How to fill out this photographer invoice template
- Download the template in Word, Excel or as a fillable PDF, or fill it in online below.
- Add your name or studio name and contact details, then your client’s name, billing contact, and the shoot date and location. Give the invoice a unique number.
- List the session fee, then the edited images by quantity and price per image. A wedding, event or real estate package can go on one line at a flat rate.
- Add the usage license on its own line, saying where the images can be used and for how long, then any travel beyond the miles your session includes. Subtract the deposit and set the due date for the balance.
- Send it as a PDF, or as a payment link with Onigiri so your client can pay by card.
What’s in this invoice template for photographers
- Sample lines for a 2-hour photo session, edited high-res images, a usage license and travel mileage
- Bill to, From and Payment sections for you, your client and how to pay you
- Invoice number, issue date and due date
- Notes with a 50% non-refundable deposit to hold the date and the balance due before gallery delivery
- Totals that calculate themselves in Excel and the fillable PDF, with a sales tax row in Excel
- Works for weddings, portrait and family sessions, events, real estate and commercial shoots
Online generator
Change the line items, add your logo and download a ready PDF. No sign-up, nothing to install, and your draft stays in your browser.
- Send invoices as a link clients open on any device
- See which invoices are paid, sent or overdue
- Card payments via Stripe with 0% platform fee (PRO)
Invoice checklist
A photography invoice is the bill a photographer sends a client for a shoot: the session, the edited images, the right to use them and any travel. It shows what the client is paying for and when payment is due. Spelling out the license and the deposit saves back-and-forth when the gallery is delivered.
- Your details. Your name or studio name, address, email and website. Share your EIN only if the client needs it for their records; it’s safer than your Social Security number.
- Your client. The client’s name or company and billing contact, plus the shoot date and location so the invoice matches the booking.
- Number and dates. A unique invoice number, the issue date and the due date for the balance.
- Line items. The session fee, edited images and usage license as separate lines, each with quantity and rate.
- Travel and extras. Mileage beyond your included distance, parking, permits, prints or albums, each on its own line.
- Deposit and terms. The deposit already paid, the balance due and how to pay you: bank transfer, Zelle, PayPal or a card payment link.
- Late fee. Your late fee policy, and that full-resolution files are released once the balance is paid, if your contract says so.
Getting paid
Put your deposit, balance and license terms in the contract, then repeat them on every invoice.
- 25–50%
Deposits
Most photographers take a non-refundable deposit of 25–50% to hold the date, and wedding photographers often ask for 50%, like this template. Send the deposit invoice when the contract is signed and subtract it on the final invoice.
- Net 15 / 30
Payment terms
Wedding and portrait clients usually pay the balance before the event or before the gallery is delivered. Commercial clients often expect Net 15 or Net 30. State on the invoice that the usage license takes effect once it’s paid in full.
When to send the invoice
Send the deposit invoice with the contract and the balance invoice before the shoot or when the edited gallery is ready. If a client later wants more images or a wider license, send a new invoice for the add-on instead of changing the old one.
Late payments
Send a friendly reminder a few days before the due date and again the day after. If your contract allows it, hold the full gallery until the balance is paid and add a late fee as a separate line; the late fee calculator works out the amount.
Taxes
Prints and albums are usually subject to sales tax, and some states also tax photography services or digital images, so check your state’s rules. Set aside part of every payment for income and self-employment tax; the self-employment tax calculator estimates how much. This is general information, not tax advice.
Formats
Photography invoice template in Word
Best if you want to change the layout or fonts or add your logo. Edit the text, then save it as a PDF before you send it.
Download .docxPhotography invoice template in Excel
Amounts and the total update as you type, and there’s a sales tax row. Handy when you bill hours or many line items.
Download .xlsxFillable PDF photography invoice template
Type straight into the fields in Chrome or Adobe Acrobat and the totals add up. The layout stays fixed, so nothing shifts by accident.
Download .pdf
Template or app
A template is fine for the odd invoice. If you bill clients every month, Onigiri keeps your clients, line items and payment status in one place.
| Onigiri | Free invoice template | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starting at $0 | Free |
| Edit it and save a PDF | ||
| Send it as a link your client opens on any device | ||
| See which invoices are paid or overdue | ||
| Saved clients for the next invoice | ||
| Saved line items and services | PRO | |
| Client pays by card, 0% platform fee on Stripe | PRO | |
| Income tracking | ||
| Works in Word, Excel and Google Docs |
More templates
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Why do I need an invoice for photography services?
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Ready to get paid faster?
Send your invoice as a link with Onigiri and see at a glance whether it’s paid or overdue. Connect Stripe to let clients pay by card.
