Diploma Frames, College Diploma Frames & Graduation Frames

Academic diplomas are usually issued in 6x8, 7x9, 8.5x11, 11x14, or 11x17 inches. Professional certificates often come in 8.5x11 (letter) or 8x10 inches, though licensing boards and trade organizations sometimes use non-standard dimensions. Measure the decorative border or printed edge of your document and enter those dimensions. If the document has no border, measure the full paper size. Our system calculates the mat opening, mat border width, and final frame size automatically.

A well-framed document becomes a focal point in an office, study, or reception area. For a restrained professional look, choose a 1-inch flat or stepped profile in matte black or dark walnut with a single white or cream mat. For a more ceremonial presentation, a 2-inch gold or mahogany scoop profile with double matting in coordinating colors adds stature. Hanging hardware is pre-installed for both portrait and landscape orientation.

A diploma frame with graduation photo is the most-given graduation gift configuration because it captures both the credential and the moment in one display piece. The standard layout pairs the diploma opening with a 4x6, 5x7, or 8x10 portrait, typically the cap-and-gown professional shot or a candid from the ceremony. The photo can sit to the left, the right, or directly below the diploma depending on orientation and how much wall space the recipient has.

For families who want to include the tassel as well, a three-opening graduation collage frame puts the diploma, the portrait, and the tassel in one piece. Use our collage frame designer to set the openings, then let our shop cut the mat to match. Add an engraved nameplate with the graduate's name, degree, and conferral year to finish the presentation.

A graduation shadow box steps up from a flat diploma-with-photo frame whenever the graduate has dimensional keepsakes worth displaying: the cap and tassel, a class ring, an honor cord, a stole, a folded program from the ceremony, a NCAA championship pin, or a senior-trip patch. The combined depth pushes the project from a standard 1/2-inch picture frame into a 1.5- to 2-inch shadow box depth profile.

The most common graduation shadow box layout, and the most-asked-for graduation gift, is the cap and gown shadow box: the diploma matted in the center, the graduation cap mounted at a slight angle to one side, the tassel draped diagonally with the year charm hanging free, and an engraved brass nameplate at the bottom listing the graduate's name, degree, school, and conferral year. A 16x20 or 18x24 frame in a deep walnut or matte black profile gives every element room to read. For graduates who also have a class photo or a ceremony portrait, a multi-opening mat adds a 5x7 or 8x10 photo cutout alongside the diploma.

For families building one for an upcoming graduation, the simplest assembly pattern: choose a 2-inch deep shadow box from the deep shadow box gateway, pick a mat color that matches school colors (we stock 45+ colors including most school primary palettes), upload the diploma scan to preview the layout, then add the cap and tassel at home using small T-pins through the mat board into the foam backing. Don't glue the cap. Pinning preserves the cap intact in case the graduate ever wants to wear it again or reuse it. Most graduation shadow boxes sit at the 14x18 to 20x24 range depending on cap size and tassel drape.

Other popular graduation shadow box ideas: medical or nursing school graduates often combine the diploma with stethoscope and ID badge; military academy graduates add the ribbon rack and unit pin (configure in the military shadow box designer); law school graduates pair the diploma with the bar admission certificate.