How to make an invoice in Word.
Create a professional invoice directly in Microsoft Word. Learn how to use templates, create original invoices, and e-sign Word documents.
PDF is the standard business document format — but not everyone is on board with it. Some people still prefer to use Microsoft Word documents to send and receive files, such as invoices. Read on to learn how to make an invoice in Word and securely e-sign it to get paid on time.
How to create an invoice in Word using templates.
The easiest way to make an invoice in Word is to use a template. Word has many styles for invoice templates, so you can pick one that matches your business brand. You can also customize the Word invoice with a logo and other details.
To create an invoice from a Word template, follow these steps:
- Open Word and select File.
- Select New.
- Type “invoice” into the Search for Online Templates field and press Enter.
- Select a template and click Create to download it.
Now that you know how to create an invoice in Word using templates, let’s explore how to create an invoice from scratch.
How to create an invoice from scratch.
You can create a completely original invoice with Word’s table and formatting tools. It’s still a good idea to take inspiration from the templates to make sure you include all the necessary details. When creating an invoice template in Word, check that yours has the following:
- Vendor’s and recipient’s names and contact details
- An invoice number for payment tracking and reference
- The invoicing and due dates
- An itemized list of provided products and services with prices and subtotals
- Payment terms, such as accepted payment methods and late fees
- Any applicable taxes, like sales tax or VAT
- Total amount owed
Share a Word invoice template with team members.
By doing the following steps when creating an invoice template in Word, you can make sure that your team members have access to and can use the Word invoice template effectively, leading to consistent and professional-looking invoices.
- Save your template. Before sharing your Word invoice template, make sure it’s properly customized with your company’s branding and essential details. Save the template to a location that’s easily accessible to all team members, such as a shared network drive or cloud-based storage.
- Set permissions. Depending on the storage platform you choose, you may need to adjust file permissions to allow team members to view and edit the Word invoice template file. Be sure to check that everyone who needs access has the appropriate permissions.
- Share the link. Once the template is stored securely, share the access link with your team.
- Training and documentation. Provide training or documentation on how to use the template. Include guidelines on filling out the invoice fields, making necessary changes, and saving the final invoice with a unique name.
- Version control. Used to maintain consistency, this makes sure that everyone is working with the latest template version and not an outdated one.
Design tips for Word invoices.
- Keep the design clean and minimalist for better readability.
- Incorporate your company’s logo, colors, and contact info for brand recognition.
- Organize information with clear headings and itemized charges.
- Maintain a professional tone and include payment terms and instructions.
- Simplify the process by automating calculations and creating an invoice template in Word for reuse.
There are many benefits that come with using Word invoices — creating an invoice template in Word is a great way to assemble all the necessary information. Once finished, converting your Word document to a PDF is a great way to ensure your document looks the same across devices and can’t be accidentally edited.
Sign Word invoices with e-signatures.
One great benefit of PDFs is the ability to sign them with a legally binding electronic signature. This can be difficult in Word, so before you send an invoice email, make sure you have the right tools. Adobe Acrobat integrates smoothly with Word and lets you add e-signatures to Word documents.
Discover more ways to request and track signatures for invoices.
