How to Preview Your Order with Our Free Proofing Option

With every order, you can request a proof. You can skip it if you want — we don’t recommend it, but the option is there. A proof lets you check the layout, the structure, your name, your dates, everything, before we ever print or scan a single finished document. If you hate what you see and we can’t fix it, we void the authorization on your card. Nothing charges. That’s how the proof ties directly into our 90-day guarantee — because our commitment to getting it right starts before the ink ever hits the paper.

How the Proof Gets to You

Once your order comes in and you’ve requested a proof, it gets assigned to one of our designers. They build your mock-up — your layout, your details, your document — and when it’s ready, our ticket system takes over.

Every proof request generates a ticket with its own ID number. You get an email that says your sample is ready, and it either comes attached as a PDF right in that email or includes a link to review it through the ticket portal online. The portal is secure, cloud-based, and easy to use. You don’t need to log into our store. You don’t need to download anything special. You open the email, you see your proof, and you tell us what you think.

Most samples come through as PDFs. If you’re ordering a custom transcript and want to make edits yourself, we sometimes send those as editable documents — but that’s a conversation that usually happens on the transcript side of things.

Everything stays inside the ticket. Every revision request, every comment, every approval — it’s all documented in one place with a reference number attached to it. That matters to us because it keeps jobs organized and keeps customers protected. If there’s ever a question about what was approved or what was requested, the ticket has the answer.

What to Check When Your Proof Comes In

This is the part that saves everyone time. When your proof lands in your inbox, don’t just glance at it. Open it, zoom in, and go through it carefully.

Check your name first — spelling, middle name if applicable, exactly how you want it to appear. Check the graduation date, the degree title, the institution name. Look at the layout and ask yourself honestly whether it matches what you were expecting. That last part matters more than people realize.

We match the layout to the year you graduated. If you finished in 1984, we’re working from the 1984 design. The problem is a lot of people remember their diploma differently than it actually looked, especially 20 or 30 years later. We’ve had customers come back and say they don’t like the layout — and sometimes that’s because the 1984 design genuinely isn’t what they pictured. In that case, we can work with you. We can look at other years from the same school, find something that fits better, and adjust. The proof is exactly where that conversation should happen — not after it’s been printed.

Also use the proof to sort out any upgrades. If you’re looking at the mock-up and wishing you’d added a raised seal or a different emblem, talk to your designer at that stage. It’s easy to adjust before production. It’s a much bigger deal after.

Why We Stopped Offering Pre-Purchase Samples

We used to let customers see a sample before they placed an order. We don’t do that anymore, and there are two reasons.

The first is that customers were taking those pre-purchase samples to cheaper competitors and using them to get the same work done for less. We put the design time in, they took the file elsewhere. That’s not something we were willing to keep absorbing.

The second reason is liability. When someone has a copy of our work before they’ve agreed to our terms, we have no protection over how that file gets used. People were editing samples themselves, and that put us in a difficult position before any agreement was even in place.

The current process solves both problems. You authorize payment first — that tells us you’re a serious buyer and that our design work is protected by a signed agreement. Then we build your proof. If it doesn’t work out for any reason, we void the authorization. You’re not out anything. But we know going in that we’re working with someone who is genuinely committed to the order.

Nothing Charges Until the Document Ships

This is worth saying clearly because it changes how the whole thing feels.

When you pay by credit card, we place an authorization on your card — we don’t capture the charge. The charge only processes when your document is finished and ready to ship or deliver. If you see your proof and you’re unhappy, and we can’t get it to where it needs to be, we void the authorization. Nothing posts. The hold releases.

Your bank controls how fast that clears from your statement — some institutions take a few days, and that’s a bank timeline, not ours. But from our end, the moment we cancel, it’s done.

That’s also why the proof connects to our 90-day guarantee the way it does. The proof is your chance to catch everything before production. The guarantee is your safety net if something still isn’t right after it arrives. Between the two, you’re covered at every stage of the order.

Skipping the Proof

You can skip it. On the product page, just leave the “Request Sample?” field unchecked and your order goes straight to production. We ship within 24 business hours from there.

Some customers do this regularly — repeat buyers who know exactly what they want and have ordered from us before. For a straightforward order with simple details, it can make sense.

That said, for anyone ordering from us for the first time, we’d strongly suggest requesting the proof. It costs nothing, it doesn’t slow things down significantly, and it means you know exactly what’s coming before it leaves our shop.

Turnaround and Approvals

Orders in before 2:00 PM EDT — we aim to have your proof back to you the same business day.

Orders after 2:00 PM EDT — expect your proof the following morning.

If you’re placing a late order and need a same-day proof, call us at 866-687-5403 or use live chat Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM EST. We’ll check designer availability and do what we can.

Once you receive your proof, you have seven days to approve it or request changes. If we don’t hear back within seven days, the order cancels automatically and the authorization voids.

Revisions don’t have a hard limit — we’d rather get it right than rush it through. Most orders get approved in one or two rounds because we ask detailed questions upfront. The more specific you are in your order notes, the closer your first proof comes in.