How to create a branded quote or estimate PDF
Quote Studio creates branded A4 proposals in your browser without an account. Choose Quote or Estimate to change the document heading. Both use one shared proposal draft and reference series, independent of Invoice Studio. This walkthrough explains the tool's behaviour; it does not determine the legal effect of your wording or agreement.
1. Choose the document and add your branding
Open Quote Studio, choose Minimal, Classic or Bold, and add your business name, address and email or phone. An optional PNG or JPEG logo up to 2 MB and a brand colour make the PDF your own. Choose Quote or Estimate under Document type. Switching that label keeps your current details and reference; it does not create another draft.
The starting reference is QTE-001. Quotes and estimates share this series. Change the prefix if you need a different convention, but check previously issued references before lowering the next number. Invoice Studio keeps its own numbering and draft.
2. Describe the work and its boundaries
Add the client, issue date and an optional Valid until date. Use Terms for proposal conditions and Notes for scope, exclusions or assumptions. For example: ‘Includes one round of revisions. Hosting and ongoing maintenance are excluded.’ Write conditions that reflect the work you actually intend to offer.
The Quote or Estimate label changes the preview and PDF title. It does not decide whether your proposal is binding, record client acceptance or turn the document into an invoice. Review your wording before sending.
3. Price a simple proposal
For an illustrative GBP proposal, enter two hours of website updates at £80 and a £40 handover session. With No tax selected the total is £200. This is an arithmetic example, not advice about which tax treatment your business should use.
Choose from 18 currencies. Changing currency keeps the numeric prices and does not convert them. Custom tax applies your chosen percentage to all items; UK VAT provides per-item treatments. Proposal tax figures are projections and the PDF states that it is not an invoice. You choose the applicable settings.
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Website updates | 2 hours × £80.00 | £160.00 |
| Handover session | 1 × £40.00 | £40.00 |
| Proposal total | £160.00 + £40.00 | £200.00 |
4. Check and download the PDF
Review the document type, client, reference, dates, scope, currency, prices, projected tax and terms. On a phone use Preview document. Download PDF validates required fields and creates the file locally with bundled fonts. Longer documents continue across A4 pages.
The next reference number advances once after successful PDF creation. Repeat downloads keep the current reference, including when you switch between Quote and Estimate. Save a copy and send it through your usual channel. The tool does not email documents, track acceptance, keep a full history or convert a proposal into an invoice.
5. Reuse settings while keeping documents separate
Quote Studio remembers your setup and one quote or estimate draft in this browser. New document replaces that draft after confirmation. Clear saved data clears Quote Studio's record; your Invoice Studio record is separate. Browser storage can be removed or unavailable, so keep final PDFs and settings backups yourself.
To reuse invoice branding, Save settings in Invoice Studio, then Load settings in Quote Studio. After confirmation, the tool copies business details, logo, layout, currency and tax setup. It keeps the current quote prefix and next number and excludes invoice banking, client details and line items. Import replaces the current quote draft with a fresh one.
Quote Studio settings exports contain its reusable setup and numbering, not the client or current proposal. Browser records and settings files are unencrypted; keep them private. Settings files are not interchangeable in both directions: Invoice Studio does not accept Quote Studio settings.
Moving from the original Quote Studio address
A draft created at invoice.port233.com belongs to that address. The main-site tool cannot read it automatically. Finish and download it in the original app using the same browser, then export settings there and import them here. Client details and line items are excluded from settings; re-enter them if you still need an editable draft here.
Sources and tool notes
The examples above are illustrative. The references below describe the tools and methods used. Read more about Port233-specific behaviour in our methodology and limitations.
- Port233 Quote Studio — the tool described in this walkthrough
- Invoice Studio — export reusable business settings
- Port233 privacy policy — local quote and estimate data
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