Design Considerations for
Diplomas on Demand®
Thank you for considering Diplomas on Demand® . While it is a simple program to use, selecting the best paper stock, deciding whether to upgrade the appearance of your diploma and collecting authorizing signatures are important steps that insure a successful experience and enjoyment of the full range of its desktop capabilities.
The diploma is a symbolic recognition of academic achievement. It is also one of the last impressions graduates and parents will have of your institution before becoming prospective long-term contributors. Therefore, decisions made concerning change should be carefully weighed. First of all, don't rush aesthetic decisions. Adequate time should be budgeted to familiarize yourself with the software while carefully exploring design options involving paper selection and the foil colors for the diploma. We want the Diplomas on Demand® program to provide many years of satisfaction, so please take time to talk with us about the options suggested below.
Securing Signatures for the Diploma:
To insure that the signatures on the diploma appear clear and crisp, we provide a special blue-line signature paper for each signatory. These forms provide the signatory with specific instructions and limits: a box enclosure and a signatory blue line that does not interfere with electronic scanning. Signatures beyond these limitations will add additional programming time and expense to your program.
ALWAYS
USE THESE FORMS
TO SECURE AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES.
Selecting Diploma Paper Stock: Weight
and Color Tone
Creating a desktop diploma that matches or exceeds your current aesthetic expectations is mandatory. An inexpensive diploma that improves customer service options but looks cheap is not an acceptable alternative. Decisions concerning paper selection, seal color and embossment are critical.
Because the paper selected must be compatible with your laser printer, heavier weight papers may not be practical. Some papers, such as 65-pound cover, may be too heavy to be manipulated by the laser printer's automatic feeding tray. You may not be able to overcome this obstacle and will find it necessary to use the printer's manual paper feeding option. As a rule, this option will increase diploma production time. If you are able to feed the heavier weight paper, the laser printer settings must be adjusted. This adjustment changes the heating temperature and permits the toner to be properly fused to the heavier paper. It is a good idea to test the paper before making a final selection.
As a rule, 80-100 pound text weight papers work with most automatic feeding systems and toner fuses to the paper without additional printer adjustments. Flimsy or lightweight papers should be avoided because they look and feel cheap. If you have doubts, you should test the paper before making your final selection.
Paper selection should also be made with an eye toward the color tones of your seal. Generally, it is desirable to achieve maximum visual contrast between the paper and the foil colors selected for the seal. For example, gold foil should not be paired with dark ivory tone papers. Off-white ivory or soft-white papers will highlight a gold seal and provides suitable contrast.
SCRIP-SAFE® maintains a number of different papers for your selection. Custom papers, while more expensive, may be ordered from the paper mill.
Selecting Foil Colors:
Obstacles first! Only one major obstacle. Many foil colors are not heat resistant, which means that not all colors are compatible for laser printing. Laser printing involves both heat and pressure, which is why thermography, at this time, is not a viable alternative to the use of heat resistant foils. By providing us with two samples of your diploma we can provide compatible foil color options. Our foils are color-coded and sample swatches are available.
Generally, foil colors are high gloss metallic or flat satin finish. This is an aesthetic decision that involves individual taste and preference. As a rule, the flat satin finishes are characterized by a deeper/richer color while the metallic finishes are characterized by higher reflectivity when subjected to different lighting conditions. It should be noted, however, that once the diploma is mounted and framed, reflectivity is less important. There is no price difference between these two foil options.
Two areas of the diploma require special attention: the appearance of the seal and the appearance of the header (name of the institution). Diploma designs are both aesthetic and cost issues There are inexpensive ways to create an attractive diploma while maintaining program flexibility. The following suggestions proceed from inexpensive to expensive and flexible to inflexible.
The Diplomas on Demand® software is designed to allow the printing of a variety of recognition documents in addition to diplomas. To do this with maximum flexibility and efficiency, you must allow the software to print the headers rather than have them preprinted. This option stresses the importance of the seal and how it is prepared.
Seal Design
You may have the seal foil stamped or foil embossed. A stamped seal is less expensive and may allow you to introduce a second color if you forgo having the seal embossed. Generally, only one color of a multicolored seal is actually embossed. It should be noted that when a diploma is mounted and framed there is no visual difference between a flat and an embossed seal. The conflict occurs because tradition seems to demand the "proper feel for a diploma," whatever that is! Ignore tradition at your peril.
Bottom line: when balancing between cost and design, improving the appearance of the seal by introducing a contrasting second color is an eye-appealing investment.
Header Design
Header design is more complicated and potentially more expensive. The Diplomas on Demand® software allows the printing of a straight-line header that is not arched. While an arched header is theoretically possible, it dramatically slows the printing process. Slow in this case may be 3-4 diplomas per minute rather than 10-15. Allowing the software to print the header permits the flexibility of using the software to print not only diplomas but also other recognition documents.
There are several options for creating a raised or multi-colored header. The header may be straight or arched and printed using a traditional black or another colored foil. In some cases, each of the lead-letters appear as a second color or are outlined in a second color. The entire header can be shadowed in the same or a different color. Regardless which option you select, the entire header can be embossed. Of course, there are always variations to fit special requirements.
Finally, a note about overall diploma design. Because the diploma recognizes individual academic achievement, the design of the document should focus attention on the name and degree of the graduate. This can be accomplished by using larger type or bold text for those items.
Please E-Mail or give us a call for more information and samples: Scrip-Safe.