Why record the proof approval date?

Because 'that's not the color I wanted' after a hundred-square-foot print is a costly conversation, and a dated written approval ends it in one line. Never print without one, and always put the date on the invoice.

Should artwork setup be a separate line?

Yes, hourly with a stated number of included revisions. Customers supply artwork in every imaginable unusable format, and cleaning it up is design work that has nothing to do with square footage of vinyl.

How should I price finishing?

Per option — hemming and grommets by the linear foot or per grommet, pole pockets each, substrate mounting per square foot. Finishing is where a cheap banner and a durable one actually differ, and itemizing it explains that difference without a sales pitch.

Banner and Sign Printing Invoice Template (Free)

What belongs on the invoice

Business name and contact info
Customer name, company, phone
Finished size, quantity, and material
Artwork setup — hours and revisions included
Proof approval — date and who approved
Finishing — hemming, grommets, pole pockets, mounting
Hardware and stands
Installation, if provided
Rush fee and delivery

The template

[Your Business Name]
[Phone] · [Email]

Invoice #____        Date: __________
Bill To: [Customer / Company]   Phone: __________
Job: __________________________________________

Size: ____ ft x ____ ft   Qty: ____
Material: [13oz vinyl / mesh / coroplast / alum.]
Single or double sided: ________

--------------------------------------------------
Description                              Amount
--------------------------------------------------
Artwork setup — ___ hrs @ $___           $______
   (includes ___ revisions; extra $___ ea)
Printing — ___ sq ft @ $___              $______
Lamination / UV coating                  $______
Hemming — ___ lf                         $______
Grommets x___                            $______
Pole pockets x___                        $______
Substrate mounting — ___ sq ft           $______
Cut to shape / contour cut               $______
Frame / stand / hardware                 $______
Installation — ___ hrs @ $___            $______
Rush fee                                 $______
Delivery / shipping                      $______
--------------------------------------------------
Subtotal                                 $______
Tax (if applicable)                      $______
Deposit received                        -$______
Total Due                                $______

PROOF APPROVED: __/__ by ________________
Custom printed items are non-returnable.

Never print without a written proof approval

A hundred square feet of vinyl in the wrong shade of blue really only has one customer, and if they didn’t approve it, that customer is you.

Date it, name who approved it, and print the reference on the invoice.

The non-returnable line belongs on every job

Custom print is custom print. One sentence on the invoice does more to prevent a refund conversation than any amount of explaining afterward, and nobody’s ever objected to it at order time.

Finishing is where quality lives

Hemmed edges and reinforced grommets are the difference between a banner that survives a season and one that tears in the first storm. Itemize them — it explains your price against a cheap online quote without you having to criticize anyone.

Skipping the copy-paste

Software with your per-square-foot rates, material options, and finishing lines saved builds this in a couple of taps and records the proof approval against the job.