Having a Funeral Program Made for You

If the service is days away, you may not have time to fit text into a template yourself. A designer can build the program from your details, but the work moves only as fast as the details arrive. This page lists what to send first, what can follow, and how to plan the timing back from the service date. For what a program usually contains, see what goes in a funeral program.

What do you need to send first?

Send these in one message. With them, a designer can lay out the cover and the service details.

• Full name, exactly as it should print. Include a nickname in quotes ("Bud") and any accents.
• Dates of birth and death.
• The service: day, date, time, place name and address, and who leads it.
• A layout choice. A bifold folds like a card. A trifold folds in three and has room for more photos and text. A single sheet is printed front and back with no folding.
• One clear photo.
• The date you need the program by. This is usually the service date, but leave room for printing.

Type names the way the family wants them, then ask a second person to read them before you send.

What can wait until the proof?

These can come a day later, or you can correct them on the proof:

• The order of service. The readings, music and speakers, in order. If the funeral home or clergy has a usual order, ask for it and fill in the names.
• The life story. A short version of the obituary fits best. As a guide, our layouts hold up to about 280 words on a bifold, 160 on a trifold and 300 on a single sheet. If no one has written it yet, a list of facts works: hometown, work, family, what they loved.
• Family names for "survived by" and "preceded in death by."
• Optional sections: pallbearers, a thank-you from the family, reception details, an "in lieu of flowers" charity, a closing line.

Our obituary guide can help with the life story.

How long does a made-for-you funeral program take?

It depends on the designer, so ask two things before you pay: when the proof arrives, and when that clock starts (when you order, or when they have your details). Then plan backward from the service:

1. Details sent.
2. Proof back. Check every name, date and time against what you sent.
3. Changes sent in one reply, so nothing gets missed.
4. Final files back.
5. Printing at a copy shop or at home. Call the copy shop ahead to ask how long a run takes.

If the service is only a few days away, ask the designer before you order whether they can make your date.

Do you have to buy the program from the funeral home?

A funeral home may offer printed programs, sometimes as part of a package. The FTC's Funeral Rule says you have the right to buy separate goods and services and do not have to accept a package that may include items you do not want. When you visit, the funeral home must also give you a written, itemized General Price List (FTC: The FTC Funeral Rule). Look on that list for programs, and ask what changes if you bring your own.

Which photos print well in a funeral program?

• Clear and face-forward works best on the cover.
• Straight from a phone is fine. Aim for at least 1,000 pixels wide.
• Avoid screenshots of photos. They are often too small and print blurry.
• Use photos you have the right to use: ones the family took, or ones the photographer is fine with you using.
• Say how to crop: "just Mom" or "keep the dog in."

Can you print song lyrics or a poem in the program?

Song titles and short lines are usually fine. Full lyrics and long modern poems are another matter. The U.S. Copyright Office says using a copyrighted work without permission can expose you to an infringement claim, and in cases of doubt it recommends getting permission (U.S. Copyright Office: Can I Use Someone Else's Work?). The Copyright Office also lists works in the public domain as one way to use a work without asking (U.S. Copyright Office: What is Copyright?), so a very old hymn may be fine. Check the exact version before you print a full text.

What files should you get back?

Ask for files that match how you will print:

• A copy shop file at regular paper size.
• A professional printer file with bleed (extra edge for trimming), if a print shop will cut the pages.
• A home printer file.
• An editable copy, in case a time or a speaker changes at the last minute.

When you print, choose "Actual size" or 100%, print one test copy, and fold it before you print the rest.

If you'd rather hand it off: our done-for-you funeral program uses our own bifold, trifold and single-sheet layouts. You send the details and a photo, Bean (our AI assistant) builds the program, and every name and date is checked against your form twice before you see a proof. One round of changes is included. You get print files for a copy shop, a professional printer and a home printer, plus an editable copy. Nothing is printed or shipped. Standard is $79 with a proof within 2 business days of your details; Rush is $119 with a proof within 1 business day. Proofs go out Monday to Friday (US Eastern time). Both versions are on Gumroad, and Standard is also on Etsy, with Rush as a separate listing in the same shop. If you would rather deal with a person, say so and the shop owner will reply.

General information and a design service. Not legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed. Confirm service details with your funeral home, clergy or venue, and ask a lawyer if you have a copyright question about a specific text.

Updated 2026-10-27.