In 2022, the international electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) market is well on its way to reaching $24.7 billion by 2027.
As businesses across the board gravitate towards electronic billing methods, the need for fast, efficient, and accessible invoice templates has arisen.
Invoices are an integral and irreplaceable element of modern business transactions. But when using outdated methods of compilation they can feel more of a hindrance than a help.
Previous invoice compilation entails entering vast amounts of case-specific data on a daily (sometimes multiple times a day) basis. This is where invoice templates come in.
Instead of requiring you to start from scratch, invoice templates offer all the structure and formatting necessary to create an invoice in seconds, and can even be reused for different clients.
Nowadays, you can find invoice templates online. But creating your own means having a personalized layout unique to your business that can be trademarked as your own.
Creating and editing your own invoice template is much easier than it sounds. Once you’ve done it, you won’t need to touch it again until your business details change.
Here’s how to make and edit a blank invoice template and turn it into a PDF using basic Microsoft Word software.
Creating a Blank Invoice PDF Template: the Step by Step Guide
The software provided by MS Word, Numbers, and Excel all enables users to draw up documents from scratch.
You can add tables, charts, formulas, text boxes, images, and more; some of which you will use in the creation of your blank invoice template.
Let’s Begin:
Step 1:
Open up a blank document in MS Word.
Step 2:
Click the “insert” button at the top of the screen, and select “text box”. If you have the option to draw one with your mouse, do so to adjust the perfect size for your invoice template.
Step 3:
Position your text box on the upper right-hand side of your Word document.
Step 4:
Inside the box, enter your company’s name. Make sure the size and font choice makes the name clearly legible and easy to read.
If you have a company logo, click the “icon” feature under “Insert” and select your logo (make sure it is high quality). Position it either next to or underneath your text box.
Step 5:
Select the text box’s “view” options, and click “no outline”. This will give your box a clean, floating appearance.
Step 6:
Create a second box, also with no outline, and position it in the opposite corner of the document. Enter the word “INVOICE” in a clear, bold font.
Step 7:
Create a third box, again with no outline, and position it directly beneath the INVOICE box. Enter your client’s company name and details into this box.
Step 8:
Now you’re going to insert a table. Click the “Insert” button and select “table”. Choose one with two columns and five rows for now. If this needs to change at any point, editing it is easy.
Step 9:
Drag your table onto the right side of your document, under the word INVOICE. Now insert the relevant invoice information: an invoice number, date, payment due date, and order number.
Step 10:
Insert a second table, this time larger and positioned in the center of your document. You can use your mouse to adjust and drag into a size that suits your style and has enough space to fill in all your relevant services and corresponding prices.
Step 11:
On the top left-hand side of your column, enter the word “Description”, and on the top right-hand side, enter the word “Total”. You can make these two words bold. In future, the cells below these titles will be used to fill in your services and prices.
Step 12:
At the bottom of the table, you can add an additional section for Grand Total and tax.
Step 13:
Insert a fourth text box. Enter in your preferred bank details for clients to pay you through. Make sure they are accurate, and add any other payment methods you accept (such as PayPal, Bitcoin, eWallet, or even a QR code).
Step 14:
At the very bottom of the document, add in your company’s preferred payment terms, such as Net 10, COD, or any agreed-upon settlement period information.
Step 15:
Before you’re done, it’s a good idea to make a backup duplicate document in case the original gets deleted or lost. Save both and store them in a secure folder.
Editing a Blank Invoice PDF Template
Once you have the basic template laid out, filling in your respective client’s details in future will be a cinch, saving you time and setting you up for success.
All you need to do is open the document and update the information or fill in the blanks until it makes sense in relation to a specific client.
That will entail changing the date, client company details, adding in the services and costs information, and possibly changing your bank details if they change over time.
Converting Your Invoice Template Into a PDF
Now that you have your blank invoice template saved and ready to go, you probably want to know how you can turn it into a PDF.
This will mean a more secure document that is harder for external users to edit or intercept.
It’s extremely easy and useful to know for other projects too, and you can even combine PDF files to create secure invoicing records or histories.
Step 1:
Open your document.
Step 2:
Click the “File” button on the upper left hand of your screen. Select the “Save As” option, which will take you to a familiar pop-up.
Step 3:
Directly beneath the text bar which shows the title of your document is a drop-down menu called “Save as type”. One of the options on that menu is PDF–select and save. Now you have a Word document and PDF version of your blank invoice template.
It’s never too late to learn the basics of document development. E-invoices form a huge part of current and future business transactions.
Knowing how to make your own blank invoice PDF is something you can benefit from for the rest of your career—and your business will benefit from it. Plus, it’s a greener option, so you’re doing your bit for the environment too.