Invoice template for 3D artists
A 3D job is mostly invisible work. The client sees a handful of final frames; you see the modelling, the UVs, the shading, the lighting passes and the overnight renders that went into them. An invoice with one line that says "3D visuals" invites the question "why so much for six images". Splitting it into the stages the client signed off on answers that question before it is asked.
The other thing worth putting on paper is render time. If you render locally it costs you machine hours and electricity; if you use a render farm it costs real money per frame. Either way it is a cost of the job, and it belongs on the invoice as its own line rather than hidden inside the day rate.
From
Bill to
Details
Items
Notes and payment details
Free, no account. Everything stays in this browser: we don't receive or store what you type.
The example lines and prices are illustrations. Replace them with your own.
What 3D artists forget to bill
- Modelling and look development as separate lines, so a second shot reusing the same asset is visibly cheaper.
- Render farm or GPU time, passed through at cost or with a small handling margin.
- Revision rounds beyond the ones included in the quote, billed per round.
- Asset licences you bought for the job (HDRIs, textures, stock models) if the client keeps using the files.
- Delivery of source files (.blend, .max, .c4d), which many studios price separately from the rendered frames.
When a small 3D studio sends the invoice
In a studio of three to eight people one job is usually split: one person models, another lights and comps, and a freelancer picks up overflow. The invoice still goes out under the studio's name, so its lines should follow the shot list the client approved, not who did what internally.
Keep a running log per shot of hours and render minutes against the quote. When the invoice is due the numbers come from that log instead of memory, and an overrun on one shot shows up while it can still be discussed, not after it has become a write-off. What you pay a subcontractor is a cost of the job: bill the client for the work, not for the subcontractor by name.
Questions 3D artists ask
Should 3D artists bill per image or per day?
Per image works when the job is repeatable and you know your speed, like a set of product packshots from one model. Per day is safer for anything with heavy modelling or an unclear brief. Many 3D artists quote per image and bill extra revision rounds per day, which keeps the headline price simple without absorbing open-ended changes.
How do I put render farm costs on an invoice?
As its own line, named plainly, for example "Render farm time, 340 frames". Pass it through at cost or add a small handling margin, and say which in the quote beforehand. Clients rarely object to a cost they were told about.
Do I have to hand over the source files?
Only if the agreement says so. By default you are delivering renders. If the client wants the scene files to edit later, price that as a separate line, because it hands over your setup and often your purchased assets too.
Keep the next one in OIO
Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.
Start freeAlso for 3D artists: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: motion designers, animators, game developers, architects. Or browse all invoice templates.