A diploma holder has one job: make the certificate look as important as the work behind it, and keep it flat and clean for decades. Getting that right starts with the size — and “letter size” is only the beginning. Here is how our range maps onto the certificates schools, colleges, universities, training centres and professional orders actually print.
Match the holder to the certificate
The holder’s inside dimensions must be a touch larger than the sheet, never smaller. Our sizes follow the standard paper formats used across North America:
- V619011 — letter, 8 1/2″ × 11″: the default for most North American schools, training certificates and professional designations.
- V619012 — A4, 210 × 297 mm: for institutions that print on the international format, or for programs delivered with European partners.
- V619014 — legal, 8 1/2″ × 14″: the tall format used by some orders and licensing bodies.
- V611013 — 10″ × 13″ and V611114 — 11″ × 14″: the traditional university diploma formats.
- V611219 — 12″ × 18″: for large-format diplomas and awards.
If the certificate is an unusual size, measure it and tell us: custom dimensions are quoted on request.
Book opening or right-left opening
The standard holder opens like a book, with the certificate on the right-hand side and a blank or printed left panel. The right-left opening (V618811DG) holds two documents facing each other — a diploma and a transcript, a certificate and a photo, the French and English versions of the same award. The 11″ × 14″ right-left version (V61011114DG) does the same for the larger format.
How the certificate is held
Corners hold the sheet in place at the four angles; the certificate can be slipped in and out without adhesive. Ribbons do the same job with a more traditional look. Inside pockets keep a second document behind the first. These are options on the standard holders; tell us which you prefer when you request a quote.
Finishes for the front cover
The deluxe holder (V619012X) upgrades the material and the feel of the cover. The turned-edge holder (V61334E) is built the way a hardcover book is — the covering material wraps around a rigid board, with clean folded edges — for the most formal presentation. The padded heat-sealed holder (V61332) adds a soft, cushioned cover.
On all of them, the school crest or the company logo is applied to the front cover — hot stamped in gold or silver foil for the classic look, embossed for a tone-on-tone finish, or silkscreened in one or more colours. Leatherette and vinyl are both offered; leatherette reads as more formal, vinyl gives the widest colour choice and the lower price at volume.
Ordering for a graduating class
Institutions reorder the same holder every year, so the first order sets the standard: we keep the die, the colour and the options on file and each following order matches it. Pricing on the product pages runs by quantity; for a typical program of a few hundred graduates, the unit price sits well below what a retail frame costs and the holder arrives ready for the ceremony. Send us the crest and the certificate size, and we return a proof within one business day.
