How to Print a Funeral Program (Home Printer or Print Shop)
Step-by-step: which file to use, what settings to choose, what paper to buy, and how to avoid the three mistakes that ruin a first print run.
You have a program to print and probably less than two days to do it. This is the short version, then the detail.
The short version
- Print shop: email or upload the print shop PDF. Say "double-sided, 8.5 × 11, folded in half, 100 lb text or 80 lb cover". They handle the rest.
- At home: use the home printer PDF. Print at 100% / Actual size, double-sided, flipping on the short edge. Print one test sheet before the whole run.
Choosing paper
Programs are usually printed on one of three weights:
| Paper | Feels like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 28–32 lb bond (writing paper) | Slightly thicker than copier paper | Home printing, large quantities, tight budget |
| 100 lb text | A good magazine page | The usual choice. Folds crisply, feels substantial |
| 80 lb cover (card stock) | A greeting card | Heavier, more formal. Score before folding or it cracks |
Matte or uncoated reads better than gloss for text, and does not show fingerprints. If the design has a dark cover, gloss will look richer but every thumbprint shows.
Printing at home, step by step
- Open the home printer PDF — not the print shop one. The print shop file has crop marks and 3 mm of bleed around every page, which your printer will not trim off.
- In the print dialog, set Scale: 100% or Actual size. Never "Fit to page" — it shrinks everything by a few percent and the fold no longer lands in the middle.
- Set Print on both sides and choose Flip on short edge for a folded program. (Cards and bookmarks flip on the long edge.)
- Print one sheet. Fold it. Check the pages read 1, 2, 3, 4 in order.
- If the back is upside down, change the flip edge and print one more test.
- Print the rest, fold, and stack them under something heavy for ten minutes for a sharp crease.
Taking it to a print shop
Staples, Office Depot, FedEx Office, a local printer, or an online printer will all take the print shop PDF as-is. What to tell them:
Double-sided, 8.5 × 11 flat, folded to 5.5 × 8.5. File has bleed and crop marks. 100 lb text, matte. Fold, no stapling.
If they ask about colour: the file is RGB, which is what almost every digital press expects now. If a shop specifically asks for CMYK, they can convert it — say so and they will.
How many to print
The usual guidance is one program per two attendees, plus twenty spare. Families almost always wish they had printed more: people take one home, and relatives who could not attend ask for one later. If you expect 100 people, print 70.
The three mistakes
- "Fit to page". Shrinks the artwork; the fold misses the middle by a few millimetres and every page looks slightly off-centre.
- Wrong flip edge. The inside prints upside down relative to the outside. One test sheet catches it.
- Using the print shop file at home. You get crop marks printed on the page and a smaller-than-expected program.
Questions
- Can I print a funeral program at home?
- Yes. Use the home printer file, print at 100% on both sides flipping on the short edge, and do a single test sheet first. Almost any inkjet or laser printer handles 8.5 × 11 double-sided.
- What paper is best for a funeral program?
- 100 lb text weight is the most common choice — it feels substantial and folds without cracking. 80 lb cover is heavier and more formal but should be scored before folding.
- How many funeral programs should I print?
- About one per two attendees, plus twenty spare. Families more often run short than run over.
- Do I need bleed?
- Only if a print shop is trimming the sheet. The print shop file includes 3 mm of bleed and crop marks; the home file is at exact size with no marks.
Make yours now. Pick a design, fill it in, download files that print in the right order.
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