How to Print an Invoice with InvoiceOwl

Creating estimates and invoices for each client is a day-to-day stress for business owners. It takes a long time and heaps of paperwork. The work gets more delayed because of errors, like forgetting to add important information and human errors in accounting documents.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Let an estimate and invoice software take the hassle out of estimating and invoicing. Create, save, print, and send custom invoices in seconds with the custom-made estimation and best invoice templates.

This article has the step-by-step guide on how to print an invoice that will help you have printed copies of those invoices in your client’s hands within minutes.

Step-by-Step Guide to Printing Invoices

A growing range of printable invoice templates is available in premium and free versions, helping business owners stay organized, look professional, and get paid faster for years.

Once you completely write an invoice, double-check the preview to see whether it’s ready to send to the client and take a printout or not. Select the ‘View’ option from the top left of the invoice if there is any mistake, correct them by clicking on ‘Edit.’

Here is how one can create an invoice and prepare it for printing.

Step 1: Fill in the required information.

Sending a detailed invoice means more clarity and getting paid faster. So, try to include relevant information, especially contact information, a breakdown of products purchased or services performed, payment details, and due dates of payment. The basics of any effective sales invoice are:

Contact information details

A successful sales invoice must clearly display who is issuing the invoice, who is receiving it, and ensure the invoice is directed to the correct client.

No matter whether you’re entering information for new clients or the software is automatically acquainting the contact details of previous customers from the records, make sure that the right contact information is recorded for every client. The essential fields to include are:

• Business name: Clearly specify your business name and the client’s.
• Address: Include both the sender’s and recipient’s full mailing addresses.
• Contact person: Highlight the primary contact at the client’s end to avoid confusion.
• Email address: Ensure a valid email address is provided for smooth communication.
• Phone number: Include a phone number for quick resolution of queries.

Common mistakes to avoid

Before printing an invoice and sending it to the client, look out for common errors. Below some tips are given to prevent them:

• Using the wrong paper size or format: Using the wrong paper format leads to repetitive work and printing multiple wrong invoices. Instead, ensure that the invoice is set to standard paper sizes and matches the format expected by the client to avoid readability issues.
• Not including all the pages: If the invoice has multiple pages, it is common to miss printing all the pages. Ensure that the pages are printed and properly sequenced to prevent missing details.
• Not keeping a copy: A copy of the invoice is essential for storage. Failing to do so can cause issues if the client misplaces their invoices. Always maintain a backup copy.
• Failing to review before printing: If there are even minor errors in the invoice, you might have to print them again and again. It is better to do a detailed review before printing the invoice.

Itemize and break down costs

Itemized and breakdown costs are often used interchangeably, but they slightly differ based on context.

Aspect	Itemize	Break-down costs
Format	Displays only item names, quantities, and total price	Includes sections for taxes, discounts, and subtotals.
Example Invoice	A retail store receipt showing “Shirts (2) – $40.00	A construction invoice with line items like “Materials – $500.00, labor – $200.00, tax – $70.00
Best for	Perfect for quick summaries or point-of-sale invoices	Best for professional service invoices where detailed calculations are a must.

Invoice and due dates

If any business owner accepts partial payments in the EMI process, adding a payment due date to the sales invoice is a good habit.

It is a simple reminder, though InvoiceOwl has separate automated options to send notifications regarding due payments, and delivery alerts.

The software notifies the clients about their due payments considering the billing date. The software also allows you to write notes if any extensions are granted for that due date.

Personalize your invoice

Invoices are an efficient part of marketing. So, when you add the company’s name, logo, physical address, contact information, and any pertinent media (such as your official website, Facebook profile, LinkedIn.), your invoice also works as a business card.

Customizing an invoice by inserting your company’s logo  which is easy as it contains only a few steps. Select the customization option at the top, tick the box labeled logo and upload the images (your company’s logo) using the browse button and click save.

Define payment terms

It would be wise if you mentioned the modes of payment you accept. Remember to be as detailed as possible. Clarify whether you accept personal checks, credit cards, debit cards, or UPI payments.

Step 2: Preview your invoice

Once all the information is registered, double-check the preview to see whether it’s ready to send to the client and take a printout or not. Select the ‘View’ option from the top left of the invoice if there is any mistake, correct them by clicking on ‘Edit.’

Review features and options

Before finalizing your invoice, InvoiceOwl provides several features to help ensure accuracy and professionalism:

• Preview: Review the invoice before proceeding to identify and correct the errors accordingly.
• Edit capability: Update the invoice by easily fixing the incorrect or false information.
• Customization: Personalize the invoice by adding your logo, adjusting formatting, or including notes.
• Auto-calculated totals: Avoid manual errors by automatically calculating the totals, taxes, and discounts.

Final check before printing

Use the checklist provided below before you download it for printing.

• Header information
• Client details
• Invoice number
• Date and due date
• Itemized details
• Tax and discounts
• Payment information
• Notes/terms

Step 3: Print your invoice

Before printing the invoice, check the following factors:

Printer settings and tips

Once you’re all set to print the invoices, after saving the invoice, you’ll see a few options, such as ‘View,’ ‘PDF,’ ‘Send,’ ‘Print,’ and ‘Mark as Paid.’ Simply click on the ‘Print’ button/ printer icon to take out printed copies.

After clicking on the print icon or button, a window will be opened to adjust printing settings, insert the number of copies you want to take out, determine the color mode, and determine what pages you want to print.

Troubleshoot common issues

You may encounter some troubleshooting issues while you’re printing an invoice such as the printer not responding, paper jams, and low-quality prints. Check for these issues and implement a solution accordingly. Such as checking printer connections in case it is not responding, checking ink and toner levels, and paper quality in case of low-quality prints.

Step 4: Save as a PDF and send it to your client

You can save the file as a PDF and send it directly to the clients’ email addresses using the ‘Send’ option.

Email & security best practices

When sending invoices as PDFs via email, it’s crucial to prioritize data security. Follow these tips to ensure the process is safe and professional:

• Use encrypted communication: Always utilize secure methods like email to send invoices.
• Password-protect PDFs: If necessary, safeguard the information in the invoice by adding a password.
• Double-check email address: Double-check the details of the recipient to avoid sending confidential information to the wrong recipient.
• Avoid public networks: Send invoices from a secure network to minimize risks.
• Maintain backup records: Keep a copy of all invoices securely stored for reference.

Now, let’s check out some of the important tips you can implement to improve the printing process and ensure minimal errors.

Additional Printing and Customization Tips

To ensure your invoices meet both functional and professional standards, use these advanced customization and printing strategies tailored to your needs.

Customizing your invoice – advanced tips

Enhance your invoices to align with your brand identity and client expectations:

• Add your logo and brand colors for consistency.
• Include custom payment terms tailored to client agreements.
• Utilize optional fields to add project details or personalized notes.
• Highlight discounts or special offers prominently.

Printing from different devices

Printing invoices varies based on the device used. Here’s a quick comparison:

Feature	Mobile Devices	Desktop Devices
Ease of access	Convenient for on-the-go printing	Ideal for bulk printing tasks
Customization options	Limited due to screen size	Extensive, with advanced tools
Printer connectivity	Wireless printing supported	Supports wireless and wired
File management	Simple but limited file handling	Easier to organize documents
Best use case	Quick, single invoices	Bulk or highly detailed invoices

Downloading options explained

Make the downloading process seamless by following these steps:

• Open InvoiceOwl and navigate to the completed invoice.
• Select ‘Download’ from the options menu.
• Choose the desired file format (e.g., PDF).
• Save the invoice to your preferred location (local storage or cloud).
• Verify the downloaded file for accuracy.

Conclusion

Remember, clean, correct, and quick invoicing matters greatly for a professional reputation. Several invoicing software available out there ease the complicated process of billing. Their 100% paperless workflow with automated calculation speeds up the process and makes it free from human errors.

InvoiceOwl’s professional estimation and invoicing templates enable straightforward customization according to many different business needs as an additional benefit. So, enough of dealing with multiple excel sheets or physical bills. It’s time to work smart and quickly with reliable invoicing software and print multiple invoices in no time.