Certificate backgrounds and blank templates
Full-page backgrounds with a border, a soft colour field and a faint rosette watermark: blank certificate templates ready for your own text in Word, Google Docs, Canva, or by hand.
Downloads are 3300 × 2550 px (US Letter at 300 DPI). Free for personal, school and commercial use.
Getting a clean result from a blank template
- Pick the paper size you will print on (Letter in the US and Canada, A4 almost everywhere else).
- Set document margins to zero and place the background behind the text.
- Use at most two typefaces: a display face for the title and name, a readable serif or sans for the rest. The certificate fonts guide has tested pairings.
- Keep all text inside the inner rule of the border, with at least half an inch (13 mm) of clear space.
Rather skip the layout work? The certificate maker positions and sizes everything for you.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a certificate background and a border?
A border is only the frame. A background fills the whole page, here with a soft tinted field and a faint guilloché watermark, so text placed on top looks finished even without ornament.
How do I use a blank certificate template in Word or Google Docs?
Download the PNG, insert it as an image, set text wrapping to "Behind text" (Word) or "Behind text" in the image options (Docs), stretch it to the page edges and type over it. Set page margins to zero first.
Can I print a blank certificate and fill it in by hand?
Yes. Download the PDF and print on cardstock. Leave room in the middle for a hand-lettered name, which many schools prefer for a personal touch.