Handmade Certificates The award certificates have constantly changed over time. Generally, the certificates were given at the end of the year during the 1950s to 1980s; especially Thanksgiving and New Year vacations were special occasions when these certificates were distributed to employees. The original certificates we made on thick hand-made paper with the name of the employee written on it. At that time, the printers were not so advanced to print such certificates nor was there a requirement for a large number of award certificates. Hence, these certificates were handmade with calligraphy and embroidery. They were framed and presented to the employees. These certificates have become collectables in today’s world. 2. Printed Certificates The advent of printers revolutionized the award certificate business. After the 1980s the demand for printed certificates increased. Printers enabled certificates to be made very easily and at one-fourth of the cost of the handmade certificates. The calligraphy and embroidery were replaced by the new fonts which were more attractive. The intensive manual labour of making a certificate by hand was replaced by machines that increased the output. Also, there was a change in the way these awards certificates were distributed. From being given during certain special occasions, certificates were being given as and when required. 3. Digital Certificates This was the third and the most recent wave in award certificates. After the 2000s, the millennium was ruled by computers. Internet and information technology developed rapidly, creating new start-ups that changed the rules of the game and disrupted the traditional practices. Technology has enabled organizations to design and create award certificates that could be sent over email, consuming very little resources and requiring no or minimal manual effort. The certificate design and styles also improved vastly. The two-dimensional image certificate could be replaced by three-dimensional video or image certificates. Templates could be made and used to generate innumerable certificates.