How to print certificates
Certificates from Nivparo are laid out at the real paper size, one per page. Getting a good print is mostly about four things: the right paper size, 100% scale, no margins added by the browser, and paper your printer can feed.
Updated 28 October 2026.
A4 or US Letter
| Paper | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| A4 | 297 × 210 mm (11.69 × 8.27 in) | Most of the world, including the UK, Europe, Australia, India and South Africa |
| US Letter | 11 × 8.5 in (279.4 × 215.9 mm) | United States, Canada, Mexico and the Philippines |
Choose the paper under Design and paper in the certificate maker and pick the same paper in the print dialog. Printing an A4 layout on Letter (or the other way round) makes the browser shrink or crop the page. Most certificates are landscape; portrait suits formal course and graduation certificates.
Which paper or card to use
| Weight | US equivalent | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 80–90 gsm | 20–24 lb bond | Weekly classroom awards, drafts and test prints |
| 120 gsm | 32 lb bond | A step up that still feeds through every printer |
| 160–200 gsm | about 60–74 lb cover | Most end-of-term and event certificates |
| 250–300 gsm | about 92–110 lb cover | Framed certificates and formal awards; check your printer first |
- Check the heaviest paper your printer accepts (in its manual or on the paper tray). Many home printers take card only through a rear or manual feed slot, one sheet at a time.
- Use paper made for your printer type: inkjet card for inkjet printers, laser card for laser printers. Glossy inkjet card is hard to sign; matte or satin is easier.
- Parchment-style paper suits the Classic designs. Heavily textured card can make toner patchy on laser printers.
- Sign with a ballpoint or a pigment-ink pen after printing, and let inkjet prints dry for a few minutes first.
Print dialog settings
- Destination or printer: your printer, or Save as PDF for a file.
- Paper size: the same as in the maker.
- Layout or orientation: the same as in the maker, if the dialog asks.
- Scale: 100% or Actual size – not Fit to page or Shrink to fit.
- Margins: None. The certificate already has its own white border.
- Headers and footers: off, so no web address or date is printed on the certificate.
- Background graphics (Chrome, Edge) or Print backgrounds (Safari, Firefox): turn on if coloured bands or confetti are missing.
- Two-sided printing: off. Many office printers default to two-sided, which would put the second certificate on the back of the first.
Before a big batch, print the first certificate on plain paper and hold it against the card to check the position. The page strip shows every certificate, so you can also check the names before you load the card.
Borders and the edge of the page
Most home and office printers cannot print right to the edge; they leave 3–5 mm unprinted on each side. The Classic, Laurel, Minimal and Playful borders are set in from the edge, so they print in full on any printer. The Modern designs have a coloured band down the left edge and shapes in the right-hand corners, and the Sport designs have bands along the top and bottom edges: without borderless printing, a thin white strip remains there, which most people do not notice. If a border looks uneven, the paper is feeding at a slight angle – adjust the paper guides.
Printing something on the back
Certificates are printed on one side. To add a message on the back, print the certificates first, then put the printed stack back in the tray (check which way round with one test sheet) and print the message as a separate document. For a handwritten note, leave the back blank.
Printing at a copy shop or photo printer
- Choose Save as PDF in the print dialog: you get one PDF with every certificate, at the right size and with sharp text.
- Ask for the paper size and weight you want (for example “A4, 250 gsm, matte, single-sided”) and for printing at 100% with no scaling.
- The designs have no bleed, so no trimming is needed. Say so, to avoid the shop cutting off the border.
- Ask for one proof before the full run. Colours on paper are usually a little darker than on screen.
- Photo printing services expect photo sizes, not A4 or Letter. Use a document or copy service instead.
Frames and folders
A4 certificates fit A4 frames and certificate folders; US Letter certificates fit 8.5 × 11 in frames. With a mat (mount), choose a frame one size up so the border stays visible.
Need wording or a list of names first? See certificate wording examples, the end-of-year awards list or all certificate templates.