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Funeral Program Printing Tips
By Kim Gibson
Putting together and printing a funeral program that
both honors the person who has died and provides a
lasting keepsake doesn't have to be difficult. Follow
these tips to print an appropriate program for the
funeral you are planning.
1. Plan to Create a Keepsake: Printing a program that
can be put away as a keepsake is every bit as important
to the funeral as choosing the right setting. Printing
on cheap, lightweight paper may seem more economical,
but is it really the way you want to honor someone
special? Today's office supply superstores make
available a wide range of paper stock to use for your
funeral program. You might even have time to order
special paper stock online.
Whether you choose to print on card stock, high quality
28 pound to 32 pound paper stock or even a paper that's
slightly thicker than normal 20 pound printer paper,
choose a paper on which printed photos don't "show
through" and your printer ink won't smudge. One more tip
regarding paper...making the choice to purchase a high
"brightness" paper to give better photo contrast can
make all the difference in the program's appearance.
2. Visualize the Finished Program: While you might have
time to lay out numerous color photos in a collage, how
will the scanned photos actually look when printed? If
printing on colored paper, will multiple colors of ink
be visible or disappear? What effect are you hoping to
achieve, a formal funeral program or a bright reminder
of a colorful life? Take the time to visualize how you'd
like your finished program to look. It will just take a
moment longer, and save having to frantically reprint
poorly planned programs at the last minute.
3. Consider Your Budget and Resources: As you're
selecting the photos, paper and text for the funeral
program, keep in mind the resources available to print
them. Consider the printer and ink available. Attempting
to print on card stock, for example, could prove
difficult on both inkjet and laser home office printers.
Choose a paper and program template size that can easily
be printed on the equipment available to you. It's not
necessary to go to great expense to print a nicely
laid-out funeral program on quality paper. Work within
your budget to reduce anxiety during a difficult time.
4. Coordinate Funeral Programs with Other Printed
Materials: To prevent your printed materials from
seeming "home-made" coordinate the texture, color and
style of funeral program paper with any other printed
materials you'll be using. Perhaps you're also printing
funeral thank you cards, memorial cards or keepsakes
such as bookmarks. Purchasing the same paper for several
printed items will probably also be less expensive.
Here's another tip: if you're following "green" funeral
guidelines, be sure to look for recycled paper for your
funeral program printing.
Plan the content and photos you'll include in your
funeral program, use a downloadable template for ease of
layout and then choose a paper that fits your needs. In
that way, you will create a program that truly honors
your loved one.
Kimberly Gibson is owner of Elegant Memorials Funeral
Program Templates. She also writes and publishes a wide
range of articles in funeral and memorial planning
including articles on funeral songs. |
