Illustrator Invoice Example
An artwork invoice for a freelance editorial illustrator, billed per piece with a separate licence fee.
Loads into the free builder with every field filled. Edit anything, then download a real PDF. No signup.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-page chapter illustration, pencil and digital colour (x8) | 8 | £180.00 | £1,440.00 |
| Cover illustration, final artwork | 1 | £650.00 | £650.00 |
| Licence: UK and Commonwealth print rights, first edition | 1 | £320.00 | £320.00 |
| Revision round beyond the two included in the quote | 1 | £90.00 | £90.00 |
Not VAT registered, so no VAT is added to this invoice. Artwork files are released once payment clears in full.
An illustrator invoice bills a client, publisher or agency for artwork made to a brief, whether that is a book cover, editorial spot illustration or a set of chapter pieces. Most illustrators price per piece rather than per hour, and the invoice usually separates the artwork fee from any licence for how the client is allowed to use it. Because rights and usage vary so much in publishing and editorial work, spelling out exactly what is being licensed keeps both sides clear on reuse.
What should a illustrator invoice include?
- Your name or studio name, address and contact details
- The client's legal name and the commissioning editor or contact
- An invoice number and both issue and due dates
- Each illustration or set priced separately, not lumped together
- The licence being granted (territory, edition, duration) as its own line
- Any additional revision rounds charged beyond what was quoted
- Payment details and delivery format for final artwork
How to create a illustrator invoice
- 1Add your business details. Your name, address, contact details and tax number if you are registered.
- 2Add the client. Their name and billing address. Save them to reuse next time.
- 3List the work. Break the job into clear line items the way a illustrator bills (see below).
- 4Add tax. Apply your tax rate, or leave it at zero if you are not registered.
- 5Set payment terms and a due date. State when payment is due and how the client can pay.
- 6Download or send. Export a clean PDF, or email it to the client. No signup, no watermark.
How do you itemise a illustrator invoice?
List each illustration or a clearly grouped set, all eight chapter pieces on one line, for example, rather than billing generic hours. Keep the licence fee separate from the artwork fee, since a client renewing rights later only needs to see that one line repeated. If a project ran over the agreed revision rounds, add the extra rounds as their own charged line rather than folding it into the artwork price.
What do illustrators typically charge?
| Region | Typical billing |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | £150 to £600 per illustration, or £2,000 to £6,000 for a full book |
| United States | $200 to $800 per illustration |
| Eurozone | €180 to €700 per illustration |
| Australia | A$300 to A$900 per illustration |
Indicative ranges for guidance. Your rate depends on experience, location and the job.
Do illustrators charge tax on invoices?
Many UK illustrators sit under the £90,000 VAT registration threshold and simply do not charge VAT, which is what the tax rate of zero reflects here. Once your turnover across a rolling 12 months goes over that threshold you must register and start charging VAT at 20%. If you are registered voluntarily below the threshold, add VAT and show your VAT number on the invoice.
What payment terms should a illustrator use?
Net 14 to net 30 is standard, though publishers often run to net 30 or net 60 by default, so it is worth asking their payment terms before you start. A 50% deposit on commission with the balance due on final delivery protects you if a project stalls partway through.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to charge VAT on illustration work?+
Only if you are VAT registered. Below the £90,000 threshold you can choose not to register, in which case you invoice without VAT, as in this example. Once you cross the threshold, registration is compulsory.
How do I price a licence separately from the artwork?+
Treat the artwork fee as payment for creating the piece and the licence fee as payment for how it can be used. A small press first edition costs less to license than a national ad campaign, so keeping them on separate lines makes it easy to requote if the client wants wider usage later.
What if the client asks for more revisions than we agreed?+
Quote a number of rounds up front, typically two, and bill anything beyond that as an extra line at your normal day or piece rate. Clients are usually fine with this once they see it written down before the project starts.
Make this illustrator invoice yours
Load the example, swap in your details and download a clean PDF. Free, no signup, no watermark.
Use this exampleLast reviewed March 2026
Related invoice examples
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo suite (primary, stacked, icon mark) | 1 | £1,450.00 | £1,450.00 |
| Brand guidelines document, 22 pages | 1 | £780.00 | £780.00 |
| Stationery and signage artwork | 1 | £520.00 | £520.00 |
| Deposit received on 3 March | 1 | -£675.00 | -£675.00 |
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and user research, interviews and synthesis | 1 | $2,200.00 | $2,200.00 |
| Wireframes and core user flows | 1 | $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 |
| High-fidelity UI design, 32 screens | 1 | $4,200.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Developer handoff, redlines and component spec in Figma | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly content retainer (8 articles, 2 email sequences) | 1 | $2,800.00 | $2,800.00 |
| Landing page rewrite | 1 | $650.00 | $650.00 |
| Additional revision round beyond scope | 3 | $110.00 | $330.00 |