Arranging a farewell for someone you love is one of the hardest things any of us will do. Amid the phone calls, the death notice, the paperwork and the well-meaning visitors, the funeral order of service is the one item that guests carry home with them – and often keep for decades.
This guide covers everything families need to know about funeral booklet printing: order of service sizes, paper stocks, page counts, wording, photograph quality, quantities, turnaround times and delivery across Australia, along with creative ideas that turn a simple funeral program into a treasured memorial keepsake.
What Makes Funeral Booklets Essential?
Funeral booklets – also called orders of service, funeral programs, service sheets or memorial booklets – are far more than an agenda for the day. They are essential components of a meaningful farewell. These booklets serve as an elegant blend of practicality and sentiment, combining structure with heartfelt emotion to honour the departed. They are:
• A Guiding Hand: Helping attendees follow the service with ease, so nobody is left wondering when to stand, sing or reflect
• A Memorial Keepsake: Providing a tangible memento to cherish forever, often kept in a memory box, a Bible or a photo album for generations
• A Celebration of Life: Highlighting the unique journey and legacy of your loved one, rather than only the day of their passing
• A Record for Those Who Could Not Attend: Posted to interstate relatives, elderly friends, or family overseas who could not make the trip
• A Comfort in the Weeks Afterwards: The days following a funeral can feel very quiet. A well-made booklet gives the bereaved something gentle to return to
• A Family Record: Decades later, these booklets become genealogy documents – often the only place a full name, date and family list is written down
By creating a personalised funeral order of service booklet, you’re giving attendees a heartfelt way to connect with the person being honoured – and giving yourself a lasting record of the day.
Choosing the Right Size and Format for Your Order of Service
The size you choose affects how the booklet feels in the hand, how much content fits comfortably, and how easily it slips into a jacket pocket or handbag. These are the most requested funeral booklet sizes in Australia:
Booklets of 4 pages are simply creased and folded. From 8 pages upwards we saddle-stitch (staple through the spine) for a neat, secure finish that opens flat. If your document doesn’t land on a multiple of four – say you have six pages of content – we’ll add blank or design-filled pages to make a complete 8 page booklet.
DL Booklets
99mm x 210mm
DL booklets are perfect for brochures and direct mail, offering a sleek, compact design for easy distribution
A6 Booklets
148mm x 105mm
A6 booklets are great for pocket-sized brochures, handouts, and event guides – compact and easy to carry
A5 Booklets
210mm x 148mm
A5 booklets are great for product catalogues and event programmes, offering a balance of size and detail
A4 Booklets
297mm x 210mm
A4 booklets are ideal for presentations and reports, providing ample space for content and visuals
Binding, Paper and Finish Options Explained
How your booklet is held together depends mostly on page count. A 4 page order of service is simply creased and folded. From 8 to around 32 pages, saddle stitching (stapled through the spine) is the standard – neat, discreet and it opens flat.
Wiro binding suits thicker memorial books and lets pages fold right back, while perfect binding gives a squared, printable spine for substantial celebration of life books. For shorter runs, a ribbon or twine tie adds a hand-finished touch. More detail on each below.
Paper and card stocks range from 130gsm to 350gsm in gloss, matt and semi-gloss finishes, with uncoated stocks that take handwriting well and recycled, FSC-certified papers for families who want a more sustainable option.
Lighter weights suit text-heavy inner pages, while heavier card gives the cover structure and stops the corners curling. Finishing can be kept simple or lifted with matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination, spot UV, foil blocking in gold or silver, and rounded corners.
Perfect (PUR) Bound Booklets
Uses adhesive to bind the pages to the spine, creating a clean and professional look to your booklet binding
Wiro (Spiral) Bound Booklets
Printed pages are bound with a spiral coil or wire, allowing the booklet to lay flat and providing durability
Staple (Saddle Stiched) Bound Booklets
Printed pages are stapled together along the fold, suitable for thinner booklets
Crafting the Perfect Funeral Booklet
Creating a memorable funeral booklet is simpler than you think.
Start with a theme that reflects the person. Whether they loved the bush, the beach, the garden or the footy, the design should feel like them: a botanical border for a gardener, soft blues for a sailor, a paddock at golden hour for a farmer.
Then cover the essentials:
- Full name, including any nickname or maiden name they were known by
- Dates of birth and passing, and a short biography
- Service details: date, time, venue, address and the celebrant or minister
- The order of service itself, with hymns, readings, eulogies and music
- Committal and wake details, plus donations in lieu of flowers
- A thank you from the family
The rest is what makes it a keepsake. Photographs spanning their life, favourite quotes or scripture, and full hymn lyrics so nobody has to hum through a verse they don’t know. A signature or short note reproduced in their own handwriting is often the detail people remember most.
Then invest in the quality. High-resolution images and premium stock make the difference between a printout and something worth keeping, and a proofread by someone outside the immediate family catches the errors that grief makes easy to miss.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does funeral order of service printing cost in Australia?
Cost depends on size, page count, paper stock, finish and quantity. A short run of 4pp A5 booklets is the most economical option, while 8pp booklets on 150gsm silk with a laminated cover sit in the mid range. Larger quantities bring the unit price down significantly, which is another reason to order your spares up front. Contact us with your size, page count and quantity for an exact quote.
Can you print funeral booklets in 24 hours?
Yes. We offer an express service and can turn urgent orders around in 24 to 48 hours from artwork approval, with same-day printing available in some cases for print-ready files. Get in touch as early as you can, even if the wording isn’t final.
Do I need to supply the design, or can you create it?
Either. Send us a print-ready PDF — including designs made in Canva or bought as an Etsy order of service template — and we’ll print it. Or simply email us your photographs, wording, hymns and readings, and our designers will build the whole booklet and send a digital proof for approval.
What paper is best for a funeral booklet?
150gsm silk for inner pages with a 250gsm to 300gsm laminated cover is the best all-round balance of quality, durability and cost. Choose uncoated stock if you want guests to be able to write in it, and a textured or laid stock for a more traditional, formal service.
Can I include song lyrics and poems?
Hymns and traditional or public domain poems present no difficulty. Contemporary song lyrics and poems still in copyright may require permission depending on how they’re reproduced, and Australian copyright generally runs for 70 years after the author’s death. We’re happy to talk through the options and suggest alternatives where needed.
Can you deliver directly to my funeral director?
Yes. Just give us the delivery address at the point of order and we’ll send the booklets straight to the funeral home, the church, the crematorium chapel or the venue, with tracking details sent to you.
What’s the difference between an order of service and a funeral program?
They’re essentially the same thing. “Order of service” is the most common term in Australia and emphasises the running order of the ceremony, while “funeral program” or “memorial booklet” often implies a more photographic, biographical keepsake. Ours combine both.
How far in advance should I order?
Ideally as soon as the service date and venue are confirmed — usually three to seven days before the funeral. Send your draft content early and finalise the wording later; the design work is what takes the time, not the last-minute edits.
Do you print for funeral directors and celebrants?
Yes. We work with funeral homes, celebrants and chapels across Australia on regular and trade terms. Get in touch to discuss ongoing arrangements, standing templates and account pricing.
Your Loved One Deserves the Best
A funeral booklet is more than just a program; it’s a reflection of love, respect and cherished memories.
Send us a print ready file, or let our design team build the booklet from your photographs and wording. You’ll receive a digital proof to check names, dates and page order before anything goes to press, with as many amendments as you need until it’s right. Most orders print within two to three business days of approval, with express options when time is short, and we can deliver to your home, your funeral director or the venue.
We know this isn’t a routine print job. Every booklet is handled with care by people who understand what it means to you.
Request a quick quote today, with no obligation and no pressure.
