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Invoice design ideas that pay off. Free templates included

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Let’s face it, invoices are the last point of contact with your clients. They can also increase your chances of seeing them again, so make sure to always leave a stellar lasting impression by creating well-designed and on-brand invoices. 

But truth be told, everybody knows that invoices are not the most fun thing in the world. On the contrary, they can be pretty boring and dull. If you’re tired of long and uninteresting invoices, then this article is exactly what you need. Inspire yourself from these spectacular, unique invoice design ideas that could really help you market your brand as best as possible. 

Categories of invoices

Depending on the type of client and industry, there can be countless different categories of invoices that you will need to create and send out. It’s important to know from the start which categories are out there for utilization, and how these kinds of invoices are used. Otherwise, you can become overwhelmed with all of your options and you’ll don’t know for sure how to choose and create the proper invoice for you and your business. 

Because we wanted to ease your job and make things more clear for you, we’ve made a list with different invoice categories and invoice template ideas that you can use. Just select your favorite, and feel free to make any edits that you want:

Colorful invoice design ideas

Catering Services Invoice Template

When it comes to catering businesses, you can always go for colorful invoices like this one from here. Still, you should stick to neutral colors to keep it professional and maybe add a mouth-watering picture to leave a dazzling impression.

The main purpose of a catering invoice is to itemize the list of services, costs, and the terms that need to be spelled out explicitly. Create an invoice that reflects everything. From providing a space that indicates the date of the event to list the total amount of the services that will be charged to all aspects of the catering that was performed. 

Click on the image to edit this template.

Keep your seriousity and proficiency by always delivering your products on time. Usually, a catering business offers services to weddings, engagement parties, anniversaries and so on. Make sure you’ll deliver everything on time, so that your clients will be satisfied and happy. This way, you’re giving them another chance to contact you again for future collaborations.

This catering services invoice template from us will not only make it easy for you to record every aspect of your services in one centralized place, but will also provide you with various ways to get in touch with your clients. For instance, you can send this invoice privately via email, or you can print it in high-quality paper and distribute it personally, too.

Invoice Design Template

If you’re owning a freelancing business, then you know that you have total freedom to create your invoices exactly as you want. You could choose something colorful and representative to match your personality and brand. This invoice design template from here is a good example of how a freelancing business invoice should look like. 

Click on the image to edit this template.

It’s no news that sometimes, getting paid for freelancing work can be a hassle. But with the help of a professional and well-organized invoice design template, you’ll see that the whole process will be smoother. 

First thing first, any freelancer should break out specifics about the projects they’re working on. Start with the basics, such as your name, contact information, and your client’s name. Then follows the invoice number and date of invoice issuance. The most important part of your freelancing invoice comes next. Itemize everything as clear as possible. Insert a full description of your work or services rendered with the exact amount of hours worked on a particular part of the project, and finally, add a line for the subtotal of all costs. It’s important to be transparent with your client. At the end of your invoice, make a clear note of when the client will receive the final work and what date(s) payment is due.

Services Invoice Example Template

Whether you’re owning a big or a small business, you’ll need a detailed services invoice to request payment from clients for their work. As long as you design it professionally and vividly, there’s nothing you have to worry about. Take advantage of this services invoice example template from here and customize it to your own needs. There are only some simple guidelines that you have to follow, other than that, you have total freedom to match this invoice’s design to your brand.

Click on the image to edit this template.

Start by adding your business logo. This is the beginning of every successful services invoice. Then include your contact details: name, address, phone number and email address. The next step is to add your client’s contact information and to assign a unique invoice number that will help you organize and keep track of your invoice records. Set the payment due date and create an itemized list of all of your services, just like you can observe in this example from here.

Don’t forget to add the total amount due and payment terms. Make sure this information is highly visible on the page by increasing the font size, bolding the font or choosing a different font color.

When everything is set up, you can print your services invoice in high-quality paper and offer it personally to your client. Or, choose to share securely via email.

Printable invoice design examples

Simple Invoice Template

If you’re running a clothing retail shop or store business, then you know for sure that you need a printable and professional clothing invoice like this one from here. A clothing invoice is a document that explains exactly the amount of money that is owned for each article of clothing purchased by a customer. The purpose of this invoice is to assure the buyer that the itemized list is correct and that the prices displayed are those upon which they agreed.

Click on the image to edit this template.

In the heading section of your invoice you should add your store’s information: name, address, web site, contact number and the most important one – your logo. To the right side of your store information, there are two important fields you should fill in when creating an invoice, the invoice number and invoicing date.

The body section comes next and it’s the most complex part of your clothing invoice. Make sure to add all the items with a short description, size, quantity, unit price and line total. Write after writing these, you should also insert the shipping date, shipping method, payment term, and due date. 

Remember that this customizable invoice design template is also a printable one. Take it to print and then offer it personally to your clients. Or, why not, choose to send it via email. Don’t worry, we promise to keep all of your documents secured and private.

Retail Invoice Format Template

It’s pretty clear for everyone that retail invoices are crucial when running a retail business. Why? Because they keep track of the sales transaction of the business and help build a complete record of all the transactions. If you’ve never designed a retail invoice before, don’t worry. Here is a retail invoice format template that can get you started.

Click on the image to edit this template.

Keep in mind from the start that your retail invoice is also printable, so make sure to use clear and concise fonts and a high-quality paper. Any retail invoice must include fixed details like details about the seller, product description, date, serial number, the exact price of the product and others. But let’s see more precisely where to insert each of these details.

You should start with the invoice’s number, of course. Then comes next the seller’s personal information: name, address, telephone number, and your company’s name. You definitely have to be very specific about the next part: the itemized list of the number of items that were purchased by a customer along with their sales price. Once you’ve calculated the subtotal, the sales tax (Sales Tax Calculator) will be added and the total will be shown to the customer. In the end, you’ll need to sign your invoice, print it and it’s good to go. Your clients deserve only the best, so make sure you’re choosing the most professional and good-looking retail invoice templates.

Printable Invoice Design Template

Click on the image to edit this template.

Marketing services deserve the best marketing invoice templates. Like this example over here. This printable invoice design template is both comprehensive and well-formatted. It makes it easier for you to specify the particular information that your clients should be aware of. Here are some things that you should take into consideration when it comes to creating a professional marketing invoice:

  1. Always include your business header in the marketing invoice. This allows you to market your brand correctly and easily identify the document.
  2. You should list down your invoice’s date, number and basic client details – name, contact details, and their address.
  3. The marketing invoice body needs to be precise, clear and easy to understand. Include full specifications of your marketing service descriptions, the quantity of services with the total number of hours worked, the price of each marketing service, and the total amount of the transaction where the invoice will be used.
  4. Lastly, recheck all the items specified in your marketing invoice and correct your spelling. Polish it entirely and prepare it for its actual usage. Take your marketing invoice to print and distribute it personally to your clients.

Before moving on to the next invoice category, we want you to remind once again that all of our invoice design templates are fully customizable. You have total control over them. Add anything from complex pictures to simple shapes, change the fonts, or play with the colors. The best part is that there are no design skills required, and you don’t have to bother yourself with Excel tables. Save some precious time and be efficient with the help of this printable marketing invoice design template!

Minimalist invoice design ideas

Commercial Invoice Template

Besides colorful and printable invoices, there are also the minimalist ones, used in different domains. One of these domains is the commercial businesses. If you’re owning a business like this, then you know exactly why you need a commercial invoice. This document describes the entire export transaction from start to finish. In fact, it’s the basis for all other export documents because it is a bill for the goods from the seller to the buyer. 

We know that it might sound complicated, but don’t worry. Here’s a commercial invoice template that can get you started. With a professional template like this one and some tips & tricks, you can create a printable commercial invoice that your clients will love. Before we begin, you should have in mind that a commercial invoice needs to be formal and official, so keep it as minimalist and clean as possible. Now let’s see what an invoice like this one contains:

Click on the image to edit this template.

In the header, you should mention the vendor’s name and address, but also the name of the person/company to whom the goods are shipped to. Don’t forget about the invoice’s number, letter of credit number, currency, date of shipment and AWB number.

The delivery and payment terms come next. These are really important, so make sure to not make any mistakes. Insert the terms, conditions and currency of settlement as agreed upon by the vendor and purchaser. It’s also necessary to mention the mode of shipment (air, ocean, or surface). 

Provide a full description of items shipped, the type of container, the gross weight, the quantity, and unit of measure of the merchandise. Calculate everything very carefully, and then write the total value of the invoice. In the end, write your name and the date, and also don’t forget to sign your document.

Editable Simple Bill Format Template

They say that a web designer is accustomed to crafting beautiful designs for websites. But when it comes to creating spectacular and professional web design invoices…not so much. Don’t worry, that’s why we are here: to teach you to create invoices that represent your brand and promote on-time payments. And this editable simple bill format template from here is the perfect one that you can use as inspiration. But before we get started, there’s something else we need to mention. Keep in mind that your invoice should express your brand from beginning to end, so make sure that you’re using your brand colors and fonts. And also keep it as minimalistic and clean as possible. It’s better this way. So…

Click on the image to edit this template.

First thing first…your web design invoice should have displayed your company’s details and your personal information (name, address, website, email). In the header you should also insert your invoice’s number, issue date and logo. 

Now comes the most important part of your invoice: the itemized list for everything. Your clients want to know exactly where their money is going, so make sure to insert all the services. This list should consist of the service provided, a description, the unit or hourly cost, and the subtotal. This way, your clients will quickly identify what the service is, why it costs what it does, and how much they owe.

At the end of your web design invoice, you should write the date, your name and signature. Also, if you want, you could include forms of payment you accept. Maybe this information will help the new customers.

There’s nothing else you have to do, really. Just send your invoice to your clients via email. It’s easy, quick and accessible. 

Basic Invoice Template

And the last invoice example for today is the consultant invoice. This is a document given by the consultant to the client indicating the payable bill for the consultancy services provided. It also includes the description of the consultancy, the number of visits and sessions, and the due date of payment. It’s important to know that this type of invoice is a formal one, so create it simple, minimalist, and clean. Take this basic invoice template as your source of inspiration, follow the next steps and you’re done! You’ll have your consultant invoice in a short time.

Click on the image to edit this template.

A professional and good consultant invoice should include:

  1. Company logo and company details. Write your name, address, telephone number, website (if you have one), and email. Insert all these elements at the top part of your document. 
  2. Date, invoice number, and the due date of payment come next. You should also include these at the top of the invoice. 
  3. Client details: the name of the client, address, phone number, and email address.
  4. Consultancy description – this is the body part of the invoice. It includes an itemized list of services offered by the consultant together with the payable amount for each service. Under this part, you should also include the subtotal of the itemized list, taxes if any, discounts, pre-payments, and finally the total payable amount.
  5. Terms and conditions like the contract period and method of payment among others.

After you’re done with all the editing parts, there’s not much that you still need to do. Send this consultant invoice to your client via email, both securely and privately.

How to fill in an invoice form

As we’ve already discussed before, the structure of an invoice depends on the industry you’re in. However, there are some general universal elements and steps that you should take into consideration. After you’ve chosen your invoice design template, it’s time to follow these steps one by one:

  1. Fill out the name and address of your client or customer
  2. Assign a unique invoice number
  3. Fill in your company name, address, and other details
  4. Date your invoice
  5. List your method for payment and payment terms
  6. Fill in an itemized breakdown of your product or service performed
  7. List any other charges
  8. Fill in the total costs for your product or service
  9. Sign your invoice and include a thank you

Let’s get into more details:

  1. Fill out the name and address of your client or customer

Start filling your invoice design with your client’s full name, address, telephone number and email. Make sure all this information is correct, because otherwise, your invoice won’t reach the right person.

  1. Assign a unique invoice number

As you already probably know, every invoice you’ll write requires a unique invoice number. This way, you keep your records organized, especially at tax time. You can do this by using an invoicing software or by generating your own sequential system.

  1. Fill in your company name, address and other details

Insert all your personal and contact information: your full name, your company’s legal name, business address, phone number, email and website (if you have one) at the top of your invoice. If you also have a logo (and you should definitely have one!), make sure to add that as well.

  1. Date your invoice

Add the date when your invoice was created, as well as the date that payment is due. Also, don’t forget to include the date you performed the service or delivered a product. The latter is useful if your client has a question or dispute.

  1. List your method for payment and payment terms

This one is really important, so make sure you include every payment method that you accept, as well as information about how to pay you, any late fees and payment terms. Don’t forget to also specify if you offer any money-back guarantees or warranties.

  1. Fill in an itemized breakdown of your product or service performed

Your clients want to know exactly what they’re paying for, so be as clear as possible when describing the product or service you provided for them. Instead of writing something generally, such as “work performed”, you’d better itemize exactly what work you did. This way, your clients will perfectly understand where their money goes.

  1. List any other charges

Make sure you add any taxes you’re required to charge. Also,  add a line for shipping costs or discounts, if applicable.

  1. Fill in the total costs for your product or service

So, you’ve itemized each of your service/product, now it’s time to include their quantity and cost. This should contain your hourly wage, subtotals and totals, as well as any other charges that may apply. The final number at the bottom of your invoice design template should be the total amount owed. Feel free to emphasize it by using a bold or italic font.

  1. Sign your invoice and include a thank you

In the end, conclude your invoice with writing your full name once again and signing your document. Also, we suggest that you include a short note or “thank you” note at the bottom of your invoice to end it on a positive note.

The most important elements of an invoice

How to make an invoice with Flipsnack’s invoice maker

After so many pieces of information and advice, it’s time to put into practice everything you’ve read so far in this article. You know what they say, you learn best only when you’re doing it by yourself. The first step to creating a professional and successful invoice design is to choose a template and then customize it to the fullest to your own needs. As you’ve already discovered, Flipsnack has an entire invoice template collection ready to be used. And powerful Design Studio packs the most advanced features in a very simple drag and drop interface. Take your invoice design template to the next level in a short time with Flipsnack’s help.

If you’re still feeling a bit overwhelmed with so many theories, don’t worry! We’re not going anywhere. Actually, we want to make sure you’re understanding the whole process from beginning to the end, that’s why we’re going to show you how to transform a blank invoice design template into the invoice of your dreams and necessities. We’re going to explain everything step by step, and we’re also going to show you the before and after effect. So, let’s get started!

Creating an invoice in Flipsnack’s Design Studio

  1. After you’ve made an account and logged in, it’s time to choose your invoice design template. Let’s say we’re choosing this one over here.
  2. Now, we should start customizing it to our own needs. Let’s pretend we need it for our cleaning services company. Therefore, in the header, we’re going to insert our logo and company’s name: Superior Cleaning Services. Right after, it’s important to write the invoice number and the date when your invoice was created. Let’s say it is Invoice no. 6489, and the date is 15 January 2021.
  3. Your client’s personal information comes next. Let’s say that his name is Joseph Fritz, the street address – 506 Fieldstone Drive Orange Park, the city’s name is FL, and the zip code is 32065. In the opposite column, write your contact details in this order. Start with your company’s name – Superior Cleaning Services, then your name – Christinna Mark, street address – 18 Glendale Rd. Oakland Gardens, the city’s name is NY and the zip code is 11364. Insert your phone number – (541) 754-3010 and email: christinna@cleaningservices.com
  4. Now it’s time to itemize each of your services/products, altogether with their quantity and cost. For instance, you’ll have thorough cleaning of kitchens and bathrooms – $20 – 5 hours – $100 subtotal. Or, vacuuming throughout the house – $30 – 3 hours – $90 subtotal.
  5. After you’ve mentioned every service, you should calculate the final amount of money your client owes you and write it there at Subtotal. Don’t forget to also mention further taxes or discounts. 
  6. At the bottom of your invoice, you should specify the due date of the payment. Right after that, don’t forget to send a “thank you” note to end on a positive note. Write your name once again and then sign your document.
  7. When you’re done with everything, you should download your invoice as PDF and then take it to print. Offer it personally to your client, or, choose to share your invoice directly by mail, both securely and privately. It’s up to you if you want to distribute it online or offline.

As we promised, here is the before and after effect of the invoice design template we’ve chosen. You can use it as a source of inspiration if you want to. This is how it looks:

Invoice design ideas – All about Branding

Besides being one of the most important documents for business owners, invoices can also boost your brand more than you can imagine. As defined by Entrepreneur, Branding is the “marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.” If you want to stand out from the crowd, then you should think of creating invoices based on a strong brand identity. Therefore, it arouses the next question:

How to brand your invoices

One thing’s for sure: an effective and successful branding strategy involves a unified approach. To put it another way, you should be constantly branding your business wherever you can, such as your social media channels, emails, website, newsletters, infographics, and even invoices. This is what we call Marketing Collateral – any media material that helps you promote your company, service, or product. This includes everything from print material to digital content. Anything that you use to communicate your company’s brand message can be considered marketing collateral.

Usually, people hire professional design agencies that do an amazing job executing beautiful brand designs, but this can get quite expensive. So, forget about this. Create your own identity quickly and affordably with the help of design templates. Start working on this marketing collateral process by branding your own invoices. 

Easy steps to a branded invoice:

  1. Your brand colors, fonts, and logo will not only differentiate your business from others, but will also make your invoice more professional and appealing. Surprisingly, they also influence your clients to pay your invoice on time. Studies have shown that you are 3x more likely to get paid if you add a company logo to your invoice. In addition, 85% of consumers recognize that the main reason for buying a particular product is the brand colors they see. Studies also say that 80% of people believe color increases brand recognition
  2. Make sure that your invoice’s appearance and brand colors match your website, social media channels, email, and so on. Keep your brand consistent and recognizable in every place. 
  3. Another thing that helps you brand your invoice and prove you’re an authority figure within your industry is to ask for your client’s feedback. This tactic helps you learn more about your clients and secure future work. You make them feel important and you give them the opportunity to contact you again for future projects.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, invoices are business documents, but this doesn’t mean they have to be boring and plain. A well-thought out and organized invoice can lead to faster payments, smoother workflow, repeated collaboration with your clients, and most importantly, it helps you strengthen your brand identity. 

We know that it takes time to set up the right template from the very beginning, then to personalize it to your own needs, that’s why this article offers you a wide variety of invoice design templates where you can start from. Select the most suitable for you, then make any changes you want according to your desires, first of all, and then to reflect your brand. Just remember to keep all your invoice design examples functional, professional, and stylish.

Adelina

Caffeine fiend, proud Netflixian and music festival denizen.

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