The material should reflect the person being remembered and be easy for guests to follow. Whether you are a funeral director arranging a service, a celebrant collecting the final readings or a family preparing a tribute, start by agreeing who will approve the complete print file.
Funeral orders of service: make the sequence easy to follow
An order of service gives guests a familiar point of reference and often becomes a keepsake afterwards. It can be a simple folded card or a booklet with additional readings, photographs and memories. Choose the format around the content rather than compressing everything into a layout that is difficult to read.
A folded card or a longer booklet?
A four-page folded card has a front, two inside pages and a back. A finished A5 format is 148 × 210 mm and provides a useful starting point for a handheld programme. When more room is needed, an eight-, twelve- or sixteen-page saddle-stitched booklet can accommodate the service sequence and selected tributes. Saddle-stitched page counts normally run in multiples of four, including the cover; discuss the layout before adding pages or inserting blanks.
A folded format and a booklet have different production and page-planning needs. The finished size, paper, cover and binding should be agreed together. A physical folded dummy is a useful way to check the reading order.
Build the content in a usable order
- Front: the preferred name, dates and photograph or chosen motif, with service details if required.
- Inside: the agreed sequence, introductions, readings, hymns, music and any words guests need to follow.
- Tribute pages: selected memories, additional photographs or a short life story, where the family wants them.
- Back: thanks, gathering details and an approved donation or contact route, where appropriate.
Every service is different. Religious, humanist, civil and other personal arrangements can require different wording and sequences. Use the final running order agreed with the funeral director, officiant or celebrant. Leave out information the family wishes to keep private.
Type, paper and contrast matter
Guests may be reading under subdued lighting or using the programme while standing. Give the main text clear contrast and enough space between lines. Reserve decorative lettering for short headings; avoid pale grey body text, very small hymns or lengthy passages over a photograph. Look at a proof at the actual finished size before approving it.
Paper weight and finish affect the feel, fold and readability. An uncoated or matt-looking stock may suit a restrained design, while a photographic cover may need a different finish. Discuss the intended appearance and handling before choosing a stock. Our paper and finish guide explains the trade-offs.
Related funeral and remembrance print
Use a consistent name, photograph and design across the pieces that belong together. Each item should still be sized and written for how it will be used.
Remembrance cards and memorial bookmarks
A small memorial card can hold a portrait, dates and a short approved message. A bookmark offers a different keepsake shape, with room for a short verse or tribute on the reverse. Check the photograph and all text on both sides; a reduced version of a booklet cover may be too small to read without adjustment.
Thank-you cards and correspondence
Thank-you stationery can be prepared after the service, when the wording and quantity are clearer. Choose whether the message will be printed, handwritten or a combination. Allow enough writing space and choose a suitable surface if the family wants to add personal notes. Match envelopes to the finished card dimensions.
Photographic tributes and welcome displays
A portrait board, memory collage or welcome sign can help guests identify the gathering and share memories. The artwork needs its own image-quality check at the larger size. Confirm the display position, stand or mounting arrangement, indoor or outdoor setting and transport needs before selecting the material. Explore poster formats and printed boards for the relevant options.
Memorial announcements and gathering information
A printed notice or invitation can give the date, time, location and response route for a later memorial gathering. Keep the service location and reception location distinct where they differ. Check any map or directions against the approved venue details before print.
If several items are ordered together, give the quantity for each one. The number of programmes needed at the service may differ from the number of keepsakes or thank-you cards required afterwards.
Preparing photographs and print-ready artwork
Start with the best original photograph available. A camera file, original scan or full-quality image is usually a more useful source than a screenshot or a picture downloaded from a messaging conversation. Send the original file where possible and identify the person or crop the family wants to use. An older photograph can still be a meaningful choice; assess its appearance at the intended size before deciding how large it should be.
PPI, DPI and the minimum suitable image quality
Image detail is measured as effective PPI at the final printed size. Printer DPI describes output dots, although artwork instructions often use “DPI” informally. For close-viewed programmes and memorial cards, 300 PPI is a useful working target for photographs. It is not a guarantee of sharpness: focus, lighting, compression and the condition of an original print also affect the result.
A photograph that is 1,200 pixels wide has 300 PPI when printed four inches wide. At eight inches it has 150 PPI. Cropping removes available pixels, and enlargement reduces effective detail. For a suitable large tribute display viewed from farther away, around 150 PPI can be a starting point; agree the actual acceptable minimum for the display size and viewing distance. The image-resolution guide explains how to judge this.
Changing a metadata number to “300 DPI” does not restore missing detail, blur or compression damage. Keep text, logos and fine ornaments as vectors where possible. Inspect photographs in an actual-size proof, then check the exported PDF to make sure an export setting has not reduced the image quality unexpectedly.
Bleed, margins and page order
Set the document to its agreed finished dimensions. If a photograph or colour reaches a trimmed edge, extend it into the agreed bleed area; 3 mm is a common starting specification, with the production requirement confirmed for the chosen item. Keep names, dates and other important details comfortably inside the safe area, allowing for folds, trim and any binding.
Supply booklet pages in reading order as individual PDF pages unless a different arrangement has been agreed. Do not rearrange them into printer’s spreads yourself. Embed the fonts, preserve appropriate image quality and use the agreed colour and PDF export settings. The booklet artwork guide, bleed and safe-area guide and print-ready PDF checklist cover these steps.
The final proof: check the whole piece together
Use one named approver for the complete file. Review the finished PDF after all edits have been brought together, including changes sent by different family members. A message approving an earlier text draft should not be treated as approval of a later layout.
- Names and dates: spelling, preferred names, initials and every printed date.
- Service details: venue, day, time, officiant or celebrant details and the distinction between service and gathering locations.
- Running order: correct sequence, readings, music titles and any text guests will follow.
- Photographs: the intended person, crop, quality and page placement; inspect at final size.
- Practical details: gathering instructions, donation wording, contact details and any QR destination.
- Production: page order, front and back, quantity, stock, finished size and collection or delivery arrangement.
Where a QR code is included, test it from an actual-size print or proof and confirm that it opens the correct approved destination. Keep a written record of the file version that is approved. If anything changes afterwards, send a fresh complete file and identify the changed pages before production continues.
Use the final proof checklist for a second pass through the practical details.
Working to the service date
Give the date and time the print must be in hand, not only the service date. Allow for handing copies to the funeral director, venue or family before guests arrive. Confirm the content deadline, proof approval point, production time and collection or delivery plan as separate milestones.
Short runs may suit digital printing, but the feasible route depends on quantity, stock, finishing, artwork readiness and current capacity. For an approaching deadline, call 01925 632717 before relying on a particular turnaround. We can discuss what is achievable for the specification.
Collection is from Unit 5 Guardian Point, Guardian St, Warrington, WA5 1AU. Identify who will collect, the required time and how the print should be packed. For delivery, provide the full destination and receiving contact once the job arrangements are agreed.
For funeral directors and celebrants
A reusable layout can make future arrangements easier while giving every family a personal result. Keep stable business details separate from names, dates, photographs and service content. Use a clear job identifier for each family and remove personal details from any blank master template.
Agree who supplies the running order, who gathers photographs and who has authority to approve the final version. Keep the complete proof and any later change together so that several similar jobs cannot be confused. Provide only the personal information needed for the print, and agree a suitable transfer route for files rather than putting private family details in an initial public enquiry.
When ordering several coordinated pieces, list the versions and quantities separately. A repeat layout should still receive a fresh check of the personal content and service arrangements.
Funeral printing questions
Can you print artwork prepared by our funeral director?
Send the finished size, item, quantity, required date and artwork status. We can discuss the file checks and suitable production specification. If the file needs changes, identify who can supply and approve the revised artwork.
Do we need a photograph on the cover?
The design can follow the family’s wishes. A photograph, a chosen motif or a simple typographic cover can each work. Prioritise the preferred name, clear service information and readable text.
How many orders of service should we order?
Use the expected attendance as a starting point, then decide whether guests will receive individual copies or share. Consider any copies for family members who cannot attend and any keepsakes wanted afterwards. Confirm the quantity with the organiser rather than relying on a universal allowance.
What if our only photograph is small or old?
Assess the original at the intended print size. A smaller placement may retain more useful detail than a full-page enlargement. A high PPI metadata label does not make a blurred image sharp; review an actual-size proof before approving the crop and size.
Can thank-you cards be ordered later?
They can be planned as a separate item with their own wording, quantity and deadline. Keep the approved name, photograph and design reference if a coordinated appearance is wanted, and confirm the current specification before the new run.
What should we send in the first enquiry?
Give the item, finished size if known, approximate quantity, service date, required collection or delivery time and whether artwork is ready. Mention any other stationery or display items needed. Detailed family information and photographs can follow through an agreed file-transfer route.
Further artwork guidance: Adobe’s print-bleed explanation and print PDF export guidance.
A print brief in practice
A family may choose a main programme and a small memorial card using different photographs. Proof the date and spelling on both pieces. If a favourite image is soft, compare a smaller crop in the actual layout rather than judging only a high-resolution number.
The family approval route
Send the service date, final running order, page count, quantity, approved names and original photographs. Identify the single person who will confirm the final proof.
Can an older photograph be used in an order of service?
Often it can, after checking the actual source and intended size. Scan a physical original where available, inspect focus and compression, and discuss a smaller placement if it cannot support the desired enlargement.