Inkvoice desk guide

Create Invoices from a Spreadsheet (CSV/Excel → PDF)

Many desks already track work in a spreadsheet: client, amount, date, description. This walk-through turns those rows into sendable invoice PDFs without a full accounting suite.

Invoice PDFs are business documents you prepare. This guide is not tax filing advice, not accounting advice, and not legal advice. Tax rules and record-keeping duties vary — confirm with a qualified professional when needed.

Why spreadsheets still drive invoicing

You already know the tool. You can add columns without waiting on a vendor. You can filter unpaid, this month, or one client instantly. You own the file. What spreadsheets do not do well is a polished PDF for every row. A focused generator reads the sheet, applies a paper, and writes PDFs on your device.

Inkvoice follows the Femuo pattern: no account, PDFs on this computer, a practical file rather than a platform you rent. Open the studio. Preview is free. $10 once unlocks unmarked PDFs, a logo, and a ZIP of up to 100 invoices.

Design the sheet first

Decide what each invoice must show: your business and tax ID, client, invoice number, dates, line items, currency, and how to pay you.

Seller name, tax ID, bank or PayPal, and terms live on the business side of the studio — not in the spreadsheet. Fill them once. Every invoice in the ZIP reuses them.

Columns Inkvoice reads

Column	Required	Notes
client	Yes	Bill-to name. Blank rows fail the file.
invoice_no	No	Keep unique after you send. Rows that share a number become one multi-line invoice.
description, qty, unit_price	No	One line item per row. Store amounts as numbers — no currency symbol in the cell.
client_address, client_email	No	Bill-to details on the sheet.
date, due_date, po, tax_rate	No	Issue date, due date, PO, and tax percent.

One row vs. multiple line items

1. One row = one invoice with a single description. Simple. Best for retainers and flat fees.
2. One row = one line item, with invoice_no repeated. Flexible. Inkvoice groups those rows.

If you are starting out, one description per invoice is easier. You can migrate later.

Column tips that prevent broken PDFs

1. Keep invoice_no unique after a file is sent. Duplicate numbers confuse clients and your records.
2. Store amounts as numbers. Text like “1,200” with a symbol breaks totals.
3. Use one currency per invoice. Set currency in the studio if the sheet omits it.
4. Know which name goes on the invoice — trading name or legal entity.
5. Avoid emoji and decorative characters in description fields.
6. Export UTF-8 so client names with accents survive.

Example CSV

invoice_no,client,description,qty,unit_price,date,due_date,tax_rate
INV-2026-018,Bright Harbor Co.,September retainer,1,1200.00,2026-09-10,2026-09-24,0
INV-2026-019,Oak and Pine Studio,Landing page revision,1,850.00,2026-09-12,2026-09-26,0
INV-2026-019,Oak and Pine Studio,Stock photos,4,25.00,2026-09-12,2026-09-26,0

Download the sample CSV from the studio if you want the full header set.

Build the sheet in Google Sheets or Excel

Google Sheets

1. Freeze the header row.
2. Use data validation for currency if you keep that column.
3. When ready, File → Download → Comma Separated Values (.csv).

Excel

1. Format amount columns as Number with 2 decimal places.
2. Keep a working .xlsx master; export CSV only for the generator.
3. Prefer CSV UTF-8.

Do not export your entire history every time. Filter to drafts, a date range, or one client. Then copy the filtered view to a clean tab and export that tab. Smaller files mean fewer mistakes.

From spreadsheet to invoice PDF

Copy-paste into a Word template is fine for one invoice and slow for ten. Mail merge works; naming and page breaks need care. A full accounting suite is heavy if you only need PDFs from a sheet.

Suggested Inkvoice flow:

1. Finalize numbers and invoice numbers in the sheet.
2. Export the filtered UTF-8 CSV.
3. Save your business once in the studio.
4. Drop the CSV. Preview one invoice end-to-end — especially long client names and long descriptions.
5. Unlock unmarked files. Save the PDFs next to that period’s sheet.
6. Mark rows sent in your sheet after you email the PDFs.

Your spreadsheet remains the system of record for status. The PDFs are what clients receive.

What to put on the PDF

Clients should answer these from the first page:

• Who is billing them?
• What is the invoice number?
• What is owed, in which currency, by when?
• What work does this cover?
• How should they pay? Tax ID, bank, and PayPal stay in the studio so they print on every sheet.

Keep branding quiet. Readable beats decorative. Pick one numbering scheme and stick to it — year plus sequence is enough. Never renumber after sending.

Taxes, compliance, and honest limits

Some regions require tax IDs, specific phrasing, or e-invoicing formats. A lightweight PDF generator does not replace local e-invoice mandates, full bookkeeping, tax return preparation, or legal contract terms.

If you charge tax, make sure the sheet and PDF fields match what your advisor expects. If you are unsure, leave tax at zero only when that is actually correct — not as a guess. This guide is not tax filing advice. Inkvoice prints a layout you can send to a client. It is not a tax filing.

Common mistakes

1. Reusing invoice numbers after a canceled draft that was already sent.
2. Editing the PDF but not the sheet — next month your records disagree.
3. Including internal notes on the client-facing description.
4. Wrong currency assumptions. Set the currency in the studio.
5. Generating all historical rows and overwriting earlier filenames.
6. Treating the PDF as filed taxes. It is an invoice, not a filing.

Privacy and client data

Client names, amounts, logos, and CSV files stay in this browser. Store sheets where your existing business files live. Prefer on-device PDF generation when you do not need multi-user cloud edit. A CertRoll or Rentslip license does not unlock Inkvoice.

More Femuo tools live at femuo.com.

When this workflow fits

Good fit if you invoice in batches from a list, want consistent PDFs without a finance platform, already track work in Sheets or Excel, and prefer owning files over renting seats. Consider fuller accounting software if you need bank reconciliation, inventory, payroll, or multi-user approval every day.

Buy once. Keep the file. Create invoices from your spreadsheet without turning billing into a second job.

Inkvoice helps you generate invoice PDFs from spreadsheet data. It is not tax filing software and does not provide legal or accounting advice.