The new KU diploma design (left) will be given to graduates after nearly 30 years of using the old design (right).

Now there’s no mistaking Kansas University for “The University of Ransas” on the thousands of diplomas issued each year.

Nearly 30 years since the last redesign, KU’s diplomas have gotten an upgrade. The university’s Trajan font has been incorporated, and overall the diplomas have a more readable, professional look, said Todd Cohen, director of university relations, whose office executed the redesign.

The font displaying the university’s name — which included a “K” that could be mistaken for an “R” — has been updated to a more readable style.

Most degrees also got a little smaller — from 9 by 11 inches to the standard 8.5-by-11-inch piece of paper, so graduates could save money and avoid having to buy a specially sized frame, Cohen said.

Doctoral degrees and law degrees remained the same size at 14 by 17 inches.

And a plethora of signatures on diplomas, including the entire Kansas Board of Regents, a dean, the provost and the chancellor, has been pared down to just two — the chancellor and the regents chairman.

The university’s embossed seal pops a little more, having added some blue to the existing gold. And gone are the extra foil stickers indicating a graduate earned “distinction” or “highest distinction” honors. Those will now be printed directly on the diploma itself.

“Hopefully, the design reflects that the university is paying attention to details,” Cohen said.