University Cufflinks for Graduates, Societies and College Balls

Why university cufflinks make sense

University is where many people first wear black tie, first sit on a committee and first belong to something with centuries of tradition behind it. The keepsakes from those years tend to be scarves, hoodies and framed photographs, none of which get worn to a job interview or a friend's wedding. University cufflinks fill that gap. They are formal enough for a graduation ceremony or a college ball, and small enough to go with a graduate into whatever comes next.

Because we print your own uploaded image, the possibilities are wide. A pair might carry a society logo, a boat club blade design, a photograph of a college quad, the graduation year or, with permission, a university crest. The same image is printed on both cufflinks of the pair, square and sharp, and finished with a silver-coloured polish.

Graduation gifts

Graduation day is often the moment families have been looking forward to for years. A single pair costs £40 with shipping included and arrives in its own gift box, so it can be given on the morning of the ceremony or at the celebration lunch afterwards.

For design ideas, think about what the graduate will want to remember: the building where lectures happened, the college they belonged to, a subject-related image such as a molecule or a musical phrase, or simply the graduation year in bold numerals. If several relatives want to give a pair, two to four pairs are still £40 each with shipping included; five or more across any designs bring every pair down to £15, with one £5 shipping charge. Our separate graduation page has more ideas for individual gifts.

Balls, societies and sports clubs

College and summer balls. Ball committees work for months to put on a single night. A pair for each committee member, perhaps printed with the ball's own artwork and year, is a neat thank-you. Some committees also offer pairs to guests as a souvenir.

Societies. Debating unions, law and medical societies, dining clubs and cultural societies often hold formal handover dinners. Outgoing presidents and committee members can be presented with a pair carrying the society logo and their year of office.

Sports clubs. Rowing, rugby, cricket, hockey and many other university clubs have strong traditions, and a pair designed for a first team, a varsity win or a club anniversary gives members something to wear at the annual dinner. A squad of twenty-five would pay £380 in total, and a whole club of sixty would pay £905.

Different teams, crews or committees can each have a distinct design in the same basket, and every pair counts towards the £15 rate.

Design ideas drawn from campus life

• The society emblem. A clean, club-owned logo is the simplest route and prints clearly at small sizes.
• Blade colours. Boat clubs can recreate their oar blade pattern as a flat graphic, which reads instantly to anyone who has rowed.
• A campus landmark. A clock tower, library or boathouse photographed on a bright day crops neatly to a square.
• The year of office or graduation. Bold numerals on the society's colour are understated and smart.
• A subject motif. A double helix for biochemists, a treble clef for musicians or a set of scales for lawyers adds a personal touch.
• Ball artwork. Many balls commission a theme illustration each year, and it makes a lovely record of the night.

Remember that each pair carries one design. A club wanting both its emblem and the year can combine them into a single image before uploading, or order two designs and count both towards the group total.

Crests, coats of arms and society logos

This is worth sorting out before anyone collects money. University and college crests, coats of arms and official logos generally belong to the institution, and many universities manage their use carefully through a brand or licensing team. If you want to use one, contact that team, explain what you are ordering and why, and keep a copy of their reply. We may decline artwork we can't print lawfully, and we have no affiliation with any university or college.

Society and club logos are usually simpler. If your group designed its own emblem and owns it, you can upload it without asking anyone else, although it is worth checking your students' union rules if the society is affiliated. Many clubs deliberately use a club-owned logo on kit and merchandise for exactly this reason. Photographs you took yourself and plain lettering belong to you too.

Uploading a design counts as your confirmation that the artwork is yours or that you hold permission to use it.

Alumni associations and reunions

They work particularly well for alumni. Old members' associations can give pairs to speakers at reunion dinners, sell them to raise money for student hardship funds, or produce a design marking the tenth or twenty-fifth anniversary of a year group's matriculation. College associations with a strong sense of identity often commission a pair around a heritage image, such as the gatehouse, the chapel or the boathouse, which older members recognise instantly.

The pricing stays the same at every size. One hundred pairs for a large alumni weekend would cost £1,505 including shipping, with no tiers or negotiation involved. For associations spread across the country, one delivery address keeps things simple: the organiser receives every boxed pair together and can bring them to the dinner, post them on to members who could not attend, or keep a few back for next year's speakers.

Ordering for a club or committee

Start by nominating one organiser to gather designs, collect names and hold any permission correspondence. Upload each design on the product page and check it on both cufflinks in the live preview, dragging and zooming until it sits right. Add every design to the same basket and pay through the secure checkout, with one £5 shipping charge covering the order.

Each pair is made in our Cornwall workshop, printed from your full-resolution original and packed in its own gift box. The order goes to a single UK address, which could be a college lodge, a club treasurer's house or a family home, ready for the ball, the dinner or the ceremony.