Free Word templates
Free funeral program templates for Microsoft Word
Editable .docx files you can open in Word, Google Docs, Pages, or LibreOffice and type straight into. No signup, no email address, no watermark, and nothing held back for a paid version. Every field you need to fill in is marked with [square brackets] so nothing gets missed at four in the morning.
Not using Word? Step-by-step instructions for Google Docs. Looking for sizes, or for the word your church or printer uses? Funeral pamphlet sizes and panel wording.
Download
Bifold funeral program
One 8.5 x 11 sheet, printed both sides, folded once — four panels
The standard funeral program. Choose this if you have a photograph and an obituary to include.
Download Word fileSingle-sheet order of service
One 8.5 x 11 page, printed on one side only
Choose this if the service is tomorrow. Nothing to fold, nothing to align, very hard to get wrong.
Download Word fileTemplates by tradition
Each of these downloads as an editable Word file with the service sequence already in the right order for that tradition. Confirm the order with your officiant before printing, since congregations vary.
Printing and folding
More programs are ruined at the printer than in the writing. These are the mistakes that actually happen.
- Which paper should I use?
- Standard copier paper works, but 28lb paper or a light card stock feels noticeably better in the hand and costs very little more. If you are printing a photograph, matte paper hides fingerprints better than glossy.
- How many should I print?
- A common guide is one program for every two people expected, plus about twenty spare. People take them home, and families almost always wish they had printed more rather than fewer.
- Why did my double-sided print come out upside down?
- Your printer flipped on the long edge. For a bifold you need to flip on the SHORT edge. The setting is usually in the print dialog under two-sided printing. Print one copy and fold it before running the rest.
- Can I take the Word file to a copy shop?
- Yes, though most shops prefer a PDF because it guarantees your fonts and spacing survive. In Word choose File, then Save As, then PDF. Bring that file on a USB stick or email it ahead.
- The photo moves whenever I type. How do I fix it?
- Right-click the image, choose Wrap Text, then In Line with Text. The picture will then behave like a very large letter and stay where you put it.
Questions
- Are these really free?
- Yes. There is no signup, no email address required, no watermark, and no trial. The files download directly when you click. You may edit, print, share, and reuse them, including for a service you are paid to arrange, and you do not need to credit us.
- Will these open in Google Docs, Pages, or LibreOffice?
- Yes. They are standard .docx files. In Google Docs choose File, then Open, and upload the file. Some spacing may shift slightly between programs, so check the layout before printing. Pages and LibreOffice both open .docx directly.
- What are the square brackets for?
- Every field you need to replace is written inside [square brackets], so nothing gets missed. Press Ctrl+H, or Cmd+Shift+H on a Mac, and search for an opening bracket to jump between them.
- Do I have to delete the first page?
- Yes. The first page is instructions and is meant to be deleted before printing. It is separated by a page break so you can remove it in one action.
If you would rather not fight with Word
The templates above are genuinely free and always will be. But formatting a bifold while grieving, on a deadline, is a real burden, and double-sided printing goes wrong more often than it goes right. TributeReady answers a few questions about the person and returns a finished, print-ready PDF with the panels already imposed correctly, for a one-time $34.99. No subscription.
See how it works