Bifold Funeral Program Template

The four panels and what goes on each

Fold a sheet of paper in half and you have four faces to work with. Two on the outside of the fold, two on the inside. Each has a settled job, and following the convention means guests find what they expect where they expect it.

The front cover carries the essentials and nothing else. Full name, a photograph, the dates of birth and death, and often the date and place of the service. Resist adding more here. The cover is the panel people will look at longest, and space around a face reads as respect.

Inside, the left panel holds the order of service, the top-to-bottom sequence of what will happen. The right panel holds the obituary, sometimes with a second photograph. This split matches how a seated guest actually uses the booklet, glancing left to follow the service and reading right during quiet moments. The back cover carries the family's note of thanks, the names of pallbearers, and reception or interment details if guests are invited on.

The map at a glance

• Front cover, name, photo, dates, service details
• Inside left, order of service
• Inside right, obituary and photos
• Back cover, acknowledgments, pallbearers, reception details

Page order for duplex printing, explained simply

Here is the part that confuses everyone once. The four panels do not print in reading order. Side one of the sheet carries the back cover on its left half and the front cover on its right half. Side two carries the inside left and inside right panels. When the sheet is flipped and folded, everything lands in the correct place.

The good news is that a proper template or our maker already arranges this, so you never rearrange anything yourself. Your only job is the duplex setting. When printing double-sided, choose flip on short edge. The long-edge setting, which is usually the default, prints side two upside down relative to side one.

Print a single copy on plain paper, fold it, and page through it like a guest would. Cover, then inside spread, then back. If anything is upside down, the duplex edge setting is the culprit. Thirty seconds of testing protects the whole stack of card stock.

When bifold is the right choice

Bifold suits the great majority of services. It comfortably holds a standard order of service, an obituary of roughly 200 to 300 words, two or three photographs, and the acknowledgments. It prints on any duplex-capable machine, and folding is a single motion that anyone helping you can do quickly and consistently.

Consider stepping up to a trifold only when the content genuinely will not fit, for instance a long obituary, full hymn lyrics for congregational singing, or a larger set of photographs. And consider stepping down to a single unfolded page for graveside services and small gatherings, where a full booklet can feel like more than the moment asks for. If you are torn, choose the bifold. Nobody has ever left a service thinking the program should have had more panels.