Diplomas & certificates

A diploma is one of those small things that stays with a person for a long time. Someone collects it on stage, hangs it on the wall of an office or files it away with important documents - and each time it brings back the memory of that competition, course or contest. Here you put a diploma together to suit yourself: choose the format, paper, printing, finishing and the way the file is prepared, and base the print on a ready template or your own artwork. The price is shown straight away in the calculator above.

Printed diplomas are elegant material for recognising participants, employees, pupils, course members, competitors, partners or event guests. You can present them at a training course, a competition, a sports event, a conference, a gala, a company event, a school ceremony or a workshop. The same product also works well as a certificate, an attestation, an award or a thank-you - the design can be classic and formal or modern, minimalist and elegant, depending on what suits the occasion.

What you can use diplomas for

Diplomas work wherever you want to thank someone, confirm something or single someone out. A few real situations:

• Training, courses and workshops - training certificates, course completion diplomas and documents confirming attendance at a workshop. They look good handed over in a folder, framed or added to training material.
• Competitions, sports events and galas - competition, sports, participation and achievement diplomas presented on stage to winners and participants. At larger events a more presentable format works well.
• School and nursery - school, nursery and children's diplomas: for academic results, for taking part in an event or as a keepsake at the end of the year. Here you can safely go for colour and cheerful graphics.
• Company and business events - company and employee diplomas, certificates for clients and partners, and conference and event diplomas. They strengthen the professional impression of a company and a course.
• Thank-yous and awards - diplomas of recognition, thank-yous and commemorative attestations for volunteers, donors, colleagues or special guests.

The same diploma can act as a certificate - a document confirming attendance, completion of a course, acquisition of a skill or participation in a project. A good choice for training companies, language schools, universities, foundations, sports clubs, practices, dance schools and conference organisers. In that variant it is worth using a more formal layout: a certificate number, a date, signatures, the organiser's details and possibly a QR code leading to a verification page or a course description.

Which format to choose

We prepare diplomas in three formats - match the format to the importance of the event and the way the document is to be presented:

• A5 (148×210 mm) - a smaller format for commemorative certificates, awards for children, short attestations, congratulation cards and thank-yous, and for documents handed over as part of a larger set of material.
• A4 (210×297 mm) - the most popular format for diplomas and certificates. Practical, legible and elegant, it fits standard folders, frames and document sleeves. The best choice for training certificates, course completion diplomas, company awards and commemorative diplomas.
• A3 (297×420 mm) - larger and more presentable. It works for diplomas presented at galas, sports events and competitions, for thank-yous to partners, and for certificates displayed in a frame that should be visible and striking.

If you do not know where to start, A4 is a safe, versatile choice that suits most occasions.

Which paper to choose

We print diplomas on papers with an elegant look and suitable stiffness. Match the paper to the character of the event and to whether the diploma is to be more practical, presentable or premium. There are three to choose from:

• Coated 250 gsm - a good choice for diplomas that should be attractive, colourful and practical. It works for school, competition, sports, event, children's and promotional diplomas and for larger runs.
• Coated 350 gsm - stiffer and more presentable. A good choice for certificates, company diplomas, awards, thank-yous and elegant commemorative documents that should make a more solid impression when handed over.
• DCP Satin 300 gsm - has an elegant satin surface. It suits certificates, training diplomas, company documents, attestations, awards and premium diplomas with a calm, professional character.

In short: for colourful, practical diplomas and larger series go for Coated 250 gsm, for more presentable ones Coated 350 gsm, and for calm, professional elegance DCP Satin 300 gsm.

Printing and finishing

You choose the printing depending on whether you need one or two printed sides:

• Single-sided - the most common choice for diplomas and certificates. It lets you prepare a full-colour design with a decorative background, a border, a logo, a title, the participant's details, the text, a date, signatures, a seal, a certificate number and elements of your visual identity.
• Double-sided - useful when a diploma or certificate is to carry additional information on the second side: a training programme, the scope of a course, a description of competences, terms and conditions, a list of modules, the organiser's details, a QR code for verifying the certificate or a language version.

With diplomas, legibility and aesthetics matter most. Make the title clear, keep the participant's details clearly visible, and arrange signatures, dates and certificate numbers tidily.

You choose the finishing depending on how strong an effect you want:

• No finishing - works for classic diplomas, larger runs, school, competition, sports and event material and documents that should be practical and easy to frame.
• Gloss film - strengthens colours, lifts contrast and gives an expressive effect. It looks good on colourful, children's, promotional, sports and competition diplomas and designs with intense graphics.
• Matt film - gives a calm, elegant and professional effect. A good choice for training certificates, company diplomas, official documents, thank-yous, awards and restrained designs.
• Soft Touch velvet film - has a pleasant, soft surface and underlines a premium character. It works for elegant certificates, presentational diplomas, galas, company events, premium training and awards for partners.

There is one practical detail: film can make it harder to add names, signatures, dates or numbers by hand afterwards. If diplomas are to be filled in by hand, allow for that when choosing the paper and the design. The exact surcharges for the individual options are shown in the calculator above.

Personalisation and ready templates

Diplomas can be prepared with personalisation, that is with variable data on the individual copies. That matters particularly for certificates, training courses, competitions, sports events, school diplomas and company events, where every document is to carry different data. Personalisation can cover the participant's name, the name of the course or training, a certificate number, the date of issue, a result, a grade, a title, a job title, a company name, a table or group number, a competition category, a place in a contest, individual text, a QR code, an identification code and the signature or name of the person running the course.

With personalisation you can prepare a whole series of diplomas from one piece of artwork and a list of data. Every copy has the same graphic treatment but a different name, number, date or text. With such orders the most important thing is preparing the data list carefully - best in an orderly table where each column corresponds to a particular field on the diploma. The data should be final and checked before being sent for print.

On a diploma or certificate you can print the organiser's logo, the name of the school, company or institution, the title "Diploma" or "Certificate", the participant's name, the name of the course, competition or event, the date, the place, the certificate number, a description of the achievement, the scope of the training, signatures, a seal, a QR code, a decorative border, an event slogan and a second language version. With training certificates keep a more formal layout, while for children's diplomas or sports events you can use more colours, illustrations and decorative elements.

File checking and graphic design

When placing an order you choose how we prepare your file:

• No file checking - for advertising agencies, designers and people confident that the artwork is correct. The file goes into production with no additional graphic review.
• File checking by a graphic designer - the designer checks the technical preparation for print: the format, bleed, safe distances, the quality of graphics, the colour and the way the file is saved. With diplomas and certificates there are additional points that matter for the legibility of the document: the correct format, the quality of decorative borders, keeping important content away from the edges, the legibility of texts, and the preparation and layout of variable data. Checking is particularly recommended if the artwork was made in Canva, an online generator, an office program, a presentation application or with AI tools - such files often look good on screen but need adapting to the format, bleed, CMYK colour, resolution, quality of graphics, space for personalisation and safe margins. With variable data it is worth leaving fields plenty of room - long names, company names, certificate numbers or longer course titles may need the type size and layout adjusted. Note: the technical check does not cover substantive content - typos, first names, surnames, titles, course and company names, certificate numbers, dates, results, grades, signatures, QR codes, agreement with the participant list and the training programme, or legal wording. You as the customer are responsible for the correctness of the artwork and the personalised data.
• Simple graphic design - no finished file? Send a logo, the text of the diploma, the organiser's details, the participant list, signatures, the date, certificate numbering, the style you want and any graphic guidance, and we will prepare a simple design matched to the chosen format, paper, type of printing, finishing and personalisation.

How to prepare the print file

• Format and colours - best a PDF in line with our specification. We also accept good quality JPG or PNG files. Prepare photographs at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale, in CMYK.
• Bleed and margins - if graphics, a border or the background run to the edge, add bleed. Keep important elements - the title, the name, the logo, signatures, the date, the certificate number and a QR code - away from the edges. With designs that have a decorative border, leave a larger margin: borders placed too close to the trim line can look uneven after cutting, even within standard production tolerances.
• Personalisation and the data list - for personalised diplomas, prepare the data in a legible table. Each row is one diploma, each column one field, for example first name, surname, course name, date, certificate number, result. Before sending, check Polish characters, capitalisation, titles, double-barrelled surnames, numbers and dates.
• QR code - if the diploma carries a QR code, make it big enough and high in contrast, and test it before sending the file. Make sure it leads to the right page, document, profile, verification or course information.
• Our guidance - on our site there is a dedicated section on how to prepare artwork for print and which mistakes to avoid. It is worth reading before sending the file.