Design Your Own Funeral Program in Canva: Complete Tutorial

Creating a beautiful, personalized funeral program doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a professionally designed template and a free Canva account, you can customize everything in less time than you think.

In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll walk you through the entire process — from purchasing your template to printing at home or at a print shop.

Watch the full Video Guide or follow the written steps below

Step 1: Purchase and Download the Template

Start by purchasing your chosen Canva funeral program template from FuneralTemplates.com.

After checkout, download the PDF file provided. This PDF contains:

• Simple instructions for how to download your template

• A clickable link to open the template in Canva

• A short demo video on how to edit your template

Step 2: Open the Template in Canva

1. Open the downloaded PDF (you can find the PDF in your 'Downloads' folder).

2. Click the template link inside the PDF (make sure you click the correct size template link. Either US Letter size for printing on 8.5 x 11 inch paper or A4 size for UK and International printing on A4 paper.

3. The link will open in Canva. Select 'Edit Template' to open your editable copy of the template.

If you don’t already have a Canva account, select 'View Template' and create a free one. It only takes a minute and gives you full access to edit the template.

Step 3: Understand the 4-Page Layout

For this tutorial, I am using the popular 4-Page Sky Funeral Program Template. This bifold funeral program includes 4 panels arranged across 2 Canva pages:

Page 1:

• Left side: Back cover
• Right side: Front cover

Page 2:

• Left side: Inside left page
• Right side: Inside right page

This layout ensures proper folding after printing the template double sided on one sheet of paper.

Step 4: What Is Editable (and What Is Not)

Before editing, understand what you can change:

Not editable: Background image (this is locked in place for design consistency).

Editable:

• All text
• Photo frames
• Fonts
• Font sizes
• Layout positioning

Everything you need to personalize is fully customizable.

Step 5: Change the Title to “In Loving Memory”

1. Click on the title text box.

2. Highlight the existing wording.

3. Replace it with:

In Loving Memory

Step 6: Change the Font and Adjust Size

1. With the 'Memory' part of the title selected, click the font dropdown.

2. Search for an alternative script font, such as Apricots.

3. Select it.

4. Adjust the font size until it fits proportionally.

5. Click and drag the text box to reposition it as desired.

You can center it, raise it, or lower it to better fit your photo.

Step 7: Change the Name and Dates

Click the name text box and replace it with your loved one’s full name.

Then update the birth and death dates using a consistent format, such as:

January 5, 1948 — February 10, 2026

Step 8: Copy and Paste a Text Box

Need more space for additional details?

1. Click a text box.

2. Either right click and select 'Copy' or Press Ctrl + C (Cmd + C for Mac) to Copy.

3. Either right click and select 'Paste' or Press Ctrl + V (Cmd + V for Mac) to Paste.

4. Drag the new box into position.

5. Edit the text to add extra information.

This is helpful for adding special quotes, additional service details, or acknowledgments.

Step 9: Upload Photos to Canva

To upload photos:

1. Click Uploads button in the left sidebar.

2. Select Upload Files.

3. Choose photos from your computer.

They will appear in your uploads panel for easy access.

Step 10: Add a Photo to the Front Cover

1. Drag your uploaded photo into the front cover photo frame.

2. Double-click the image to adjust cropping.

3. Drag to reposition.

4. Use the corner handles to resize.

5. Click 'done' when finished resizing.

This ensures your loved one’s face is centered and properly framed.

Step 11: Replace an Existing Photo

To replace a photo:

1. Drag a new photo directly onto the existing photo frame.

2. Release it.

The new image automatically replaces the old one — no need to delete first.

Step 12: Use Undo to Fix Mistakes

If you accidentally delete a photo frame:

1. Click the frame.

2. Press Delete.

If that was a mistake, simply click the Undo button (top left arrow) to restore it.

This is a great reminder that mistakes are easily fixable.

Step 13: Fill in the Photo Collage

Continue dragging photos into each frame in the collage.

You’ll quickly see how easy it is to build a meaningful photo collection in just minutes.

Step 14: Resize the Entire Photo Collage

To resize all photo frames at once:

1. Click and drag your mouse to select all photo frames.

2. Click Group.

3. Use the corner handles to resize the entire collage proportionally.

This keeps spacing aligned while adjusting layout size.

Step 15: Add an Additional Photo

If you would like to add an additional photo:

1. Click an existing photo box.

2. Click Ctrl+C to copy it and Ctrl+V to paste it.

3. Click and drag it to your desired position.

4. Click and drag a photo to replace the existing one.

You can repeat these steps as many times as needed for extra photos.

Step 16: Edit the Obituary Page

On the obituary page:

• Click and delete any unused photo boxes.

• Select the title and obituary text box and drag it to the top of the page

• Replace the sample text with your own obituary text.

This gives you more space for a longer tribute.

Step 17: Swap Obituary and Order of Service Pages

To swap pages:

1. Click and drag the Order or Service text box to one side.

2. Click and drag the Obituary text box to the right page.

3. Click and drag the Order of Service text box to the left page.

Tip: Hold down the Shift button on your keyboard when dragging to keep text boxes aligned correctly.

You can easily rearrange content order to match your ceremony structure.

Step 18: Download as a PDF

When finished:

1. Click Share.

2. Click Download.

3. Select PDF Print.

4. Ensure all pages are selected.

5. Click Download.

This produces a high-quality, print-ready file.

Step 19: Save to a USB Drive for Print Shop

1. Open the downloaded PDF.

2. Review all pages carefully.

3. Save the file to a USB drive (click File>Save As, select your USB flash drive and click Save).

Take the USB drive to your local print shop for professional printing.

Step 20: Print Settings for Printing at Home

If printing at home, use these settings:

• Print double-sided

• Select Flip on Short Edge

• Choose Best Paper Quality

• Enable Borderless Printing (if available)

Always do one test print first before printing multiple copies.

Final Thoughts

Designing a funeral program in Canva is simple, flexible, and much faster than starting from scratch. With a professionally designed template and these step-by-step instructions, you can create a polished, heartfelt program that honors your loved one beautifully.

Take your time, review carefully, and remember — small customizations make a big difference.

SHOP CANVA FUNERAL PROGRAM TEMPLATES HERE