Using Funeral Program Templates

Funeral program templates are pre-formatted documents that help you easily create a funeral program or memorial service bulletin. These funeral templates are created in a variety of computer software formats, including Microsoft Word or Publisher, IPages, Adobe Indesign and OpenOffice. You can find many funeral program templates on the internet. They are available in a variety of formats, designs and layouts and range in price from free to about $50.00.

The first step is to select a funeral program template design. There are a wide range of designs and styles to choose from. Designs include tradition funeral themes such as religious, floral, and landscape as well contemporary styles like occupational, and hobby themes. When choosing a design, consider your loved one's taste. You may choose a theme based on a favorite color or flower or a favorite place (such as the beach or mountains).

Once you've decided on a theme, consider the information that you will include in your funeral program. Information commonly included in funeral programs include the order or service (or list of events of the ceremony), funeral poems or scriptures, photographs (such as a cover photo or a photo collage), acknowledgements, and a detailed obituary or biography. If you are going to include a lot of information, choose a large template, such as 8" x 14" tri-fold layout. If you are just including basic information, select a 8 1/2" x 11" bi-fold layout.

Now that you know the design and layout that you want, make sure that you know what sections of the template are editable. Some templates are fully editable, while others only allow you to change the inner pages. Some templates also allow you to change certain design elements such as text and border colors and sizes.

Once you've selected you template, you can download and begin editing. When you are ready to print, ensure that you have enough ink on hand to print all of your funeral programs. Templates that are very color intensive may used a lot of ink. Also, allocate enough printing and folding time.