Create a Contract

Contracts help you present expectations, pricing, deliverables, and signatures in one client-ready document.

Start a contract

1. Open Contracts.
2. Choose New Contract.
3. Select a starting point:
   • A Vignette default template
   • One of your templates
   • A blank contract
4. Choose the client and related booking when applicable.
5. Add the title and session details.

The New Contract starting-point screen with a blank contract and Vignette’s default photography templates.View full size

Starting from a template creates an editable contract. Later changes to the template do not rewrite the contract you are preparing.

Complete the agreement

Review each part of the document:

• Client and photographer information
• Session date and location
• Price and deposit terms
• Payment terms
• Terms and conditions
• Deliverables
• Additional terms
• Signature area

The blank contract editor with client, session, pricing, and agreement fields ready to complete.View full size

Use plain language and confirm that the amounts match the booking.

The session location may be left blank. Vignette shows To be determined in the contract until you choose a location. Preview the wording before sending.

Add or edit clauses

Use the contract editor to add clause titles and content. Formatting controls are available for emphasis and lists.

Keep important obligations easy to find. Separate cancellation, rescheduling, delivery, payment, and usage terms instead of placing everything in one long paragraph.

Select + Add Clause at the end of Terms & Conditions, type a title, then write the clause. Use B, I, U, and the list buttons for formatting.

A new clause named First Look Location with the bold, italic, underline, list, and merge-field buttons above its text.View full size

Fill details automatically inside a clause

A merge field is a placeholder inside a Terms & Conditions clause. When the contract is displayed, Vignette replaces the placeholder with information from the contract, client, or studio. For example, Client Name can become “Sam Rivera,” and Package Price can become “2,500.00.”

You will not see merge fields in the main Contract Details fields. To use one:

1. Find Terms & Conditions.
2. Select + Add Clause, or use a clause already in the contract.
3. Enter a clause title and place your cursor in the clause text.
4. Select the {{ }} button in the formatting toolbar.
5. Choose the detail you want Vignette to fill in.

The merge-field menu inside a Terms & Conditions clause, with choices such as Client Name, Shoot Date, and Package Price.View full size

The placeholder appears inside the clause while you edit. Select Preview to read the completed sentence before sending.

If a detail is blank: Close Preview and complete the matching client, contract, pricing, or studio field. A merge field cannot fill information that has not been entered.

Save and review

Save the contract as a draft while editing. Review the finished document and studio information, then confirm the client email.

Use the buttons at the top of the editor to Preview the finished document, Save Draft, or send it. The … menu includes Save as Template.

The contract editor toolbar with Preview, Save Draft, Resend, and a menu showing Save as Template.View full size

Before sending: Vignette helps deliver and sign the agreement, but your studio is responsible for its legal language. Use terms appropriate for your business and location.

What Vignette does behind the scenes

A contract made from a template becomes its own document. Later template changes do not rewrite it. Vignette fills merge fields when it renders the document, then removes any placeholder that still has no matching value instead of showing broken code to the client.

Once a contract is signed, its signed version is kept as history. Normal edits do not silently change the document the client agreed to.