If you've never used Canva before, don't worry, creating a funeral poster is far more straightforward than it sounds, and you don't need any design experience to get a beautiful, print ready result. This guide walks you through the whole process using our Funeral Poster Bundles as the example, from opening your template to printing or sharing the finished design.
Why Use a Canva Poster Template?
A few practical reasons a template makes this easier than starting from scratch:
- Canva works in your browser, on any device. Unlike Word or PowerPoint templates, a Canva poster template can be edited on a laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone, so you're not tied to a particular computer to get started.
- Everything is already laid out for you. With a Funeral Poster Bundle, you get 20 middle poster designs and 16 photo collage layouts for the left and right posters, holding up to 120 photos combined, so you're simply swapping in your own photos and text rather than building a layout from scratch.
- You can lock elements as you go. Canva lets you lock individual items or whole pages, so nothing gets accidentally moved or deleted while you're working through a design with a lot of photos.
Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create your own.
1. Choose a Poster Design
Start by choosing a design that reflects your loved one's personality or the tone of the service. Right now we offer four poster bundle designs, all sharing the same layout structure (20 middle posters and 16 collage layouts): the Classic bundle in white, a soft pink design, a navy blue version, and a green leaf foliage design. Each comes in 11 sizes, from a small 12 x 16 inches up to a large 24 x 36 inches, plus A1, A2 and A3, so you can pick whichever fits where it'll be displayed.
Browse our Funeral Poster templates →
2. Download Your Template and Open It in Canva
After you purchase, you'll download a PDF file. Open the PDF and click the Canva link inside it, this takes you straight to your template in Canva. If you don't already have a Canva account, you'll be prompted to create one, it's free and only takes a minute.
3. Choose a Middle Poster or a Photo Collage Layout
Our template bundles give you 20 middle poster designs, ideal for a single large photo of your loved one or a small photo collage, plus 16 collage layouts for the left and right posters.
The collage layouts range from 2 x 10 photos with titles up to 2 x 60 photos with titles, plus a couple of larger layouts without titles, so you can choose how many photos you'd like to feature depending on how much of your loved one's life you want to showcase.
4. Upload and Add Your Photos
Click the Uploads button in the left hand menu and select photos from your computer or phone. Once uploaded, drag and drop each photo directly into a placeholder on your template, then adjust the size and position if needed. Choose clear, high resolution images, since posters print quite large, a low resolution or heavily cropped photo can look blurry once enlarged.
If you're working on a collage layout with a large number of photos, we'd recommend using a laptop or desktop computer rather than a phone, it makes dragging and arranging that many images noticeably easier.
5. Edit the Title and Text
Double click on any text box to edit it, typing in your loved one's full name, birth and passing dates, and any service details you'd like to include. Keep the text clear and easy to read from a distance, guests will typically view a poster from several feet away, not up close, so avoid overly small or decorative fonts for anything important.
6. Personalize Colors and Fonts (Optional)
Click on any text or shape to reveal the color and font options in the toolbar above. Canva applies these changes instantly, so you can experiment freely and undo anything that doesn't feel right (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z). If your loved one had a favorite color, this is a simple way to work it into the design as an accent.
7. Download Your Poster
Once you're happy with your design, click Share in the top right corner, then Download. Choose PDF Print as the file type, this keeps your layout, fonts, and spacing locked in place so nothing shifts when the file is opened on a different computer or sent to a print shop. If you'd prefer to share the poster digitally instead, PNG or JPG will work well for emailing or posting online.
8. Print Your Poster
Most posters are best printed at a local print shop or online printing service, since home printers typically can't handle larger sizes (18 x 24 inches and up). If you're printing at home, a small size (around 12 x 16 inches) will usually work well, anything larger is generally best left to a professional printer for a crisp, properly sized result.
If you'd rather not track down a local print shop, we've partnered with Prints of Love, a 5-star rated print shop offering fast, high-quality, affordable printing with free shipping within the US.
Our Funeral Poster Bundles
All four bundles share the same layout structure (20 middle posters, 16 collage layouts, 11 sizes, plus a free matching 4-page funeral program and digital funeral invite), just in different color schemes.
Product example 1 
Classic Funeral Poster Bundle — a modern design with a clean white and neutral background. Our most popular poster template, which pairs well with most minimalist Canva funeral programs.
Product example 2 
Pink Funeral Poster Bundle — the same layout in a soft, plain pink colorway.
Product example 3
Navy Blue Funeral Poster Bundle — the same layout with a plain navy blue background, well suited to a more formal or traditional service.
Product example 4
Green Leaf Funeral Poster Bundle — the only foliage design currently available, with soft green leaf accents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Canva Pro subscription to edit a funeral poster template?
No. Our poster templates are designed to work with the free version of Canva, so there's no need to pay for a subscription to complete your design.
Can I edit a Canva poster template on my phone or tablet?
Yes, these templates work on any device. That said, for a photo collage template like this one, we'd recommend using a laptop or desktop computer where possible, working with a larger number of photos is noticeably easier to manage on a bigger screen.
How many photos can I fit in a collage layout?
The Classic Funeral Poster Bundle includes 16 collage layouts across its left and right posters, ranging from 2 x 10 photos with titles up to 2 x 60 photos with titles, holding up to 120 photos combined across the full set.
What file format should I download my poster in?
Choose PDF Print if you're sending your design to a print shop, this preserves your layout and print quality. Choose PNG or JPG if you'd like to share the poster digitally, by email or on social media.
Can I make changes to my poster after downloading it?
Not directly in the downloaded file, but you can always return to the design in Canva to make further edits and download it again, your project is saved automatically as you work.\
What else is included with the Canva poster bundle?
Every Canva poster bundle comes with a free matching funeral program and digital invite so you can quickly and easily invite your guests and prepare a beautiful program for the funeral service.
Free funeral program template:
Free funeral invite template:
Related reading: Canva Funeral Poster Templates · Create Beautiful Funeral Posters with a Canva Photo Collage Template · Canva vs Microsoft Word for Funeral Program Templates
