Exclusive Diploma Details

"Christian Education" Seal

This seal is designed in the form of a crest, with the words "Scholarship -- Godliness -- Christian Education" beneath it. It is comprised of black foil and gold engraving.

The open Bible forms the "head" of the crest, with the words "Thy Word is Truth" beneath it. The shield itself is divided into three sections. One third contains the lamp, which is a traditional symbol of learning and especially appropriate for Christian education. ("Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.") The lyre, in the top right corner, is a symbol for Christian worship, and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, (A and Z) in the lower section are an ancient symbol of our Lord Jesus, who is "the beginning and the end."

"What is involved in creating seals such as these?"

We've designed these two seals specifically for our customers. Small schools normally can't afford the expense of a set of dies to do this kind of work, which can cost over $500. The company we work with to do the engraving has won world-wide acclaim for their fine work. It is an art form and is done in the traditional method. It is not a modern "imitation" of engraving.

Once we completed the design work for these seals, a set of dies had to be made for each one. The dies, made of magnesium, are created using the artwork as a master so that the various steps of printing will line up perfectly. The foil die (used to lay down the area of foil onto the paper) has the image raised above the surface of the plate. The engraving die, on the other hand, has the image to be printed etched beneath the surface of the die, and has a mating "counter," which is a mirror image of the engraving die. The engraving die, with its extremely fine detail, is created by a craftsman who works with hand tools and a magnifying lens.

Once the dies are created, the process of actually creating the seals requires a number of steps -- from laying down the foil to burnishing the finished product -- and with each successive step, the registration must be absolutely exact. The presses used to do the actual engraving on your diploma are machines which exert tremendous pressure. Engraving ink (a very opaque, dense ink which contains metal) is squeegeed across the surface of the die so that it fills the tiny recesses. The mating plates come together with the paper between them so that the ink is pressed into the surface of the foil and paper. This is why an engraved seal is actually raised above the surface of the paper. If you examine the back of the diploma, you will see the impression made by the "counter" to the engraving die, which pushes up, into the paper from the bottom to provide the pressure needed to release the ink.

Engraving of this quality, with its incredibly crisp detail, is best appreciated with a magnifying glass, but the richness it adds to the document can be understood at a glance!