Diploma Frame: The Perfect Design in 5 Steps!

Shout out to the grads, whether you are graduating from pre-K or just finished graduate school. We would like to congratulate you on all your accomplishments. (It’s Diploma Frame time!) It is a great achievement and one you should be very proud of! Enjoy the pomp and circumstance of this momentous occasion in many of the customary ways — by walking down the aisle, being handed your diploma, and having a celebratory party — you can commemorate your accomplishments by designing a custom frame to display your diploma to remind you of this special achievement for years to come.

Here we will show you how to frame a diploma in four easy steps with our Frame Designer. You can create a beautiful, custom frame within minutes that will not only attractively display your diploma but will also protect it from damage. You worked for years to earn it; you’ll want to preserve it for years to come! Hopefully, it won’t end up at the bottom of your closet or added to a sub-par frame (because even if you frame it and it’s not done correctly it can suffer from exposure to UV rays, moisture, and heat). And while many schools offer pre-designed diploma frames for sale, with Frame It Easy you can get the quality frame you want — and save some money too!

As we always say, the best part of designing a custom frame is that you get to choose what you like, so there really is no right or wrong frame design! However, if you want or need some help, we have a few tips that can help you along the process from start to finish.  As long as you have measured your diploma correctly you will end up with the perfect frame.

Here we have some tips to help you design the best custom diploma frame!

1. Use Your School Colors

Most of the time your school color(s) will be displayed in some aspect of your diploma, so use that color (or colors) to guide you in your design process. You can do this by using color in your matboard, either with a large single matboard or with just a hint of color in the second smaller matting. Alternatively, we offer frames in blue, red, and green that you can use to coordinate if that happens to be your school’s color. (If you happen to have attended Sweet Briar College, we even have a hot pink picture frame option!) In the event your school’s color is not incorporated into your diploma, you can still include it in the matting or frame to add a pop of color and show your school spirit. You could even hang your tassel on the side for decoration!

2. Go The Classic Route

For a simple, classic look, you can’t go wrong with using black and white in an endless combination of ways. A black frame with a thicker white mat and a small black inner mat. That same frame with a single thick black mat. Gold or silver frames in either wood or metal with a white or black mat. It’s a great look to showcase your diploma in a straightforward, professional way.

One of the great tools we have on our site is that not only can you experiment with all the combinations of frames and matting we offer, but you also get to instantly see what your finished frame will look like. You can also “save” your designs and then compare them to be sure make the right choice before you hit the “order” button.

3. Keep It Neat

If you want to keep it really simple, don’t add any matboard at all. This will give your framed diploma a plaque-like look but still give it the protection it needs. Our Derby frame in Hazel or Dayton frame in Umber may be just the look you’re going for. Our covers are made of acrylic and come in both clear or non-glare and provide impact resistance and UV protection while enhancing the clarity of your diploma. 

Not only will this choice make your diploma uniquely stand out on your wall, but it may also allow you to display it in an area where space is limited. Just remember that our frames automatically cover ¼” of your framed piece, so be sure to consider that when measuring. 

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4. Frame Something Other Than A Diploma

We know this school year may not have ended the way you had hoped it would. Your time may have been cut short at school, but you still have plenty of wonderful memories to remember your time. Consider framing things such as awards, report cards, or even your senior pictures. You could even create a beautiful display of your friend group or sports team throughout the years. There are so many things you can frame to remember your amazing time at school and commemorate the wonderful things you did. (Check out these 45 Grad Picture Poses and give some a try!)

5. Use Quality Materials

We’ve already mentioned the importance of preserving your diploma for years to come as well as how our covers help do just that. Rest assured that every other component of our frames is made using state-of-the-art equipment and premium materials that work together to keep your diploma safe. Our wood and metal picture frames are made to resist bowing and corrosion. More importantly, the materials that come into contact with your diploma are of the highest quality. Our matting is alkaline buffered and our foamcore backing is acid-free which helps to slow not only its aging process but your diploma’s as well. 

Final Thoughts On Your Diploma Frame

Your diploma is a keepsake that will remind you not only of the memories you created during your schooling and the accomplishments you have made but also that you will forever be a part of your graduating class. We hope we’ve given you some ideas about some of our favorite ways to design a frame for your diploma. We hope you will choose one for your own, or you may decide to go a different route and design something completely different. After all, your graduation year is unique, so maybe your diploma frame should be, too!