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Certificate templates
Certificates really are the gifts that keep on giving. Put together a frame-worthy design using Shutterstock’s gift and award certificate templates.
How to make a certificate
1. Click a template or blank canvas you like, from the gallery above, and it'll appear in the Create editor.
2. Time to customize: change out the photos and graphics, if you like — add your own or choose a free image from our massive library.
3. Change the text and add text effects like drop shadows, outlines, or colors. You won't find text tools this good anywhere else.
4. Download your design. It's yours, free, forever. Whatcha gonna make next, design pro?
Free tools and templates for awesome certificates
We all have people in our lives who are total rockstars, so show how much you appreciate them by making them a frame-worthy certificate. Shutterstock's free certificate templates make designing gift or award certificates a snap with beginner-friendly design tools like paper textures and beautiful script fonts..
Beautiful visual assets and creative intelligence
Make the most of your designs and feel confident in your creative direction, with Shutterstock Predict. AI discovers which images work best for your goals. Creative insights explain why they work.
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Frequently asked questions about certificates
Open a gift certificate template or a blank document in Create, then upload any relevant graphics you’d like to add to the design. For example, this could be your brand logo or an illustration that pertains to your business. Whether you’re working in a blank document or a template you can change the color palette as many times as you want until you find the perfect combination. Be sure to leave space for your business info and the perks or prizes that the gift certificate awards. Once you’re happy with the design, export to print or share via email and/or social media.
Start designing your award certificate by opening a blank document or free certificate template in Create. Upload any images or graphics you want to add, such as your brand logo or your signature. If you’re using a template you can leave the colors as-is, or you can tweak them to match your branding or another color palette entirely. Include a line or two of copy explaining what award the certificate is for as well as who the recipient is (the latter can be a blank line for you to handwrite a name on later). When you finish adding and moving elements and you’re satisfied with the color scheme, export to print or share digitally.
If you’re printing your certificate at home, just download from the Create editor as a JPG or PNG (Pro subscribers can also download as a PDF). Open the downloaded certificate and go to “File” at the top of the screen. Select print—it’s as easy as that. If you want to dial it up a notch, most office supply stores will carry foiled and embossed certificate paper for you to print on. If you need to print certificates in large quantities, these same office supply stores can often accept print orders, as can commercial printers and some mail services.