How to Create Custom Certificates – Tips and Tricks

The problem with most ready-made templates is that they're boring and unappealing to look at. Even further– you can't always customize them.

True, but how about building your certificate from scratch and creating a personalized and completely customizable design?

Contrary to what you might think, it's not something complicated or time-consuming, and it can bring you results you wouldn't even think of!

We will discuss this in today's post.

What are custom certificates?

In general, custom certificates are those documents that you design yourself from scratch or outsource this work to other teams. This means you do not use ready-made templates and can only refer to them when creating your project. 

Custom certificates are an excellent choice for your company, and as we mentioned earlier– they come with many benefits. You may mistakenly think that since you have to build such a document from scratch, that is, for example:

• choose the elements of the certificate

• determine the style

• write the text

• select dynamic attributes

then you will spend a lot of time on it. Well, not necessarily. 

Even though you create the certificate yourself, you still use tools that greatly facilitate your work, so, for example, you don't have to draw the elements yourself, but you already have them ready, and up to you is only to put them in the right place. 

This is just a small example because current tools can do much more, including Certifier, which allows sending certificates to hundreds of recipients in a matter of seconds or monitoring what happens right after certificate deployment.

Watch how to create custom certificates here:

The best tips and tricks for creating custom certificates

Well, if we've already explained why creating custom certificates is a beneficial solution for your business, now it's time for you to learn some tips. And here are some of them!

Tip 1: Define the certificate style

First of all, determine what style you will use. This is a key element because, in further steps, you will need to stick to this style to make your work as consistent as possible. Think, for example, about Apple or Coca-Cola– their messages are always coherent. 

If you don't know which style to go for, think about the industry for which you are issuing single certificates and make your own template based on that. The using style also depends on the type of course/webinars/training/etc.

Would you consider it to be formal or casual? Floral, festive, technology, friendship style– there can be many possibilities. 

Extra Tip: You can find inspiration in Ceritifier's library of certificates. The certificate descriptions can help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

There are many certificate types. For instance, you can build one for the advertising industry. You can use a style that is informal and maybe even funny. But you can also go wild with your creativity and use multiple colors. But for lawyers, it will no longer look appropriate or professional.

Tip 2: Define the main color

It may also help you to choose some colors for the main theme. If you don't feel the need to specify the style of the certificate, specify its primary colors instead. You can cover the whole background with it, apply it in the font, or in various elements, etc.  

But importantly, choose colors consciously because they have their own meaning. It would seem that this is not an important issue, yet the color you choose works on people's subconscious and can reveal your intentions.

For example, orange stimulates, blue calms, and green enhances a sense of balance and harmony.

Extra Tip: If you don't know what colors will go together, get help from Adobe Color Wheel.

Tip 3: Contain your branding

In order to make your certificates stand out, you can use symbols that represent your company, such as:

• logo

• graphics

• fonts

• colors

This will increase your brand awareness, attract more customers and achieve better business opportunities.

Good branding additionally accounts for a significant part of the customer experience. Most companies have at least a basic branding, but it's important to mention that investing in a refined design can bring a lot of business benefits. If your company makes excellent courses and then offers high-quality branding certificates, you can expect positive reviews and feedback. 

Tip 4: Use one (max two) fonts

First and foremost, they should be readable– this consists of their size, spacing between letters and words, and their design. Avoid those that do not meet the above requirements, as they will work against the whole project.

The font should also support special characters of other languages so that you can produce localized content. But even if you are writing in English, your audience may come from all over the world and have different names, so you should be able to write them correctly.

Also, define what emotion you want the chosen font to arouse. In other words, serif fonts are associated with classics, elegance, and confidence, while sans-serif fonts evoke modernity and clarity.

Tip 5: Don’t overdo with details

Additional options play a big role in a project, as they can change the face of the project and either improve it or make it no longer attractive.

However, you often try too hard, so, unfortunately, you are closer to the latter direction. So what to do?

Remember that less is often the better and that it is often worth betting on simplicity and only subtle extras.

So it is worth choosing such elements that:

• will be consistent with the theme of the company's business

• will not disrupt the overall concept

• will not obscure the most important information

You should also remember not to use photos and graphics that you don't own the rights to.

Tip 6: Keep the text to a minimum

What else? Don't use all the available space to fill it with text. This kills the appeal of every single certificate and discourages people from reading what is actually written on it. It also blocks the possibility of adding graphic elements.

To avoid this, try to write only what is necessary, including:

• the name of the award

• the name of the recipient

• the certificate authority (CA)

• the date of issue (possibly the expiration date)

If you want to add something more that you think is necessary– try to shorten the message to about two sentences so that the whole thing still looks clear.

Tip 7: Use high-quality elements

Also, always pay attention to the quality of the materials you include. It is worth knowing that all elements that will not be clear or will be matched in an inappropriate way will make the certificate not look professional.

So if you want to continue to keep your services at a high level, take a close look at the elements you use. 

Aesthetics are very important these days, especially if we're talking about the awards recipients are to receive. Just think; if you had to choose between a beautiful and artistic certificate and a chaotic one, which one would you rather choose? Because we definitely have the former.

Tip 8: Save the design as your own template

To speed up the issuance of certificates in the future, it will be a good idea to save your project so that the next time you don't have to design from scratch; just change the necessary data.

After all, it's still your creation, and it can be customized for different clients, industries, etc. Furthermore, by having a few saved works, you build your own base of customizable certificate templates, and you can change just about anything.

If your tool offers you the ability to save the credentials you create, take advantage of it. But if it doesn't have such a feature, maybe it's time to change providers and choose a different certificate maker. If so, we have an excellent option for you. 

3 reasons for custom certificates

#1 Personalization

Since you build such a document yourself, you can include anything you need, even your company logo. 

Imagine a situation where you've been given two orders to create certificates: for participants in a recent webinar on Combining Colors in Advertising and for attendees of the How to Grow Plants Properly course.

As you can see, these two topics are entirely unrelated, so using one template would not be a wise move. But if you construct different certificate types by yourself, you can personalize them in such a way that they will suit any audience.

#2 Extraordinary design

The look of the certificates also matters, and the ones you prepare will be one of a kind.

After all, you don't repeat fashionable and well-known schemes and create your own designs. Instead, you can surprise with color, layout, or custom font.

Either way, you produce a one-of-a-kind design. In this way, you distinguish yourself from the other common certificate providers and make your materials more attractive.

In addition to the visual layer, your certificate awards can include additional information, such as what the various stages of the course were or even a broader description of gained qualifications.

Again, you have a wide range of options and decide whether you want to add something new or go for simplicity. And that's the best part of it all– only you determine the final look of your creation 🎨.

#3 Better recognition of the brand

And, of course, properly tailored certificates can boost your brand recognition. After all, your logo, colors, typeface, or even the whole style can be used for your credentials, diplomas, etc. Therefore, it's a perfect idea to make them consistent with your corporate identity and work for your company. 

By sending such well-prepared documents, you impact the certificate recipients and bring your brand closer to them.

Such inconspicuous elements as logos can also affect the promotion of your certificates. If someone shares them on their social media or even prints them and puts on a desk, it helps you promote your company and the services it provides.

⏩ If you want to know how easily add a digital badge to your LinkedIn or other social media, check out this article: How to Add Digital Badge to LinkedIn and Other Social Media

Use Certifier for your custom certificates

If you haven't used Certifier yet, you're missing out on the fantastic opportunities this online tool has to offer.

This advanced certificate editor is an indispensable aid for your award certificates. It offers you a variety of basic and advanced features to build such personalized documents that your competitors don't have.

Certificate templates in Certifier allow you to personalize everything yourself: background, text, high-quality elements, and graphics. You have everything at your fingertips, thanks to its intuitive interface. 

You also have at your disposal:

• dynamic and customizable attributes

• personalized branding, colors, and style

• groups of recipients (fast ship your documents with a spreadsheet containing their data)

• all issued credentials in one place

• recipients' engagement tracking

With Certifier, you won't be creating common certificates but unforgettable experiences. Sign up today.

Over to You

Custom client certificates are something that can set you apart in this filled market. They are attractive, affect the visibility of your company, and can be tailored to any industry. 

We hope the above tips will help you improve these documents and make your customers love them. So take advantage of Certifier and let your creativity run wild 🌴.