How to write an invoice for design services

For freelancers and small businesses alike, professional invoices are a crucial tool for something very important – getting paid for your services. But they’re also key financial documents for clients that record the work scope, agreed-upon terms and payment information.

As a freelance designer, your invoices will showcase your reliability as a professional and highlight your dedication to transparency and effective communication. Your invoices will play a vital role in avoiding conflicts by outlining project details, promoting positive client connections and supporting the success of your freelance business.

This guide will lead you through important factors to keep in mind when generating, delivering and managing invoices for design work, ensuring a smooth and seamless process.

What to include in a design service invoice

A well-crafted business invoice for design services should include the following essential elements:

Client and freelancer details

Whether you create a new invoice for every project or use an invoice template, your document will begin with accurate contact information for both you and your client.

You should include your name (or your business name), address, phone number and email address. This information is crucial for your clients to easily reach out to you for any questions, concerns or updates regarding the projects you work on together. Providing up-to-date contact details ensures effective communication between you and your clients.

Similarly, you should also provide the client’s company name, address, phone number and email address. This allows you to easily reach out to the client for feedback, approvals or anything else related to the project. It also makes record keeping much easier – you’ll know who the invoice was for, when it was created and the project it refers to.

Having clear and accessible contact information helps to streamline the design process and ensures that any issues or changes can be addressed promptly.

Invoice date and due date

When specifying the date the invoice was issued, it’s important to include the day, month and year to clearly indicate when the payment request was generated. This information helps you and your client keep track of when the transaction took place and when payment is expected.

You should also clearly state the due date for payment on the invoice. This date should be reasonable and align with industry standards, to avoid any confusion or delays and ensure that your client has enough time to process the payment.

You can then use this information to generate a unique invoice number to help you, your client and potential tax auditors manage specific invoices. For example, if you work with a particular client regularly, you may want to create your invoice numbers by combining a unique customer code with the invoice date such as DBX-2024-01-01.

Description of design services

Your description of the services you’ve provided may include an hourly rate for projects with varying time commitments, project-based fees for entire design projects or specific design services such as logo creation, branding or website design.

You may have provided a statement of work (SOW) before the project, outlining the scope of work and associated costs. Any of the items on the SOW, including extra costs for additional revisions, should be included in your invoice.

Other line items may include paid access to stock images or fonts, and details of milestones or design phases with a structured payment schedule.

Don't forget to include any licensing costs, usage fees, the format for the final design and additional charges for client approvals beyond the initial agreement.

Itemised breakdown of costs

If your project involved multiple tasks and deliverables, you should itemise each component and its associated fee. This level of detail enhances clarity and transparency in the billing process, making it easier for clients to understand exactly what they’re paying for. By breaking down the costs in this way, it also helps to avoid disputes or misunderstandings that may arise if the client is unsure of what services they’re being charged for.

For example, the cost breakdown may include line items such as concept development, design revisions, project management and any additional services requested by the client. Each of these services would be listed with a corresponding fee, allowing the client to see exactly how their total amount has been calculated.

Payment terms

Clearly state the payment terms, including the accepted payment methods such as credit card, debit card, direct transfer to your bank account or cash.

Other essential payment details include the currency in which payment is expected and any late-payment penalties your client might incur if they don’t pay you by the due date you’ve provided. This could include a percentage fee or flat fee for each day that the payment is overdue.

Professional sign-off

As you wrap up the invoice, try to leave a positive lasting impression on your client. A professional sign-off can help solidify the great experience they had working with you.

Consider ending the invoice with a personalised touch, such as “Thank you for choosing [Your Design Studio Name] for your design needs”. This simple gesture shows appreciation for their business and leaves the door open for future collaborations. By taking the time to include a thoughtful sign-off, you're not only completing the transaction but also strengthening your relationship with the client.

How to manage design invoices with Dropbox

If you're manually sending your invoices as email attachments, Dropbox offers a convenient solution for storing, organising and sharing your invoices. Simply upload your invoices to your Dropbox account and they’ll instantly sync to all your devices. You can easily share documents directly from your cloud storage in just a few clicks.

For advanced file-sending features like engagement tracking, consider using Send and track. This will send you daily email notifications that show how many times your invoice has been viewed. You’ll also get analytics such as when your file was viewed, for how long and the geographic location from where the file was viewed.

Freelance design invoicing made easy

Invoices play a crucial role in the success of freelance design businesses. They serve as legal documentation of transactions, ensuring that both the designer and the client are protected. Dropbox simplifies the invoicing process for freelance designers, making it easy to complete and send invoices to clients.

With Dropbox, you have a centralised hub to store, edit and share your invoices, streamlining the process of creating, customising and sending invoices. Embrace Dropbox and revolutionise your freelance design workflow today.