20 Best Word Certificate Template Designs to Award Achievement in 2021

Are you looking for the right certificate template doc to recognise participants' successful course completion?

Certificates of achievement templates in Word are cost effective and easy to use. They'll also save you tons of time and help you create polished certificates and awards over and over.  

Don't worry. You don't have to spend your precious time searching the internet to find excellence award certificate templates in Word. We've done the searching for you. We've selected the best Word certificate template designs to be found at Envato Elements. Plus, we've added the nicest Word award certificate templates for single purchase in GraphicRiver just for you.

Best Source for Word Certificate Template Designs for 2021 (With Unlimited Use)

When it comes to eye-catching MS Word certificate templates, the advantages of using Envato Elements are hard to beat. 

• It offers tons of excellence award certificate templates for Word. 
• Once you buy a template you can customise it extensively to fit your needs. 
• Continue to tweak your customizations to adapt your template for different occasions.

You may be tempted by free certificate of completion templates for Word you find online. But remember, you get what you pay for. The certificate of completion templates you find for free download for Word typically don't have as much to offer. 

The certificate of appreciation templates for Word docs at Envato will save you time. Download as many as you like for one low price. That means they save you money as well. 

5 Best Word Certificate Template Designs (From Envato Elements - For 2021) 

Let's take a closer look at some of the outstanding certificate of achievement templates for Word. These are among the most popular on Envato Elements:

1. Modern Certificate - Clean & Minimal

With its clean and minimal design, Modern Certificate is the epitome of elegance. This award certificate template for Word and other formats can be used in either portrait or landscape mode as shown in the image above. You won't see this level of design in free certificates of completion for Word.

This certificate template doc uses a standard A4 and a US letter size with a .25-inch bleed area. The template is easy to customise and can be used for an award, a certificate of achievement or completion.

2. Certificate / Diploma Template

This gorgeous template is easily customised to suit your brand. Just change certificate of completion template for Word to fit the occasion, add the name and any details you want included. You can also edit the colours and fonts. Most certificates of completion templates for free download for Word lack the design features you find here.

The US letter size certificate template doc comes with a help file. So, if you get stuck you can figure out where you went wrong and how to course correct. 

3. Certificate / Diploma Template Pro

This certificate template for Word combines lots of negative space with intricate geometric shapes in bright and cheerful colours. A stylish temple that would work equally well for a corporate event as it would for a creative event. 

Customise the US letter sized certificate of appreciation template for Word docs in various ways to accommodate different needs. There's a help file included, which is always handy. 

4. Simple Multipurpose Certificates

This award certificate template for Word is much more sober than the others here. With its hard lines and muted colours, the template is ideal for more formal businesses and events. Like the other templates here, the text of this award certificate template for Word can be customised. But unlike the other templates, you can't change the colours. So, it's a case of what you see is what you get.

5. Certificate With Warm Colours

In contrast to the certificate template doc above, this certificate of appreciation template for Word docs is made up of sensually curved lines and warm colour. Also, in contrast to the template above this template can be fully customised to create the right effect for your needs. Fully Layered and editable and better than any certificate template free download for Word.

Envato Elements (Design Without Limits)

Envato Elements' certificate of award templates for Word are professional, versatile and easy to use. With unlimited downloads, choose as many Word certificate templates as you want. 

That's the beauty of Envato Elements. One low monthly fee = unlimited access to not just certificate of completion templates for Word, but also thousands of premium digital assets. Explore logos, fonts, photos, business card templates and much more.

Just about now you're probably wondering, "What if I just want to buy one Word award certificate template?" 

Don't worry. Envato Elements is an excellent option. But if you're looking to buy just one certificate of appreciation template for Word, GraphicRiver may be a better option for you.

15 Best Word Certificate Template Designs on GraphicRiver (Buy One at a Time - 2021) 

GraphicRiver is another resource that offers a ton of excellence award certificate templates for Word. They can be purchased individually instead of as part of a monthly plan.

If you just need a one-off template and your budget is tight, GraphicRiver is a great option for high-quality award certificate templates for Word. Let's take a look at the 15 best Word certificate template designs to be found there.

1. Modern Certificate of Appreciation Template for Word

If you're planning a corporate event to recognise a valued employee, this certificate of appreciation template in Word is a perfect choice. The sleek design and colourful geometric shapes will impress the recipient. It'll convey the professional look you're going for.

Besides the certificate of appreciation template for Word doc, you also get Photoshop and Illustrator files. This helps in case you want to make changes to the graphic design elements.

2. Modern Certificate of Excellence

Check out the bold, striking design of this excellence award certificate template for Word. It's the kind of thing that John Doe or anyone else would be happy to put up on their wall. As with the Microsoft Word certificate template featured here, it's easy to customise the text just by typing over it in Word. Choose from six different colour schemes, which you could use either for variety or to denote different types of achievement.

3. Certificate Template for Word

Make someone feel truly valued by using this elegant certificate of appreciation template for Word docs. Its subtle use of colour makes the key elements stand out, including the recipient's name. It uses free fonts and comes in a print-ready format, with a "Read Me" file giving instructions on how to use the template.

4. Modern Certificate of Appreciation Word Doc

As you can see from these photos, this modern Word award certificate template will look great when framed and hung on a wall. Use it for your awards event, and make the winner feel truly proud. One nice feature, too, is that you can choose either a portrait or landscape design. This one is nicer than the free Word certificate templates out there.

5. Modern Certificate 05

This is a variation on the previous template. But you can see how the subtle changes in the certificate design in MS Word make a difference to the end result. This one feels much lighter with all that white space on the page. You could also use it to make a certificate of completion template in Word.

6. Clean & Simple Certificate - Traditional & Elegant

Now it's time for a traditional certificate. With its patterned border, seal, and flowing script font, this certificate design template for Word evokes the spirit of an earlier age. Download this classic Word award certificate template in either A4 or Letter size and edit the text as required!

7. Certificate of Achievement Template for Word

As for this award certificate template in Word, you'll be amazed by the 72 files you get with this one download. You get six colour options and a choice of vertical or horizontal composition. Edit the files in Word, Illustrator or Photoshop according to your preference.

8. The Certificate - Contemporary & Modern 

Although this certificate of completion template for Word was created by the same designer as the previous one, it's got a much more contemporary feel. The certificate template docs got a similar range of options, but only comes in a horizontal layout. You could use this one for a wide variety of corporate or personal events. 

9. Multipurpose Certificate - Flexible & Attractive

If you're looking for a certificate of completion template for Word, this monochrome design with subtle colour accents will do the trick. It's fully customizable and ready to print, and it comes with a help file detailing all its features. Choose between a light and dark version depending on the look you're going for. You won't find this many features in a certificate of completion template for free download for Word.

10. Certificate - Amazing Template for Word 

The name may be a little minimalist. But this certificate of appreciation template Word doc will catch the eye with its creative use of irregular shapes jutting in from opposite corners. The text and seal then reflect the same colour scheme, giving a cohesive look to the overall certificate. Choose from three different colour schemes in the certificate template doc, add your own text, and you're ready to go!

11. The Certificate - Creative & Fun

Here's another creative Microsoft Word certificate template. This one comes in either vertical or landscape mode and makes great use of colour and line in its design. If you're planning a corporate event and want to recognise certain key contributors, this is the way to do it. 

12. Certificate of Achievement Template for MS Word

Or why not try this certificate of achievement template for Word? Its design elements are simple, understand, and classic, with a border around the edge and a few decorative flourishes in the middle. In certificate design, sometimes less is more, so this minimalist template may strike just the right tone.

13. Certificate of Appreciation Template for Word

Want a certificate of appreciation template for Word doc? This template is right for you. It comes with eight different Word files, offering you a range of colour and layout options, and it's very easy to customise. There's also a full set of well-documented instructions just in case you need them. 

14. Certificate - With Colour Variations

Use this certificate of award template for Word at your next business event to pay special tribute to an employee or client. The certificate template doc comes with three colour variations and either portrait or landscape orientation. All you've got to do is open it up in Word and enter the text you want. Download it today and save yourself hours of work!

15. Clean Certificate Design Template for Word

Here's one last award certificate of achievement template for Word, and it's a great option. The vignette effect creates the impression of a spotlight on your award winner. You get four different colour styles to choose from. 

The certificate design template includes Word files and OpenOffice files. Use it to create an attention-grabbing certificate in a fraction of the time.

How to Customise your Certificate Template in Word

Once you’ve decided on which Microsoft Word certificate template, the next step is to customise it. Here are five different ways you can customise your template. For this tutorial, I’ll be using the Edward Clarkson Certificate from Envato Elements. 

1. How to Delete an Object

To delete an object, begin by selecting the object that you want to delete. Next, press the Delete button on your keyboard. This will get rid of any unwanted object.

2. Change the Font

To begin, highlight the text that you want to change the font. Next, click on the Home tab.

In the toolbar is the Font menu. Click on the arrow next to the Font menu. When you click on the arrow next to the Font menu, a menu of fonts drops down. Choose the font that you want for the text.

3. Add a New Text Box

Sometimes you need to add more text than what the template comes with. To add new text, you’ll need to add a new text box.

First, click on the Insert tab. Once you’ve clicked on the Insert tab, click the Text Box button in the toolbar. Next, click on your certificate where you want the text box to be.

After you click, draw your mouse in a diagonal line. Click inside the new text box then you can type in the text box to add new text.

4. Add Your Signature

To add your signature to your certificate template in Word, you’ll need to have an image of your signature.

To add your signature image, click on the Insert tab. Next, click on the Pictures button in the toolbar. When you click on this button, a menu drops down. Click on the right option for you, depending on where your image is located.

Once you’ve located the file to add, double click. The image appears on your template. You may need to adjust the size and location of your signature image.

5. Change the Background Colour

This template used in the tutorial has a layer that makes the background colour stay white no matter what colour you change the background to. You’ll need to get rid of that layer.

Start by clicking on an empty section. Next, drag the layer to the side so you can see whether the layer is selected. Then press Delete on your keyboard to get rid of that layer. Next, click on the Design tab. In the toolbar, you’ll see a Page Color button; click on that button.

When you click on the Page Color button, a colour menu drops down. Click on the colour that you want your background to become.

5 Quick Tips to Design Great Word Certificates in 2021

Now that you've seen some of our best MS Word certificate templates, you may wonder how to create a nice and professional certificate design in MS Word. Let me share with you some useful tips:

1. Choose the Right Colour Scheme

While there's no hard rule about this, it's always a good idea to pay attention to the colours you're using for your certificate design in MS Word. If you're doing certificates for your workplace, stick to sober colours like black, grey or dark blue. Or you can use your company's colours. 

If you need certificates for a less formal event, like a children's course or birthday, you can go for a different colour palette. For inspiration and guidance in how to choose colour schemes, Adobe's Color Wheel is a great resource.

2. Combine Fonts, But Be Careful

It's pretty common in certificates to use more than one font but be careful. Too many different fonts can kill the design. A good rule of thumb is to use three fonts at the most. 

Choose an accent font, like a handwritten or cursive for important words, and a sans-serif or serif for the rest of the text. Don't forget you can browse through our complete font library in Envato Elements and download as many as you need with your subscription. 

3. Don't Clutter the Certificate

When you're doing the certificate design in MS Word, it's very important to not overcrowd the layout. Instead of fitting as much information as possible, leave white space between words. This will make the certificate easier to read and look professional. 

4. Remember the Certificate Structure

And while this isn't a hard rule either, most of the certificates follow this simple structure. So, keep it in mind when you're editing your Microsoft Word certificate template:

• title (certificate of achievement)
• presentation line (this is awarded to…)
• recipient (name)
• from whom
• description (reason for award)
• date
• signature

5. Always Do a Spell Check!

Finally, perhaps the most important tip for certificate design in MS Word is to do a spell check. It may seem obvious, but often it's overlooked. Double check the recipient's name spelling and the rest of the text. Few things can be as disappointing as receiving an award certificate with your name spelled wrong.

Five Certificate Design Trends of 2021

If you aren’t sure what Microsoft Word certificate template to use, consider some of the latest design trends:

1. Minimal

Minimal designs have been on trend for a long time. Minimal award certificate templates in Word have a small amount of design and text. This is great if you want the focus to be on your text. Sometimes if there's too much text or design, it can be overwhelming to the audience.

2. Classic Certificate

Classic certificates have a design that's seen in most certificate template free downloads in Word. A classic design typically has a border with the text in the middle, and the certificate is in landscape format. When people think of a certificate, they're most likely thinking of this type of design.

3. Modern Certificate

Modern certificate design in MS word typically has modern design elements such as geometric shapes. This is a great choice if you want a modern and unique design that doesn’t look old-fashioned. Modern certificates also can have more than one colour.

4. Creative

If you’re looking for a Microsoft Word certificate template with a fun design, then try a creative template. Creative templates have different shapes as part of the design. The shapes are less geometric and more oddly shaped then the shapes you’d find in a modern template. These templates also have a lot of colours.

5. Portrait

Traditionally certificates are in landscape format. Instead, consider a MS Word certificate template in portrait format. This format will make your certificate stand out. This is a way to make your certificate look different from a standard certificate without adding a crazy design or text.

Discover More Great Microsoft Word Doc Templates

If you're interested in find out more about Word templates for creating resumes, business proposals and brochures, check out this selection of great articles.

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Where to Find the Best Microsoft Word Templates in 2021 (Envato Elements vs. GraphicRiver)

Both Envato Elements and GraphicRiver have popular Microsoft Word templates with high-quality designs. They've got the best that you can get in 2021.

But which is right for you, Envato Elements or GraphicRiver? Do they have different benefits? Let's take a look:

1. Benefits of Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a subscription service where you can get premium templates. When you become a subscriber, you get unlimited downloads for a low monthly fee, which is a great deal.

Envato Elements has high-quality Microsoft Word certificate templates. They also have fonts, stock images, and audio. You get unlimited downloads of all these digital assets.

2. Benefits of GraphicRiver

GraphicRiver is a digital marketplace where you can buy single-use graphics and other assets one at a time. On Envato Elements, every item is individually priced. This option is excellent if you need a single template or digital asset for a project.

What’s Right for You?

If you've got a job where you’ll need templates and other digital assets frequently, then an Envato Elements subscription is the right choice for you.<

But if you need a template for one project and won’t need a template or another digital asset, then GraphicRiver may be the right option for you.

Common Word Questions Answered (FAQ)

Next, I'll share with you some answers to the frequently asked questions about MS Word and Word templates:

1. What Can I Do Using MS Word?

Microsoft Word is one of the most popular software for a reason: its versatility. You can use it not only to type up simple documents, but for a variety of school, business and personal projects. Some of the things you can do are:

• letter
• report
• essay
• proposal
• brochure
• catalog 
• poster
• flyer
• resume
• invitation
• certificates

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2. How Can I Combine MS Documents?

MS Word comes with many useful features like a tracking changes function, real-time co-authoring and comparing and merging many documents. This makes collaboration way easier. Learn how to use it in this guide:

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  How to Compare and Merge Two Microsoft Word Documents
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3. How Do I Use MS Word Templates?

The best about our Word templates is that they're made by professional designers and they're fully customizable. Don't worry if it's your first time using a template. In this article you'll learn how to find and download one and how to edit every element of it to make your own professional document:

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4. Where Can I Find Free Word Certificate Templates?

Our Word award certificate templates are the most professional you can get. But it isn't always possible to invest in a premium certificate of completion template for Word. If you're looking for free Word certificate templates, Microsoft Office offers some nice certificate template for free download for Word.

5. Should I Choose MS Word or Google Docs?

If you're familiar with Google Suite, you know this alternative can be very convenient and easy to use. But what happens when we talk about word processors? 

MS Word and Google Docs have their own characteristics, and either could be best for you depending on what you're working on.

For example, if you’re doing simple documents with low-security content and you need to collaborate with others, then Google Docs is for you.

But, if your documents are extensive and have complex layouts and if collaboration isn’t your priority, then choose Microsoft Word.

Read all about this topic here:

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  Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs Compared (Which Is Better to Use in 2020?)
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Learn More About Microsoft Word

Whether you're an expert in MS Word or you just started navigating the world's most popular word processing software, there's always something to learn about it. 

Check this nice resources and our complete guide: Learn How to Use Microsoft Word (Beginner Tutorial Guide). Learn more in these tutorials:

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Choose Your Favourite Word Certificate Template Design Today

To find premium award certificate templates for Word, Envato Elements is an excellent place. Create a polished and professional certificate of achievement today. Their templates offer a variety of designs and are versatile and easy to use. A bonus is that if you regularly need font, icons, PowerPoint business templates and other business and design resources, Elements offers unlimited downloads for one low monthly fee. 

If you're looking to buy an individual template, GraphicRiver is an excellent alternative for high quality MS Word certificate templates. 

Head on over to either site today to choose your favourite certificate design template for Word. Start creating award certificates that'll make you proud. Plus, make your employees, coworkers, volunteers and students feel appreciated. 

Editorial Note: This post was originally published in October of 2019. It’s been updated with contributions from Maria Villanueva and Sarah Joy. Maria is a staff writer with Envato Tuts+. Sarah is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.