Invoice from the day rate, not from the mood
The numbers on the lines should come from somewhere. If a wedding is priced at what felt right on the phone, the invoice is where that feeling meets the gear bill. Run your real costs through thecost of doing business calculator once, and the rate on every invoice after that has a floor under it.
The retainer line is the one most invoices get wrong
A balance invoice that only shows the balance reads like a new charge, and the client goes hunting for what they already paid. Show the full total, then the retainer received as a deduction, then the balance due. It is the same money, but now the invoice tells the whole story of the job, and the retainer stops looking like a discount you gave. If you are still deciding how big that retainer should be, size it from your costsrather than from a round number.
What the notes box is for
Payment details and the late-payment terms, in that order. Bank or payment link first, because that is what the client is looking for. Then the two sentences that protect your cash flow: when the balance is due relative to the shoot, and what happens the day after it is missed. The wording belongs in yourcontract too; the invoice just repeats it where the money is.
Why it runs in your browser
An invoice holds your client list, your prices and your bank details. A form that posts to a server turns that into a database of your business on someone else's machine, and the "free" generators that do it are selling the upgrade, the watermark removal, or the list. This one builds the sheet on the page, hands it to your own print dialog and remembers your details only in this browser. There is nothing to upload because there is nowhere for it to go.
Questions from the bench
Is this photography invoice generator really free?
Yes. No account, no watermark, no limit on invoices and no upsell at the end. The page builds the invoice in your browser and hands it to your own print dialog, which is where the PDF comes from. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
How do I save the invoice as a PDF?
Press "Print or save as PDF". In the print dialog pick PDF instead of a printer: on a Mac it is the PDF menu at the bottom left of the dialog, on Windows the printer called "Microsoft Print to PDF", on a phone the share sheet. The file is named after the invoice number, so INV-2026-007.pdf lands in your downloads ready to attach to an email.
Where do my business details go between invoices?
Into this browser only, in local storage on your own machine, so the next invoice starts with your name, address, tax rate and the next number already filled in. They never reach a server. "Forget my saved details" wipes them, and so does clearing the site data in your browser.
What should a photography invoice include?
Your business name and contact details, the client, a unique invoice number, the issue date and the due date, one line per service with quantity and rate (coverage hours, second shooter, albums, travel), the retainer the client already paid shown as a deduction, tax if you are registered for it, and the payment details plus your late-payment terms in the notes. That is the whole list; most disputes come from a missing due date or a retainer that was never shown.
How do I show the deposit or retainer the client already paid?
Put it in "Retainer already paid". The invoice then shows the full total, the retainer received as a deduction, and the balance due, which is the only number the client has to act on. Showing the full total matters: it reminds the client what the whole job cost and keeps the retainer from looking like a discount.
Should I add tax, and which label?
Only if you are registered to charge it. The rate and the label are both yours to set, so VAT, GST, sales tax or MwSt all work, and the tax is calculated on the amount after any discount. If you are not registered, leave the rate at zero and the line disappears from the invoice. For what applies to you, ask an accountant in your country, not a calculator.
Does the invoice generator work on a phone?
Yes, and the print dialog on iOS and Android offers "Save as PDF" or a share sheet, so you can invoice from the car after the shoot. A laptop is still more comfortable for a long line-item list.