Can you Print Your Diploma Yourself?

Print your diploma

You can print a diploma at home, and people do it every day to replace a copy that was lost, damaged, or left behind in a move. What a home printer cannot produce is the official document. An official replacement diploma comes from the school that issued it or from the records service that school uses, and that is the copy a registrar, a licensing board, or a background screener will trace.

Most institutions treat the transcript as the record of a degree and the diploma as a ceremonial item. Houston Independent School District states the position plainly for its graduates: “a diploma is not considered an official document” and diplomas “are considered commemorative items, whose function is primarily ceremonial.” The University of California, Berkeley tells international graduates that “The United States considers the transcript the official record.” Employers and screeners usually skip paper entirely and query the National Student Clearinghouse, which covers 96 percent of U.S. four-year postsecondary degrees and 97 percent of currently enrolled postsecondary students.

So a printed diploma has one honest use: display. This guide covers how to order the official copy, how digital diplomas and diploma PDFs work, what paper and printer settings produce a decent keepsake, and how to print one step by step. For the routes to a school issued document, see the guide to replacing diplomas and transcripts.

When home printing is and is not a good idea

Before you load the printer, think about where the sheet will end up. A copy that hangs in a hallway is a different object from a copy that someone else is meant to act on.

Home printing is usually fine if you:

  • Want a copy to hang on a wall at home or in an office
  • Want matching copies for family members who helped along the way
  • Lost the original and already have an official transcript for verification
  • Need something to display until the official replacement arrives
  • Are making a novelty version for a party or a celebration

Home printing is a bad idea if you:

  • Never finished the program or earned the credential
  • Plan to show the printed sheet to an employer or a licensing board as evidence of a qualification
  • Are applying to a college, a graduate school, or a professional program that requires official documents
  • Need a document for immigration, a government form, or a background check

In those situations the school issued record is the only thing that works, and using a substitute to claim the credential can be a crime. Texas Penal Code 32.52 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to use or claim a postsecondary degree the person knows is fictitious or was never granted, when the claim is made in a business advertisement or with intent to obtain employment, a license, a promotion, admission to an educational program, or a position in government. Washington RCW 9A.60.070 makes knowingly using a false academic credential a gross misdemeanor, and granting or awarding one a class C felony. ValidGrad covers the consequences in lying about graduating high school.

How to get an official copy of your diploma

The office that issued the original issues the replacement. Nothing else in the process changes that, and no national database prints diplomas on request.

For a high school diploma, that office is the school or the district it belongs to. The Texas Education Agency answers the question in one line: if you graduated from a Texas high school, “contact the school district from which you graduated to request your diploma and transcript.” Houston Independent School District adds the local step, where “a graduate who wishes to obtain a replacement copy of their high-school diploma must first obtain a copy of their transcript and present it to the registrar at their individual high school.” Most Houston high schools “charge a fee between $30 and $35” and “require 6-8 weeks to process the request.” Dallas Independent School District turns transcripts around in “2-3 business days” through its online request system, while “Diploma replacements may take 4-6 weeks.” If the school has closed, records move to the district, the state agency, or a successor institution, a route covered in getting a diploma from a closed school.

For a college or university diploma, the registrar handles reissues. Fees and waits vary widely between campuses, so check the registrar page for the school that granted the degree before you budget either.

SchoolReplacement diploma feeStated turnaround
Temple University$20.00 including standard shipping4 to 6 weeks after the order
University of South Carolina$25.00 plus shippingPrinted and mailed within 5 to 7 business days
Penn State$40.00 per undergraduate or graduate diplomaMailed about two weeks after receipt
University of Wisconsin, Madison$60Up to six weeks
University of California, Berkeley$60 for general diplomasTypically 45 to 60 days

A reissued diploma is rarely a photocopy of the first one. Temple warns that “the signatures appearing on the diploma will be those of current University officials,” so the names under the seal may belong to people who arrived long after you left. Diploma sizes also differ by campus, which matters if you are buying a frame: Penn State prints associate, bachelor, master’s, and doctoral diplomas at “8 1/2 in. x 11 in.,” while the University of Wisconsin, Madison prints all diplomas on “8- by 10-inch paper.”

If the name on the original no longer matches your legal name, handle that with the registrar at the same time, as described in changing the name on a diploma. For the request itself, ValidGrad has a walkthrough for a diploma copy request and a summary of replacement diploma wait times.

Digital diplomas and diploma PDF files

Many schools now issue a certified electronic diploma alongside the paper one, which is often the fastest way to get a copy of a diploma online. Berkeley describes its certified electronic diploma as “An official, secure, and verifiable PDF version of your accomplishment,” available “at no additional cost” and downloadable “at the same time that traditional paper diplomas are mailed (typically 4 months after the end of term).” Each file carries “a unique 12-digit Certified Electronic Document Identifier (CeDiD)” that a verifier can check online.

One detail surprises people who download that file and head for the printer. Berkeley states that for security reasons “the electronic credential cannot be printed.” The PDF is built to be forwarded and validated by its identifier, so a paper version of it carries none of the signals that make it trustworthy.

High schools use similar services. Parchment sells districts a diploma product with “Digital and print issuing” and “Immediate online access for students,” and its profile lets graduates “order (and re-order) official credentials, track their order status, and share on social media.” If your school or district uses one of these vendors, the digital copy usually costs nothing while a reprint of the paper diploma still carries the district fee. ValidGrad covers the formats in more depth in digital diplomas and PDF diplomas.

Paper and printer settings for a printed copy

Diplomas are printed on heavy specialty stock, most often a parchment style sheet, a cotton or archival sheet, or a cover weight card. Neenah lists its Astroparche line at “60 lb. Text; 65 lb. Cover” with a vellum finish and names “announcements, certificates, diplomas, menus, posters” as its uses. The full comparison of stocks, colors, and finishes lives in the guide to what paper diplomas are printed on.

The limit on a home print is usually the printer, not the paper. Brother lists supported thick paper at “28 to 43 lb or 105g/m2 to 163g/m2” through the multipurpose tray only, and states that cardstock “over 43lb” is not supported at all. Epson rates the WF-C8690 for thick paper from 25 to 68 lb, or 91 to 256 g/m2, but only ten sheets at a time in the rear feed slot, with double sided printing unavailable on the heaviest stock. Compare in grams per square meter when you shop, because cover pounds, text pounds, and bond pounds are three different scales and a 65 lb cover sheet is heavier than a 43 lb bond sheet.

Size is worth checking before you buy either paper or a frame. Penn State prints most diplomas at 8.5 by 11 inches and the University of Wisconsin, Madison uses 8 by 10 inches, so there is no single standard to copy.

How to print a diploma at home step by step

Treat it as a small design and print job. Rushing it on thin copy paper produces something that looks like a rushed job on thin copy paper.

Step 1: Gather your information

Collect the exact school name, your name as it should appear, the degree or program, and the conferral date. A transcript is the reliable place to read those details off.

Step 2: Choose or create a layout

Set the school name across the top, a centered statement of the award in the middle, then the name, the date, and space for signatures and a seal. Penn State notes that its diplomas carry “the official University Seal, as well as the signatures” of university officers, which is the arrangement most templates imitate.

Step 3: Set the right size and resolution

Build the document at the finished size, and place any artwork at 300 dots per inch so hairlines and seal detail survive the print.

Step 4: Pick fonts that read as formal

Most diplomas mix two faces. A traditional or calligraphic face carries the school name and the award, and a plain serif sets the body text.

Step 5: Load specialty paper into your printer

Feed heavy stock through the tray the manufacturer names for it, usually the multipurpose or rear slot. Load a small stack, check that the printable side faces the right way, and snug the guides so the sheet feeds straight.

Step 6: Adjust printer settings

Choose the best quality setting and select the media type that matches the stock, such as thick paper, cardstock, or specialty. The driver uses that choice to slow the sheet down and lay ink or toner more evenly.

Step 7: Do a test print on regular paper

Print once on plain paper and check spelling, spacing, and margins against the real sheet size. Specialty stock is expensive enough that one proof pays for itself.

Step 8: Print the final copy and let it dry

Print the final sheet and leave it flat until the ink sets. Heavy coverage on coated or cotton stock stays wet longer than a plain page, and a thumbprint at this stage is permanent.

Step 9: Add a frame or holder

Frame the sheet or slide it into a diploma cover. The National Archives advises keeping paper below 75 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity below 65 percent, and using enclosures “made of board or folder stock that is lignin-free and acid-free or buffered.” The same advice applies to the original once the printed copy takes its place on the wall, as covered in framing and displaying a college diploma.

Home printing vs professional diploma printing

A print shop is the other option, and the trade is cost against finish.

Home printing

  • In its favor, it is fast and cheap, and a mistake costs one sheet
  • Against it, the paper weight your machine accepts is capped, foil and embossing are out of reach, and the result depends on the printer and the ink

Professional diploma printing

  • In its favor, heavier stock, sharper type, gold foil, embossed seals, and larger sizes are all available
  • Against it, the cost is higher, the wait is longer, and the result is still a display copy unless the school itself ordered it

Either way, the printed sheet is decoration and the school issued record answers questions. Keep the transcript request ready for the moments that call for it, as explained in high school diploma verification.

Common questions about printing a diploma

Can you get a copy of a high school diploma online for free?

A free paper copy is rare, because districts charge for the reprint. Most Houston high schools charge “between $30 and $35,” and the Texas Education Agency points graduates back to the district that issued the diploma. What can be free is the digital version. Berkeley supplies its certified electronic diploma “at no additional cost,” and Parchment tells districts that digital issuing rides along with the transcript service. Start by asking the school whether it issues an electronic diploma before paying for a reprint. ValidGrad walks through the online search in finding a high school diploma online.

Is a photocopy of a diploma acceptable?

For a personnel file or a scholarship packet, a photocopy is often accepted as a courtesy. For anything checked, it carries no weight, since the verifier goes to the Clearinghouse or the registrar for an answer. A photocopy of a ceremonial document is still a ceremonial document.

What size is a college diploma?

It depends on the campus. Penn State lists 8.5 by 11 inches for associate through doctoral diplomas, and 14 by 17 inches for medical diplomas, while the University of Wisconsin, Madison prints on 8 by 10 inch paper. Measure the original or ask the registrar before ordering paper or a frame.

Can you print a digital diploma PDF at home?

Often not. Berkeley states that its certified electronic diploma “cannot be printed” for security reasons. Send the file or its 12-digit identifier instead, which is what the receiving office can actually validate.

How long does a replacement diploma take?

Anywhere from about a week to two months. The University of South Carolina prints and mails within 5 to 7 business days, Penn State mails about two weeks after receipt, Berkeley quotes 45 to 60 days, and Houston high schools ask for 6 to 8 weeks. Order early if a deadline is attached.

How ValidGrad can help with diploma printing

ValidGrad’s diploma maker produces replica diplomas on heavy stock for people who want a display copy without designing and printing one themselves. A replica is a novelty item for a wall or a shelf. It is not an official document, it cannot be used to claim a credential, and it must never be sent in answer to a verification request. The terms of service set out what is allowed, and school issued records remain the documents that answer for your education.

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