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How to design your certificate in POK

To design a credential in POK Proof of Knowledge, open the Designs section, create a new design, and use the editor to set its format, text, attributes, images, signatures, QR code, and background. When you save it, the design is ready to use whenever you issue credentials.

Create a new design​

  1. Log in to your POK dashboard through the region selector.
  2. In the left sidebar, open the Designs section.
  3. At the top right, click New design and choose whether to create a certificate or a badge.
  4. Enter a name for your design and confirm.

The editor opens with your canvas in the center and a tool rail on the left. You can undo and redo any change from the top of that rail.

The editor tools​

The left tool rail groups everything you can add or change:

  • Format: the paper size and orientation (certificates only).
  • Text: the text on the credential.
  • Items: images and logos, digital signatures, and the QR code.
  • Attributes: the dynamic fields filled in when you issue.
  • Background: the background image.
  • Additional Information: extra content shown on the recipient's credential page.

Format: paper size and orientation​

In the Format section you choose the Paper size and Layout of a certificate.

  • Paper size: pick a standard size such as Letter, Legal, Tabloid, A3, A4, or A5, or one of the special formats.
  • Layout: switch between landscape and portrait.

Badges do not have a Format section, since they use a fixed square canvas.

Text​

Open the Text section and click Add text to place a new text box, then drag it anywhere on the canvas. When a text box is selected, a toolbar lets you set the:

  • Font and size, with an optional auto-scaling that fits the text to its box.
  • Letter spacing and bold.
  • Text color and background color.
  • Alignment: left, center, or right.

Items: images, signatures, and QR code​

The Items section is where you add images, add signatures, and control the QR code.

Images and logos​

Click Add image to upload a logo or any image (JPG or PNG, up to 2 MB) and position it on the canvas. Select an image to replace or delete it.

Digital signatures​

You can add two kinds of signatures:

  • Request signature: adds a signature space and assigns a team member to sign it digitally. Enter the signer, their role, and their name. The signer must be a team member with signing permission, which you set up in Team Members. You can add more than one signature.
  • Add electronic signature: adds a placeholder for an external electronic signature that the provider applies after issuance. This is a premium feature.

Show or hide the QR code​

Every design includes a QR code that links to the credential's verification page. In the QR Code part of the Items section you can Show QR Code or Hide QR Code. Hiding the QR code is a premium feature; if it is not enabled for your account, POK shows you how to activate it.

Attributes​

Attributes are the dynamic fields filled in with each recipient's data when you issue. Every design includes the mandatory ones: organization name, achiever, title, and valid-from date. From the Attributes section you activate the ones you want on the design and add your own custom attributes, such as "Career" or "Grade". Custom attributes can be edited or deleted.

Background​

In the Background section you set the credential's background image. You can:

  • Upload image: upload your own PNG, up to 4 MB. The panel shows the recommended pixel size for the current format.
  • Choose from gallery: pick a ready-made background from the POK gallery.

You can reset the background to the default at any time.

Additional Information​

The Additional Information section adds content that appears on a separate tab of the recipient's credential page, not on the certificate image itself, such as a description, skills, earning criteria, evidence, and Open Badge 3.0 compliance. See Additional information for the full detail.

Preview and save​

  • Preview shows the credential exactly as the recipient will see it.
  • Save design saves your work. When editing an existing design you can also use Save As... to create a copy.

POK reminds you when you have unsaved changes. Your saved designs are always available in the Designs section, ready to use when you issue credentials.

Learn more​

To learn how digital signatures reinforce the authenticity of the certificates you design, see the digital signature feature page.