Diploma and certificate framing.
Best Framing frames diplomas, certificates, licenses and other documents in Costa Mesa, Orange County, with acid-free mats and UV-protective glazing chosen at the counter against the paper itself. Walk in with the document; no appointment required.
Why do diplomas fade and yellow?
Two things do most of the damage: acid and daylight. Acid in a mat or a backing board burns a brown line into the edge of the paper over a few years, and daylight fades ink and pigment slowly and unevenly. Both are decided by the parts of a frame you do not look at: the mat, the mounting and the glazing.
Acid-free mats and backing.
Our store is completely acid-free, mats included. Acid is what burns that brown line, and it is not reversible once it has happened.
Glazing that filters daylight.
UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, chosen with you for the document. Fading is easy to miss until a frame comes down and shows the border it was covering.
A build that can be undone.
For an original you cannot replace, ask for the conservation build: acid-free materials throughout, and a frame that can be taken apart again without damage.
Which mat suits a diploma?
The one chosen against the diploma itself. Mats are held up against the paper at the counter, in one color or with a second color lined inside, and our computerized mat cutter can add openings or lettering when the layout calls for it.
School colors.
A mat can be lined in a second color, the way a navy and gold jersey gets a navy and gold fillet. Bring the diploma and we will hold the colors against it.
Openings and lettering.
Multiple openings, lettering and shapes can all be programmed into the mat cutter, so a diploma can share a frame with a photograph, or carry a line of lettering cut into the mat.
Medals and awards.
A medal, a plaque or an award with depth goes into a shadow box built around it.
From Yelp
“High quality materials. High quality workmanship. All the joints and mats are lined perfectly.”
Broadwillow V. · Newport Beach · March 2025
YelpWhich glass protects ink and signatures?
UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, chosen with you for the document. Daylight fades ink and pigment, not quickly and not evenly, so the signatures and the seal on a diploma are what the glazing is there to protect.
Matted, glazed, fitted.
A signed print with a gold fillet and a wide white mat, glazed and finished on the showroom floor. A diploma gets the same acid-free materials and glazing.
The corner, up close.
A frame is judged at the join: the miter closes, and the gold fillet holds one clean line against the bevel of the mat.
How is a diploma held in the frame?
In the way that suits the document. An original you cannot replace is mounted so it can come out again; paper with waves or creases can be pressed flat instead. We talk it through at the counter before anything is cut.
Removable, for an original.
The conservation build keeps the diploma free of the frame: acid-free materials throughout, and a frame that can be taken apart again without damage.
Flat, for paper with waves.
Divots, waves and crinkles in paper can often be flattened in our drymount press. Dry mounting is permanent, so we assess each document first and discuss conservation options for originals you want to keep unaltered. That bonds it to the board, which is why it is a choice we make with you.
Ready-made diploma frame or custom?
A ready-made frame is made to a stock size before anyone has seen your document. Ours is specially ordered and cut to size after we have, with the mats and glazing chosen against the paper. It is not the cheapest way to frame something; it is the way that gets it right.
Cut to the document.
Everything here is specially ordered and cut to size, so the materials are chosen once, for this diploma.
Chosen with care.
Every custom frame we make is crafted by hand in our Costa Mesa warehouse, with the mats, mounting and glazing chosen for the piece and its condition.
From Yelp
“They did a great job on framing some awards. They have all the samples there and it's nice to see what your ordering!”
Kaylyn B. · Huntington Beach · January 2023
What does diploma framing cost?
It is quoted in person once we have seen the document. There is no published price list; the price follows the choices below, and the turnaround is quoted at the same time.
- Size
- The size of the document and the width of the mat around it.
- Mats
- One color or two, and any openings or lettering cut by the mat cutter.
- Glazing
- UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, chosen with you for the document.
- Moulding
- Any profile from the hundreds of corner samples on the moulding wall.
- Mount
- The removable conservation build, or dry mounted flat to acid-free foamcore.
- Turnaround
- Quoted at the counter. For a graduation, a new office or a gift, tell us the date.
The questions people ask at the counter, answered.
From what can be framed and choosing the right glass to mounting jerseys, printing artwork and protecting the pieces that matter, we answer the questions our customers ask us every day.
Museum glass vs regular glass, and what the glass over your art is doingMuseum-quality and UV-protective glazing vs regular glass: what each does for your art, plus acid-free mats and conservation framing. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
What can you actually frame?Photos, posters, diplomas, jerseys, kimonos, oversized art and mirrors: what a custom frame shop in Costa Mesa can take on, and what each one needs.Read Article
Scanning an original you would rather not put in the mailLarge-format scanning up to 600 dpi, checked by our digital artists: a one-of-a-kind original reproduced in Costa Mesa without leaving the building.Read Article
How to frame a jersey, step by stepHow to frame a jersey: a shadow box deep enough that the glass never touches it, mounting that can be undone, a mat lined to its colors. From Costa Mesa.Read Article
Diploma framing, asked and answered.
What is the best way to frame a diploma?
Acid-free mats and backing, UV-protective or museum-quality glazing, and for an original you cannot replace, a mount that can be undone. The moulding and the mat are then chosen at the counter, held against the paper itself.
Will framing damage my diploma?
We choose mats, mounting methods and glazing for the piece and its condition, and discuss conservation options for originals. Acid in a mat or a backing board can burn a brown line into the edge of paper over the years, and our store is completely acid-free, mats included.
Can you match my school colors?
Yes. Mats are chosen at the counter against the diploma, and a mat can be lined in a second color, the way a navy and gold jersey gets a navy and gold fillet. Bring the diploma and we will hold the colors against it.
How much does it cost to get a diploma framed?
It is quoted in person once we have seen the document, and there is no published price list. A custom frame is specially ordered and cut to size, so the price follows the size, the mats, the glazing, the moulding and the mount.
How long does diploma framing take?
The turnaround is quoted when we design it with you at the counter, because it depends on the piece. If the frame is for a graduation or another date, tell us the date when you bring the diploma in.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or Saturday 9am to 1pm at 1671 Placentia Avenue, Costa Mesa. Booking an appointment is an option, never a requirement.
Still wondering? Come in and ask. No appointment required.
Print and frame what you love. Visit the showroom.
No appointment required.
- Call
- (949) 791-8780
- Hours
- Mon-Fri 10am-5pm
Sat 9am-1pm
Bring us the thing you love.
Walk in with it and talk it through with a designer. No appointment required, though you are welcome to book one.
1671 Placentia AvenueCosta Mesa, CA 92627
- Call(949) 791-8780
- HoursMon-Fri 10am-5pm · Sat 9am-1pm · Sun closed
- Talk to a designer nowStart a Video CallSomeone is on the floor Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 9am-1pm, Costa Mesa time
- Book an appointmentPick a time with a designerAppointments are optional. Walk-ins are welcome.