MemorialSuite guide

What goes in a funeral program?

A practical guide to funeral program panels, order of service, readings, photos, print imposition, and proofing.

Think in four panels

A single-fold US Letter program creates four panels: front cover, inside-left, inside-right, and back cover. A sequential reader PDF presents those panels as pages 1–4. A duplex print PDF rearranges them to [4,1] on one side and [2,3] on the other so they fold correctly.

Front cover

Use the person's name, birth and death dates, one strong photo, and the service venue or date. Restraint helps the cover read clearly from a distance.

Inside panels

The order of service might include gathering music, welcome, reading, music, remembrances, eulogy, and closing words. This is not a required liturgy. Rename, remove, or reorder every item to match the actual service, and list speakers or performers where helpful.

Readings and music

Public-domain readings can be reproduced when the edition and public-domain basis are known. For songs, list the title and performer only. Do not reproduce song lyrics without permission.

Back cover

The back can hold acknowledgments, pallbearers, a brief note, or a small photo grid. Four photos are usually enough for a bifold without making the pages feel crowded.

Choose the right print file

The bundle includes two imposed duplex files because home printers and professional presses need different page geometry.

Home or office printer

Use the home-print PDF on US Letter paper at 100% scale, landscape, double-sided, and flip on the short edge. Its half-inch printer-safe white border is intentional: most desktop printers cannot place ink all the way to the paper edge. Fold once at the center.

Print shop or full-bleed service

Use the two-page professional PDF. It includes 0.125-inch bleed and crop marks, with important text kept safely inside the trim. Ask for full-bleed, double-sided US Letter, short-edge duplex, and a center fold. Full-bleed work is normally printed on larger stock and trimmed to 11 × 8.5 inches; ordinary same-day copies may still have a white border.

Always approve one physical proof

Print and fold one copy before ordering the full quantity. Confirm front/back orientation, panel order, the center fold, photo color, text size, and that no names or service details sit too close to a cut or fold.