Cursive for Certificates

Certificates and awards use script for the recipient's name and a serif for the rest. The name generator opens here so a whole list of names can be rendered one after another in the same face and size, and the print profile sets exports to 300 DPI. For a batch, render each name one after another from the same list; the link in the address bar keeps the face and size between names.

Faces and sizes

Allura and Great Vibes are the standard certificate scripts; Petit Formal Script keeps its manners at small sizes; Pinyon Script adds Copperplate flourish for a formal award. Keep the name at 30 point or larger so the joins and loops stay clean on textured card, and export a transparent PNG to drop into the certificate template, or SVG if the template is vector.

Classroom awards

For classroom awards, the teachers page covers batch generation and the worksheet generator's header fields.

Layout

Layout conventions are worth following: the recipient's name is the largest element after the title, centred, with a rule or a generous margin beneath it; the achievement and the date sit in a plain face; signatures go bottom left and bottom right. Set the name at 30 to 40 points on a US Letter certificate so the joins stay clean on textured card, and export at 300 DPI or as SVG.

A stack of certificates

For a stack of certificates, keep the template fixed and generate only the names. Set the face and size once, then paste each name from the list and download a transparent PNG or SVG for it; the settings stay in the address bar between names, so every file comes out in the same face and size. Either way, check the longest name on the list first, since a long surname in a wide script decides the size for the whole set.

Signatures

Certificates are a place where a real signature matters: the signature line should be signed by hand, and the disclaimer on the signature pages applies to any generated signature image.