Certificate printing checklist

The steps for printing a PrintHonor certificate, from the How to print page, one per box to tick off while a print job is set up. Use the button to print this page.

Print this checklist

1. Step 1 — Pick a template

   Browse by award theme, visual style, or grade level until you find a template whose tone fits the recognition. Open the certificate page and review the on-page preview to make sure the layout matches what you have in mind.

2. Step 2 — Personalize

   Add the student's full name as it should appear, the date of the award, the issuing teacher or classroom, and a short personalized message. Specific praise — pointing to a particular behavior, score, or moment — is dramatically more memorable than generic phrasing, so it's worth taking ten extra seconds to write something concrete.

   Personalization tips — Add the student's full name exactly as they prefer to see it. Include the date of the award and the name of the issuing teacher, classroom, or school. The short message line is most powerful when it points to a specific behavior, score, or moment rather than a generic phrase, because specific praise is what students actually remember. If the certificate is being mailed home, consider tucking it inside a folder so it arrives flat and undamaged.

3. Step 3 — Choose your paper

   

   Standard 24 lb. white printer paper is fine for everyday classroom recognition. For end-of-year ceremonies, end-of-semester awards, and certificates that families are likely to frame, upgrade to 32 lb. paper or to a 60-80 lb. cardstock that holds up to handling. Cream-colored stock pairs particularly well with our classic border, vintage, and elegant script styles.

4. Step 4 — Set up the print job

   In your browser's print dialog, set the paper size to Letter (or A4 if you're outside the US), the orientation to Landscape for most templates (Portrait for a few), and the scale to 100%. Turn off "headers and footers" so the URL and date don't appear at the top of the page. Print a single test copy first.

5. Step 5 — Verify and print the batch

   Hold the test print up to the light and check that the recipient name, date, and message all read cleanly. Confirm the certificate's borders are not getting clipped at the edges. Once the test looks right, print as many copies as you need. We recommend printing a few extra blanks and storing them in a folder for spontaneous recognition moments.

Each step heading and its text are the ones on the How to Print page of this site; the personalizing notes are the ones on the certificate pages. Printing uses your own browser dialog.