If you're reading this, you probably have a funeral program to make and not much time to make it. I've been there: sitting at the kitchen table, scrolling through old photos, trying to find the right words while the loss is still so new that it's hard to think straight.
So let's keep this simple and take it one step at a time. You don't have to get it all done tonight, and you don't have to get it perfect.
Step 1: Confirm the Basics
Before you design anything, get these details settled with the family and the funeral home:
- Full name of your loved one, including any nickname they went by
- Dates of birth and death (sunrise and sunset)
- Service date, time, and location
- Officiant name
- Number of guests expected, which tells you how many copies to print
Double-check spelling and dates with at least one other family member. Typos in a name or date are the most common, and most painful, program mistakes.
Step 2: Choose the Format
Most funeral programs come in one of these formats:
- Single-page (flat): One sheet, front and back. Simple and quick.
- Bifold: One sheet folded in half, giving you four panels. This is the most popular choice.
- Trifold: One sheet folded into thirds. Good for shorter content.
- Booklet (8+ pages): Several folded sheets nested together. Best when you want lots of photos, tributes, or a long order of service.
If you aren't sure, a bifold is a safe choice. It has room for a cover photo, the obituary, the order of service, and a poem. For more on sizes, see funeral program sizes explained.
Step 3: Gather the Content
Here's what typically goes into a program:
Front cover
- A favorite photo
- Full name
- Birth and death dates
- Optional short phrase, like "Celebrating the Life of" or "In Loving Memory"
Inside
- Order of service (prelude, prayer, readings, eulogy, songs, closing)
- Obituary or life story
- Names of pallbearers and honorary pallbearers
Back cover
- A poem, scripture, or favorite quote
- An acknowledgment or thank-you from the family
- Interment or repast details
- Funeral home name
You don't need all of it. Include what feels right for your family and the service. For a full breakdown, see what to include in a funeral program.
Step 4: Pick Your Photos
Choose one strong photo for the cover, ideally one where their face is clear and they look like themselves. For inside pages or a photo collage, pull a mix of eras: childhood, family moments, hobbies, and recent years.
From experience: Blurry photos are the number one thing I see. A photo that looks fine on your phone can print fuzzy, especially if it was saved from Facebook or taken as a screenshot. Ask family members to send the original photo by email at full size, not through a text or social media. If all you have is a printed photo, scan it at 300 DPI or higher. A free phone scanning app works in a pinch.
Avoid heavily filtered or very dark photos, which print muddy.
Step 5: Write the Obituary and Order of Service
Keep the obituary warm and personal. A simple structure that works:
- Where and when they were born
- Family, work, and the things they loved
- What people will remember most about them
- Who survives them and who went before them
From experience: Almost every family writes more than will fit, and that's okay. When you love someone, there's a lot to say. Write it all out first, then trim. Keep the full version for the funeral home's website or an online obituary, where length doesn't matter, and use a shorter version in the program. If you truly can't cut it, move up to an 8-page program rather than shrinking the font.
For the order of service, ask the officiant or funeral home for the final sequence so your program matches what actually happens.
Step 6: Choose a Template and Customize It
Starting from a template saves hours, and it means you don't have to figure out margins, folds, or font sizing on your own.
With an editable Canva template, you can:
- Swap in your photos by dragging and dropping
- Click any text to replace it
- Change colors and fonts if you'd like
- Preview everything before you print
Browse our Canva-editable funeral program templates to find a design that fits their personality, whether that's faith-based, military, coastal, or built around their hobbies and interests. New to Canva? Our beginner's guide walks you through it.
Step 7: Proofread (Then Proofread Again)
Read every word slowly. Then have someone else read it. Check especially:
- Name spelling
- Dates
- Service time and address
- Names of family members in the obituary
It helps to print one test copy at home. Mistakes are much easier to spot on paper than on a screen.
From experience: Something almost always changes at the last minute: a pallbearer can't make it, a cousin's name is spelled differently than you thought, or the service time moves. If you can, wait to print until a day or two before the service, and confirm the details one more time before you do. Keeping your program in an editable file means a quick fix instead of starting over.
Step 8: Print
In Canva, click Share → Download and choose PDF Print. Then choose where to print:
- Home printer: Fine for smaller services. Use 28–32 lb paper for a nicer feel, and set your printer to Shrink to Fit (or Fit to Printable Area) so the edges don't get clipped.
- Office supply store: Staples, Office Depot, and FedEx Office can print and fold same day in many locations, and they can print edge to edge.
- Online printer: Often the highest quality, but allow several days for shipping.
In our templates, the pages are already laid out in printing order, so they may look out of order in Canva. That's on purpose. Once printed double-sided and folded, everything reads correctly. Our guide on understanding your funeral program layout explains it.
From experience: Printing is where a lot of families get stuck. At the print shop, tell them: print the pages as they are, double-sided, flipped on the short edge, and fold in half. The pages are already in the right order, so please don't rearrange them. Ask them to print one copy first so you can check it before they run the rest. It takes five minutes and can save the whole order.
Plan to print 10–20% more copies than your expected guest count. Families almost always want extras to keep and mail to those who couldn't attend. For more detail, see how to print a funeral program.
A Quick Timeline
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Confirm details, choose a format and template |
| Day 2 | Gather photos, write the obituary |
| Day 3 | Customize the template, proofread |
| Day 4 | Print and fold |
If you're short on time, a template lets you compress all of this into a single afternoon.
Don't Have Time to Make It Yourself?
Some weeks there's just too much to carry. If that's where you are, let us build it for you. With our Done-For-You Service, you do everything online in our Program Portal, no design skills needed:
- Pick your design and your finished size
- Choose exactly which pages go in your program, and in what order
- Fill in everything online: names, dates, obituary, order of service, and photos
- Save and finish later if you need to step away
We build your program and send you a proof to approve. Once approved, you receive a print-ready digital file to take to any print shop or print at home. The template is included.
Please note: This is a digital design service only. We do not print or ship physical programs.
You Don't Have to Do This Perfectly
A funeral program doesn't need to be flawless. It needs to honor the person and give guests something to hold onto. Whatever you put together with love will mean more than you know.
When you're ready, browse our funeral program templates and start with a design that already feels like them, or let us build it for you.