How to Choose a Novelty Degree or Diploma: 6 Checks

26
FEB

How to Choose a Novelty Degree or Diploma: 6 Checks

Choosing a novelty degree or diploma comes down to six questions you can check before you pay: where the design comes from, whether you see a proof, what the paper, seal and signature options are, how long production takes, how it is delivered, and what the guarantee actually says. Every one of them is answered on the Perfect Match Diploma page, so you can run the checks against it as you read.

Six checks before you order

1. Where does the design come from?

A replica is only as good as the layout it starts from. A made-to-order replica is built from the school's real design — exact wording, fonts, spacing, leading and kerning, with your personal information embedded — drawn from a library of thousands of college and university designs; if a school is not on file, the maker finds it. A ready-made design is the other route: the Standard In-House Template Samples are a little less individualized, with some limitations in matching specific original diploma features, but offer a more affordable option with a variety of designs based on real diplomas. Ask which of the two you are being sold, and ask to see samples: for any associate, bachelor's, master's or doctorate diploma you can request a few digital samples before you order.

2. Do you see a proof before anything is printed?

The single most useful check. A maker who sends a free digital proof, and makes changes at the proof stage free, is showing you the finished layout before paper is used. If a seller goes straight from order to shipment, you have no chance to catch a misspelled name or the wrong graduation date.

3. What are the paper, seal and signature options?

Look for the options to be listed, not implied. On the Perfect Match Diploma the seal is color, gold-foil or embossed; signatures are printed with made-up in-house signatures or left blank for you to sign; the size is 8.5×11, 11×14 or A4; and the diploma is printed on diploma-quality paper. A seller that cannot tell you the seal finish or the page size has not thought about the document.

4. How long does production take?

Standard production is 3 business days, and rush production — chosen on the order form — has the proof ready in 1 business day. Business days only: a rush order placed on Friday is ready on Monday. Any promise faster than that for a school-specific layout deserves a question.

5. How is it delivered?

Two routes: a printed diploma shipped by UPS, or a PDF if you chose digital delivery. For a printed diploma the cart shows your shipping options and a UPS quote for your address before you pay, so the delivery cost is never a surprise after checkout.

6. What does the guarantee actually say?

Read the sentence, not the badge. The guarantee on the Perfect Match Diploma is this: "Your satisfaction is our guarantee. If you're not happy with your document, we'll revise it until you are." That is a rework promise on the document itself — the only kind of guarantee a novelty item can honestly carry.

What you enter when you order

A school-specific layout needs specific inputs. On the Perfect Match order form you enter the school's full name, the complete degree title (for example, Bachelor of Arts), your name as it should appear, your major and your graduation date; the honors line, size, seal finish and signature option are chosen on the same form. If a maker asks for less than that, it cannot be laying out the school's own design — there is nothing to lay it out from.

Transcripts and packages

If the diploma is going into a frame with a transcript beside it, check whether the maker offers the pair. Matching replica college transcripts can be added to a Perfect Match Diploma, or ordered as a diploma and transcript package: associate USD 289, bachelor's USD 299, master's USD 324, doctorate USD 349, with transcripts on their own at USD 109 to 190 by level.

What a novelty diploma is — and is not

Is this a real diploma? No. It is a novelty replica for display, gifts and props; the maker is not affiliated with any institution and does not make documents intended for misrepresentation. The same page lists what is not made at all — medical, aviation and maritime degrees — in Things We Can't Do. A seller with no such page, or one that advertises "verification", is a warning sign — the Federal Trade Commission's guidance on degree scams is in the Sources below.

Two guides sit beside this one: how to find a reliable diploma maker applies the same checks to the seller rather than the document, and replica vs original diploma explains what separates the finished replica from the school's own copy. To see the seven elements a convincing college diploma has to carry before you compare samples, read what a college diploma looks like.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see a sample before I order?

Yes. For any associate, bachelor's, master's or doctorate diploma you can request a few digital samples before you order — contact the maker with the school name.