-24Amount: 900.00
Details:
Final artwork and print files
Qty:
2
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00

Design days: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Design days, Nov 16-20	Concepts and layouts	5	day	450.00	2,250.00
Design days, Nov 23-24	Final artwork and print files	2	day	450.00	900.00

Design days subtotal3,150.00

Revisions and extra time

Item: Revision round 3, half dayAmount: 225.00
Details:
Changes after sign-off, Nov 25
Qty:
0.5
Unit:
day
Rate:
450.00
Item: Extra hoursAmount: 120.00
Details:
Nov 20, beyond the 8-hour day
Qty:
2
Unit:
hour
Rate:
60.00

Revisions and extra time: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Revision round 3, half day	Changes after sign-off, Nov 25	0.5	day	450.00	225.00
Extra hours	Nov 20, beyond the 8-hour day	2	hour	60.00	120.00

Revisions subtotal345.00

Licenses bought for the project, at cost

Item: Stock illustration licenseAmount: 45.00
Details:
Standard license, 3 images
Qty:
3
Unit:
image
Rate:
15.00
Item: Display font licenseAmount: 65.00
Details:
Desktop, 1 user
Qty:
1
Unit:
license
Rate:
65.00

Licenses bought for the project, at cost: line items
Item	Details	Qty	Unit	Rate	Amount
Stock illustration license	Standard license, 3 images	3	image	15.00	45.00
Display font license	Desktop, 1 user	1	license	65.00	65.00

Subtotal: 3,495.00
Sales tax on design services, if applicable (0%): 0.00
Licenses bought for the project, at cost: 110.00
Total: 3,605.00
Amount due: 3,605.00

How to pay

Accepted methods:: Bank transfer, ACH or check
Account name:: [Account name]
Bank details:: [Bank name, account and routing numbers]
Payment reference:: Invoice FD-0147

Booking notes

Sample terms: the day rate covers an 8-hour day; hours beyond it are billed at 60.00 an hour.
Two revision rounds were included in the booked days; round 3 is billed as a half day.
The stock and font licenses were bought in the client's name and are passed through at cost.

Please quote the invoice number with your payment.

Freelance design invoice

An invoice from a freelance designer booked by the day: design days at a day rate, a half-day revision round and extra hours, a tax rate cell on design services, stock and font licenses passed through at cost and the amount due.

A request for payment — shows the amount due

Download

What this freelance designer invoice is for

This template bills a client who booked you by the day: the days you worked at your day rate, any revision time beyond what was included, hours past your standard day, and stock images or fonts you bought for the project, passed through at cost. It suits a designer booked by an agency or a company for a set number of days, rather than for a list of fixed-fee deliverables.

The freelance design invoice has:

Designer: name, address, and phone or email.
Invoice details: invoice no., invoice date, payment terms, due date and the client's PO no. (a placeholder).
Bill to (client): company, attention and email.
Booking: the project, the days booked and your day rate.
Design days and Revisions and extra time: tables with Item, Details, Qty, Unit, Rate and Amount, with a "Design days subtotal" and a "Revisions subtotal".
Licenses bought for the project, at cost: the same columns, for stock images, fonts and other licenses you paid for on the client's behalf.
Totals: Subtotal, "Sales tax on design services, if applicable", "Licenses bought for the project, at cost", Total and Amount due.
How to pay: accepted methods, account name, bank details and a payment reference.
Booking notes on the day rate, the revision rounds and the licenses.

It comes as three files:

Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx): filled with a sample invoice for you to overwrite.
PDF: a blank form to print and fill in by hand, with a blank for the tax rate. It runs to two pages; the booking notes are on page 2. It's sized for A4 paper, so if you print on US Letter, check the scaling setting in your print dialog.

The sample invoice

The sample is invoice FD-0147 from Sam Example Design to Example Agency Inc., for a packaging refresh for a snack brand, booked for Nov 16-20 and Nov 23-24, 2026. It's dated Dec 4, 2026 on Net 14 terms, due Dec 18, 2026. The Booking block gives the day rate as "450.00 for an 8-hour day; extra hours at 60.00".

Design days: 5 days for concepts and layouts (2,250.00) and 2 days for final artwork and print files (900.00), at 450.00 a day, for a design days subtotal of 3,150.00.
Revisions and extra time: a third revision round after sign-off, billed as half a day (0.5 × 450.00 = 225.00), and 2 extra hours beyond the 8-hour day at 60.00 (120.00), for a revisions subtotal of 345.00.
Licenses: a standard license for 3 stock illustrations at 15.00 (45.00) and a desktop display font license for 1 user (65.00), 110.00 in all.

The subtotal is 3,495.00. Sales tax on design services is 0.00 at the sample's 0% rate, and the licenses add 110.00, so the total and the amount due are 3,605.00. All prices are sample values, not suggested rates.

Days at your day rate

Bill each block of days on its own line, with the dates in Item ("Design days, Nov 16-20"), what you worked on in Details, the number of days in Qty and your day rate in Rate. A half day is 0.5 days at the same rate.

Write down what your day rate covers before the booking starts, and put it in the Booking block so the client sees it on the invoice. The sample's note says: "Sample terms: the day rate covers an 8-hour day; hours beyond it are billed at 60.00 an hour." Replace it with your own terms.

Revisions and extra time

Revision time that was part of the booked days doesn't need its own line. Bill what goes beyond it in "Revisions and extra time", with the date and why. The sample's note records what was included: "Two revision rounds were included in the booked days; round 3 is billed as a half day." Extra hours beyond your standard day go on their own line at your hourly rate, with the date in Details.

Stock images, fonts and other licenses

When you buy a stock image, font or other license for the client's project, list it in "Licenses bought for the project, at cost" at what you paid, with the license type in Details, such as "Standard license, 3 images" or "Desktop, 1 user". The sample's note says: "The stock and font licenses were bought in the client's name and are passed through at cost." Each license's own terms say who it can be issued to and how the work can be used, so check them before you buy on the client's behalf.

Sales tax

In the Excel file, "Sales tax on design services, if applicable" applies its rate to the Subtotal, which is the design days and the revisions and extra time. The licenses are added after the tax line, outside its base. That's how the file is built, not a statement about what is taxable. Whether design services or licenses are taxed, and how, depends on where you work, so check the rules there before you set the rate, or change the formula to match.

Deposits and day rate versus project fee

This invoice has no deposit line, because the sample was billed after the booking. If the client paid a deposit, the graphic design invoice and the web design invoice each have a "Less: deposit received" line.

Use this template when the client books your time by the day. For a list of fixed-fee deliverables, such as a logo suite or brand guidelines, the graphic design invoice fits better. For a website billed by design phase, use the web design invoice, and for a photo or video shoot billed from concept to production, the creative invoice.

Filling in the figures

In the Excel file:

Each line amount is Qty × Rate, rounded to the cent, and the design days and revisions tables each have their own subtotal.
Each of the three tables has one blank row at the end. To add more lines, insert rows above the last item row of a table so its total includes them, then copy the amount formula down.
The Subtotal adds the design days and the revisions and extra time. "Sales tax on design services, if applicable" is the Subtotal × the rate in its own cell, and "Licenses bought for the project, at cost" adds the licenses table.
The Total is the Subtotal + the tax + the licenses, and the Amount due equals the Total.

The file's tip says: "To leave out "Sales tax on design services, if applicable", set its rate to 0%. Don't delete these rows: the totals refer to them."

In the Word file, the amounts are typed, not calculated, so retype them when you change a figure. The PDF is blank, so fill in every amount and the tax rate by hand. We haven't tested the files in Excel or Word.

Design invoices in Billed

In Billed you can send the quote as an estimate and convert an approved estimate into an invoice (estimating software). Clients can pay online by card or PayPal, and you can send payment reminders and attach files to an invoice (all features).

Other templates

Graphic design invoice template for fixed-fee deliverables and hourly work
Web design invoice template for a website billed by design phase
Creative invoice template for concept, production and revisions
Artist invoice template for a commissioned artwork
Logo design invoice template
Graphic design estimate template to quote a project first
Freelancer invoice template
Invoice templates by format: Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs and Google Sheets, or browse all invoice templates

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What's included in this invoice template

Charge	On this template
Booked days	Days × day rate
Extra revision round	Half day
Hours past the day	Extra hours × rate
Stock, fonts	Licenses at cost

When this isn't for you

If you bill fixed fees for deliverables such as a logo suite or brand guidelines, the graphic design invoice fits better; for a website billed by design phase, use the web design invoice; for a photo or video shoot billed from concept to production, the creative invoice. If the client paid a deposit, the graphic design and web design invoices have a line for it, and this one doesn't.