22 Best Free & Premium Google Docs Certificate Template Designs (Download 2021)

What’s even better is that you don’t have to start from scratch. There are plenty of Google Docs templates available online that'll help you save time. Some are free and some are premium. 

In today’s post, we’ll showcase the best free and premium Google Docs certificate template designs for 2021. You'll see great gift certificate templates for Google Docs from Envato Elements. Plus, discover awards certificate templates for Google Docs and more from GraphicRiver.

Find Awesome Gift Certificate Templates on Envato Elements & GraphicRiver

Envato Elements is a great choice for buying premium Google Docs certificate templates.  Download as many templates as you want for a low monthly price. You can also find other templates and mockups that you can use to design other important documents in your business. 

The best places to find premium Google Docs certificate templates are marketplaces like Envato Elements and GraphicRiver. Premium templates are always a better choice as you've got a larger selection with more professional designs. They generally also offer more customization options than the free templates. 

Also, you can often import Microsoft Word files and work on them in Google Docs. This tutorial will show you how:

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Import and Export Documents in Google Drive
  
  
  Melissa Murphy

Best 5 Premium Google Docs Certificate Templates From Envato Elements (for 2021)

Find hundreds of beautiful premium templates with attractive and professional designs. Envato Elements is a great choice if you want to download templates as well as other design elements that you can use in your certificate such as fonts. 

Important: most Word certificates can easily be converted to certificate templates for Google Docs.

Look at some of our best-selling Google Docs certificate templates from Envato Elements below:

1. Certificate Template Vol.6 - Modern & Fresh 

This certificate template has a modern and fresh design. It's designed in both landscape and portrait orientation. So, pick and choose which one you want to use. It's easy to edit in Google Docs, Photoshop, and Illustrator. You’ll also get a help file that lists all the fonts used in the template. 

2. Certificate 9 - Elegant Gold Template for Google Docs

If you’re looking for an elegant template to make a certificate of achievement or recognition, this template will come in handy. It comes in a black and gold color scheme, but you can change the colors to your liking. Change the fonts and add your logo. 

The template also comes in both landscape and portrait orientation. Thanks to image placeholders, you can easily replace the image.

3. Certificate - Classic Google Docs Template

For a classic design, be sure to check out this Google Docs certificate template. It's designed to fit the A4 paper size and comes in both landscape and portrait orientation. Change colors as well as fonts and easily insert your own logo thanks to image placeholders. Use it for any type of certificate and in any industry. 

4. Simple Multipurpose Certificate - Minimal Google Docs Template

Use this multipurpose Google Docs template for various certificates. It's got a simple grey and black design. Customize the colors to your liking and make them match your company branding. It fits the standard US letter size paper and was designed in a landscape format. 

5. Certificate of Achievement - Professional Google Docs Template

This template has a professional and corporate look and feel. It’s a great choice if you want to make a certificate of achievement or an award of excellence for your employees. Customize colors and fonts to your liking. It comes in both landscape and portrait orientation and fits on an A4 paper size. 

Envato Elements Design Without Limits

Envato Elements has a single compelling offer. For one low monthly price, you get access to unlimited premium Google Docs certificate templates as well as other design templates and mockups. This includes:

• presentation templates


• web templates


• stock photos


• fonts


• icons


• logo openers


• and more

That’s right. Download as many templates or assets as you need. Customize them to your liking. And use them in an unlimited number of projects. 

Sign up for Envato Elements today. Start downloading design templates and assets to build a cohesive and branded online presence.

But, if you don’t want to download dozens of templates, stop by GraphicRiver. It lets you to easily buy individual Google Docs certificate templates. It's perfect if you've got a certain design style in mind. 

Top Premium Google Docs Gift Certificate Templates on GraphicRiver

As mentioned earlier, another place to find cool premium Google Docs certificate templates is GraphicRiver. Download individual templates. It's a great option when you need a template quickly or know exactly the style and design you’re going for. 

Check out our best-selling Google Docs certificate templates from GraphicRiver below:

1. Certificate - Modern Template for Google Docs

This template is a great choice if you plan on making a certificate of achievement. It's easy to edit in Google Docs as well as in Photoshop or Illustrator. Easily change colors and fonts to match your brand. It also fits the A4 paper size and comes in a landscape orientation.

2. Modern Certificate of Appreciation Google Docs Template

If you’re looking for a certificate of appreciation with a modern design, this Google Docs template will come in handy. Easily edit it with your preferred colors and fonts. Add your own logo. Use this template with both A4 and US letter paper size. It's designed using landscape orientation. Plus, it comes in three color variations.

3. Trendy Google Docs Certificate Template

This template has a trendy and modern design. It comes in both landscape and portrait orientation and was designed to fit A4 paper size. The template is fully print-ready. It includes bleeds and marks for safe printing. Easily add your own colors and fonts.

4. Classic Certificate Template

Try this certificate template for Google Docs if you want a classic and sophisticated design. It comes not only in Google Docs version, but also an Illustrator and Photoshop version. It's designed in landscape orientation. It fits A4 paper size. Customize the colors and fonts to your liking and even add your own logo. 

5. Google Docs Certificate Template

This template uses an elegant dark blue color scheme. Easily customize it if you want a different color. It's designed to fit the A4 paper size. It comes in both landscape and portrait orientation. On top of customizing colors, you can also change fonts. Add your own logo using smart objects. 

12 Best Free Google Docs Gift Certificate Templates From Around The Web

Before looking for a free certificate template for Google Docs on the web, check Envato's free offerings first. Try out various premium template files (not always Google Slides certificate templates) at no cost to you.

Here's the deal:

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  Every month Envato Elements offers 12 different hand-selected files, (fonts, presentations, videos, and more). Create a free account to download this month's free premium files now.

  
  
  
  


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  Or try Envato Market for free. They offer seven handpicked monthly freebies. Log in with your Envato Market account to get this month's handpicked premium freebies. 

  
  
  
  

If premium templates aren't in the budget, a free Google Docs certificate template can save the day. They'll still save you time as all you’ll need to do is add your content and customize the template to your liking.

Below, we’ve gathered the best free Google Docs certificate templates from around the web:

1. Free Google Docs Certificate Template 

This free Google Docs certificate template uses the standard A4 paper size. It's designed in landscape orientation. Edit the text and the color to match your brand colors and fonts. Add your own logo image to boost brand recognition. Use this template to design certificates of appreciation or customize it to your needs in Google Docs.

2. Free Google Docs Certificate For Project Managers 

To create a certificate for project managers or to signify a course completion, this template would be a good choice. It fits the A4 paper size and uses landscape orientation. The template has a bold red and blue color scheme. Change the colors to your liking. 

3. Free Google Docs Certificate Template for Partnership 

Consider this free template to make a partnership more official. The template has a corporate look thanks to the blue color scheme, but you can change the colors. It uses landscape orientation and fits the A4 paper size. 

4. Google Docs Free Certificate Template 

This template is a good start if you want to reward someone for finishing a course or a training. It uses a dark blue color scheme and modern fonts. Customize these to your liking in Google Docs.

5. Google Docs Free Certificate Template

This free template has a black and gold design. It fits the A4 paper size and comes in landscape orientation. Choose a different set of colors as well as fonts. It also has enough room to add a logo of your company. Use it as a gift certificate template for Google Docs.

6. Free Google Docs Employee Certificate 

If you need an employee certificate, this template will come in handy. It's designed in A4 paper size and landscape orientation. Change colors and fonts to your liking. Use it for any type of employee certificate. Customize it with Google Slides.

7. Free Google Docs Template for Student Certificate 

Consider this template if you need a student certificate for Google Docs. This comes in handy for highlight special achievements for a class, extracurricular activity, attendance or a diploma. Change fonts and colors to your liking and add the logo of your company or school. Customize it with Google Docs.

8. Gift Certificate

Need to give a gift certificate away? This free template features a grey and red color scheme and has a spot in the center of the template to add the recipient's name. The template comes from Microsoft Office but can be imported into Google Docs.

9. Certificate of Achievement

This achievement award certificate template is great for Google Docs. It's got a greenish-blue color with a ribbon icon. There are fields for the type of award, what the award is for when it was awarded, and two signature lines. Import it into Google Docs and edit away.

10. Certificate of Authenticity

Use a certificate of authenticity for anything that you need to show proof of authenticity for. The template features a section to detail what's being authenticated, a signature, and date. It's in MS Word format, but can be opened in Google Docs.

11. Certificate of Excellence

This certificate will work well for any school or class award that needs to be given out. Easily import it into Google Docs. It features a bordered design with logo graphics on the left and right-hand sides of the certificate. 

12. Participation Certificate

This certificate has a classic design and will work for any occasion. Edit the title of the certificate to turn it into any type of certificate you would like. It includes two lines for signatures at the bottom of the certificate. Convert it into Google Docs to work on it.

How to Customize a Certificate Template

The premium template, Certificate template Vol. 6 from Envato Elements is a very versatile and eye-catching looking template that's a must-have. This Google Docs Certificate template gives you complete control over the design process. It lets you to create a certificate that the recipient of the certificate will love. 

To show you how easy it is to edit this Google Docs certificate template, we're going to show you how to customize it.

But first you'll need to upload the .doc version of the template file to your Google Drive. The left-click on the file. Choose the Open With option and select Google Docs. The file opens in Google Docs.

Now let's customize the certificate:

1. Change the Text 

The first step to creating a customized certificate is to change the default text to say what you want it to. In our example, we'll customize an award of excellence. To do this, simply double click the text in the Google Doc. A drawing pop-up window appears. 

Click the text you want to edit again. Put in the correct text for the certificate. Finally, click on the Save and Close blue buttons at the top right corner of the pop-up.

2. Resize Text

When you add text to the template, the text may be too big for the design and need to be resized. This is an easy fix. To fix this, simply drag one of the corners of the text and resize as you see fit. 

3.  Change the Colors 

Next, we're going to change the color of the text and graphics to match our brand's colors. To do this, simply double click on the text again. Then select the text from the pop-up window. 

From there, click on the three dots icon on the top right of the pop-up. Next, choose the "A" symbol called Text Color and choose your desired color. When you change the color of graphics, make sure to select the individual graphic. Then choose the paint bucket symbol called Fill Color.

4. Align All Your Elements

We've just changed the text and color of our certificate to better match our brand and type of certificate that we want to create. Now it's time to align the elements on the page. For certificates, centering elements on the page works really well. We'll center our elements by clicking and dragging them. 

5. Add a Signature

No certificate would be complete without a signature. To do this, all you've got to do is upload a copy of the signature that you want to include and resize and position it. To upload your image, click Insert > Image > Upload From Computer.

Next, we'll cover some tips for the amazing Google Docs certificates that you download!

4 Quick Certificate Design Tips for Better Results in 2021

Create a professional-looking certificate using the premium templates in this article and a few basic design tips. To help you stay up to date with the latest trends in certificate design, here's a list of four tips that'll help you create better certificates in 2021:  

1. Use Traditional Fonts

Traditional fonts such as Baskerville, Caslon, and Garamond work great for certificates. They give the certificate a classier look and give the certificate more importance. These traditional fonts look especially great on the titles of the certificate.

2. Include Elegant Borders

A well-decorated border on your certificate gives it a classic look. Fancy borders work really well here and when this type of border is combined with a traditional font, the certificate will really have an impact. 

3. Use the Modern Approach

While the classic certificate design never goes out of style, a modern design gives your certificate a more contemporary look. And it's still impressive. To get this modern design, try using abstract shapes as borders and use minimalist fonts.  

4. Include a Ribbon

Adding a ribbon graphic to your certificate can help make the certificate look more visually appealing. It also makes it look more official. A great placement for the ribbon would be to the left or the right of the title of the certificate. 

Now, let's explore some current trends for Google Docs certificate templates.

Top 5 Google Docs Certificate Design Trends for 2021

To help you get the most out of your Google Docs certificate, we'll now go over the top design trends of 2021. Add these to your own templates to give them a modern look:

1. Use the Correct Fonts

Certificates need specific fonts that are easy to read and convey importance to have the most impact. Look for fonts that are more formal and that are easy to read from a distance. Classic Serif and Sans Serif fonts work incredibly well here.

2. Go Vertical

Certificates normally have a horizontal design. A popular trend right now is to have certificates be in a vertical design. Vertical designs allow you to arrange the elements on the certificate in a different way to give the certificate an interesting look.

3. Include Abstract Shapes

While certificates are known for having a more traditional look, modern looking designs have become quite popular. What really makes a modern design is the use of abstract looking shapes. Different sizes of triangles, squares, rectangles, and any other shape work really well here. Be sure to have multicolored shapes on your certificate to give the certificate a more visual appeal. 

4. Use Gold

Gold makes a great accent color on your certificates. It signifies prestige and honor, which is exactly what a certificate should convey. A great color to go with the gold accent color is a dark blue. Try adding gold to your borders or to outline certain sections of your certificate. 

5. Use Certificate Seals

Seals are a great way to show authenticity of the certificate. They'll add a great deal of interest to the design. Adding a gold colored seal at the top or the bottom of the certificate can be a great addition to your design if it fits the use case of your certificate.

Let's now take a look at even more best-selling premium templates for Google Docs.

Discover More Great Certificate Template Design for 2021

Google Docs is easy to use. But it’s not the only option when it comes to designing a great-looking certificate. You can also use other programs like Photoshop and Word. To make things even better, there are plenty of premium templates for these programs. Now that you’ve seen Google Docs gift certificate templates, check out more great certificate template designs for 2021:

• 
  Microsoft Word
  
  
  20 Best Word Certificate Template Designs to Award Achievement in 2020
  
  
  Nona Blackman


• 
  certificates
  
  
  19 Most Creative Certificate Design Templates (Modern Styles for 2021)
  
  
  Nona Blackman


• 
  Templates
  
  
  25+ Best Certificate Design Templates: Awards, Gifts, & Diplomas for 2021
  
  
  Tomas Laurinavicius


• 
  Templates
  
  
  25+ Best Certificate Design Templates: Awards, Gifts, & Diplomas for 2021
  
  
  Tomas Laurinavicius

5 Benefits of Using Premium Google Docs Templates With Pro Designs (In 2021)

Not sure if you should be using a professional Google Docs template for your upcoming project? Would it be better to just hire someone or use a professional template?

Here are five reasons why you should take advantage of a professionally designed template in 2021:

1. 
   You don't waste time. Google Docs templates give you a professional design right to start with. Starting a design from scratch if you aren't a professional designer can be an incredibly time consuming process. Plus, there's no guarantee that it'll come out looking like a pro design. 


2. 
   You save money. Hiring a professional to create a design for you is quite expensive. Templates are a cost effective way to achieve the same result for less.


3. 
   You can still customize. The template designs are fully editable. So, you aren't stuck with the template design. You can edit anything on the design to make it fit to your particular project. 


4. 
   Ideas are built into the designs. If you aren't sure how you should start your Google Doc, then choose to start with a high quality template. These templates have a wide range of designs that help spark creativity and will give you plenty of ideas for what you can include in your document.  


5. 
   You'll have a unique design. Unlike those who create Google Docs certificate templates for free, the creators of the premium Google Docs templates stay on top of current trends. This shows in their unique and modern designs. You're sure to stand out from the crowd when using professionally designed premium templates.

Benefits of Envato Elements (The Power of Unlimited Use)

Sign up for Envato Elements. You'll get access to thousands of unlimited use graphics, videos, PowerPoint templates, stock music, stock video, and much more. 

Common Google Docs Questions Answered (FAQ)

Google Docs is an incredibly powerful document builder with many features. If you are new to Google Docs or even if you are an experienced user, you may have a few unanswered questions about the software. Here are the five of the most frequently asked questions about Google Docs:

1. Is Google Docs Better than Microsoft Word?

Each software is unique and has their own set of features. But they both also have many similar features that allow you to create professional documents. For a more in depth analysis on the differences between the two, you can check out the article below. 

• 
  Microsoft Word
  
  
  Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs Compared (Which Is Better to Use in 2020?)
  
  
  Alexis (Lexi) Rodrigo

2. Can You Make a Professional Resume in Google Docs?

Google Docs has plenty of features to make beautiful, modern documents with. It's the perfect tool to use to build your next resume with. For more information on how to create professional resume with Google Docs, check out this article:

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Make a Professional Resume in Google Docs
  
  
  Vaclav Krejci

3. Can You Use Google Docs When You're Offline?

Yes, you can! Google Docs allows you to work in your browser if you're offline. It'll still keep your changes saved even though you're working offline. For more information on how to set this up in Google Docs, take a look at the following article:

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Use Google Docs When You’re Offline
  
  
  Andy Betts

4. Can You Create a Survey in Google Docs?

Of course! Google Docs forms is an incredibly simple and free software that allows you to make a professional looking survey for any industry. For more details on how to set this up, view the following tutorial below:

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Make a Survey With Google Docs Forms
  
  
  Andy Betts

5. Can You Share Your Google Docs?

One of the most powerful features of Google Docs is the ability to share documents with others. You can edit those documents with your team in real-time from anywhere in the world. For more information on how to do this be sure to view this article: 

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Share Documents in Google Docs: Everything You Need to Know
  
  
  Melissa Murphy

Looking to take your Google Docs even further? In the next section, we'll go over educational material that will help you create a more complete document. 

Learn More About Making Great Google Docs

To help you get the most out of the free Google Docs software, we've collected a few resources for you to check out below:

• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Make a Professional Resume in Google Docs
  
  
  Vaclav Krejci


• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Import and Export Documents in Google Drive
  
  
  Melissa Murphy


• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Use Google Docs When You’re Offline
  
  
  Andy Betts

Design an Attractive Certificate With Google Docs Templates

Thanks to Google Docs templates, you can quickly design an attractive certificate. If your budget is limited, choose a free Google Docs certificate template to get you started.

But if you’re ready to invest in a professional design, a premium template is the way to go. You can find plenty of premium Google Docs certificate templates on Envato Elements. Enjoy the benefits of downloading as many of them as you need. 

If you only want to buy a single template, then stop by GraphicRiver and check out our best-selling Google Docs certificate templates. 

No matter which marketplace you choose, you’ll walk away with a beautiful Google Docs certificate template that’s easy to customize. So, start browsing our templates and download your favorite today.

Editorial Note: This post has been updated with contributions from Daniel Strongin.  Daniel is a freelance instructor for Envato Tuts+.