Paramount Pictures studio lot featuring vintage cars, trolleys, and the Hollywood sign at sunset.

About Props & Parchment

For over 20 years, we operated as an online supplier of high-quality novelty diploma replicas, serving a diverse clientele with exceptional print and finishing work. Throughout our journey, we have developed deep expertise in paper stocks, embossing, foil stamping, seals, and the craftsmanship behind realistic document production.

As the industry evolved and our work increasingly intersected with film and television productions, we shifted our focus. Today, Props & Parchment serves as an educational resource dedicated to diploma props, document realism, and the materials and techniques used behind the scenes in movies and television.

We no longer sell replica diplomas. Instead, we provide guidance, research, and vetted supplier resources for prop masters, production designers, and creatives in need of authentic, camera-ready document props.

Our goal is simple: to share our decades of hands-on experience and help productions create better, more believable props.

Why Diploma Props Matter

A diploma prop is a game-changer in establishing a scene’s authenticity and solidifying the believability of characters; it can truly make or break the narrative. Remember a moment when you watched a scene in a doctor’s office or a law office where a diploma prominently graced the wall? That detail undeniably elevated your perception of the character. The diploma not only bolsters the character’s credibility but also powerfully conveys their expertise and accomplishments. A meticulously crafted prop like this injects vibrancy into the performance; it elevates what could be just a background detail into a vital character in its own right, actively shaping the viewer’s understanding and emotional engagement with the scene.

A Guide to Diploma Props
Film crew recording graduates in a school hallway with a CLASS OF 2024 banner.

Behind the Diploma: On Set

This gallery showcases outstanding examples of diploma prop craftsmanship, prominently featuring exceptional paper selection, precise embossing, stunning foil finishing, innovative aging techniques, and impactful on-set applications. The collection includes both internal studies and impressive contributions from esteemed members of the prop community.

Man in paint-stained apron holding Anderson High School diploma for James Michael Anderson.
A group of diploma designers holding a large piece of parchment paper, in the process of making a novelty diploma as a diploma prop for a tv show being filmed.
Hands carefully placing a gold seal on a Smithfield College diploma used as a prop for a movie and photo taken on a film set.
Man holding a novelty diploma used as a prop on a Hollywood film that reads: Anderson High School, To All Who May Read, By My Authority.
A person uses a heat gun to apply gold foil to a calligraphic document in a studio.
A person from the design team of a Hollywood production department carefully applying a seal to a diploma prop reading Australia University
A man holding a University of Toronto diploma prop made by his production team for a movie. Text on diploma prop reads: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, Faculty of Arts & Science, This is to certify that [name] has fulfilled the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Signed by Chancellor and President.
A film crew in a HOLLYWOOD PROP DEPT room holding a LOS ANGELES UNIVERSITY Bachelor of Arts diploma and a MOVIE TITLE DIPLOMA HEIST clapperboard. School is made up, fictious for a movie scene as a prop.
A smiling woman holding a detailed movie prop of a Phoenix diploma University diploma, inside a workshop.

List of Diploma Prop Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory

Our blog not only offers valuable tips on creating diploma props and exploring the history of props, but we also feature a carefully curated list of vetted suppliers. If you’re a prop department looking to craft your own props, check out our suggested suppliers for high-quality materials like paper, custom seals, and more.