AvoArtist Invoice Template (Free Fillable PDF)
An artist invoice has to settle three things that other invoices do not: what the client is buying (the piece, a print, or the right to use an image), what rights come with it, and how a commission is paid in stages. Clients who commission work for the first time do not know any of this, so the invoice teaches it: a line for the work with its size and medium, a line for usage rights if any, the deposit credited, and the balance due before shipping.
Free, fillable, US Letter. No email, no sign-up. Fill in your details once. For each sale change the client, the work and the rights line.
What the PDF looks like. The hints in the line table show the lines a artist typically bills; type over them.
Why artist invoices get paid late
Rights never mentioned
A business client assumes the invoice for a logo illustration includes the right to put it on everything forever. If the invoice is silent, that is the argument. One line settles it.
Deposit on a commission not credited
Half was paid at the sketch stage. The final invoice shows the full price and the client thinks you forgot. Show the deposit as a negative line with the date.
Shipping and framing hidden in the price
Collectors compare your price to the gallery's. Keep the work's price clean and put framing, crating and shipping on their own lines.
What to include on a artist invoice
- Your name or studio name, address and contactAdd your website; collectors keep invoices as provenance.
- Client name and shipping addressFor commissions, the person who approved the brief.
- Invoice number, date, due date and commission referenceReference the agreement or the approved sketch date.
- The work: title, medium, dimensions, year, edition number for prints“‘Larkspur Field’, oil on linen, 24 × 36 in, 2026” or “Print 7/50, archival pigment, 16 × 20 in”.
- Usage rights or license, if any“Original artwork; copyright retained by the artist” or “Non-exclusive license, web and print, 2 years, North America”.
- Commission stagesDeposit on acceptance, payment on sketch approval, balance on completion, each a line or a credit.
- Framing, crating, shipping and insuranceSeparate lines at cost or as quoted.
- Sales tax, deposit credited, payment termsTax on the sale of physical work where your state requires; balance due before shipping.
Example artist invoice
Lines a typical job produces. Labor and materials are separate, and anything already paid is a negative line so the total is the balance due.
| Description | Qty × rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Commission: ‘Larkspur Field’, oil on linen, 24 × 36 in, 2026 | 1 | $2,400.00 |
| Custom framing, floater frame, walnut | 1 | $320.00 |
| Crating and insured shipping to Boise, ID | 1 | $185.00 |
| Sales tax 6% on artwork and framing | $163.20 | |
| Deposit received Jan 20 (50% on acceptance) | −$1,200.00 | |
| Total due | $1,868.20 | |
How to use the template
- Download the PDFIt is a fillable form: open it in any PDF reader, on a computer or a phone.
- Fill in your details onceBusiness name, contact, license number, terms. Save it as your master copy.
- Add the job and sendChange the client, the lines and the invoice number for each artist job. Export and send by email or text.
Fill it on your iPhone in a minute instead
Avo keeps your clients and your usual line items, so the next invoice is three taps. Your first three documents are free, full-quality PDF, no watermark. Premium from $59.99/year if you invoice often.
Scan the code with your iPhone camera to open Avo in the App Store, or email yourself the link.
Questions
Does selling an artwork transfer the copyright?
No. In the US, selling a physical work does not transfer copyright; the artist keeps the right to reproduce it unless a written agreement says otherwise. Say so on the invoice so collectors and business clients both understand what they bought.
How do I invoice a commission in stages?
Three invoices or one invoice with credits: a deposit invoice on acceptance (commonly 30–50%), an optional payment on sketch approval, and a final invoice for the balance that shows the earlier payments as negative lines. The final invoice is also the certificate of sale.
Should I charge sales tax on art?
If you sell physical work in a state with sales tax and you are above its threshold, yes, on the work and usually on framing; shipping depends on the state. Licensing of digital images is taxed differently and often not at all. Show the rate on the line.
How do I price and invoice usage rights?
Separately from the work, as a line that states the scope: exclusive or not, media (web, print, packaging), term and territory. Broader rights cost more; a rights line on the invoice is what makes the fee defensible.
What should be on an invoice for a print?
Title, print number and edition size (7/50), medium (archival pigment, screen print), paper size, and whether it is signed. Collectors and resellers use the invoice as provenance.