Certificates of appreciation are great for rewarding achievement in your organization or thanking a guest speaker. They are not difficult to make thanks to templates found in word processing programs. Be sure to take a few extra minutes to add a personal touch to let people know you really care.
Instructions
1. Take a second to list the info you want on the certificate. Doing so reduces the possibility of forgetting a key piece of information. This simple step is also helpful if you are printing several certificates for different people. If you are particularly computer savvy you can input the information into a database file like Excel and use it to populate multiple certificate templates.
2. Sketching a thumbnail will give you a visual goal to pursue for the rest of the process. You will determine the information you want to include and how it is to be laid out on the page. Also, don't be afraid to be artistic and design backgrounds and boarders. Later, you can choose the template that comes closest to your sketch.
3. Programs like Microsoft Word have certificate templates. There are also websites on the Internet that house large collections of templates. Browse and see which ones you like so you don't have to keep reinventing the wheel.
4. This step is pretty simple. Just insert the recipient's information into the template. You might also be able to make adjustments to the layout and color. Play around with these functions. You might come up with something better than the original template.
5. Pick your paper carefully. There's just something about the feel of a nice quality piece of paper. It lends a kind of authority to your award. The important characteristic here is the weight or the paper. Paper weight is the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of a given type of paper. Most basic printer papers (letter-sized) have weight of 20 lbs. For certificates and resumes, look for 32 lbs.
You should also double check your printer setting and make sure that it is set to the highest quality possible. Most printers have a default "Economy" setting. This is okay when your priority is saving ink and printing pages as fast as possible, but in this case you want to have the nicest colors and the sharpest text.
6. Presentation matters as well. Make sure you store the certificates carefully to avoid tears and dog-eared corners. It is beast to present to the award in a heavy folder so the recipient can transport it safely.
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