The steps below are for a template you buy from Elegant Memorials. Every published template comes in Microsoft Word 2007 or higher. Some designs also come in Canva, and many older designs also come in Apple Pages. Canva is not on every product, so check the File Type menu on the product page before you buy. If you want to edit in your browser, start with our Canva funeral program templates.
Download the Word file to your computer
When you check out, you download a copy of the template to your computer. If your browser asks whether to Open or Save the file, choose Save. If you only open it from the download dialog and start typing, it is easier to lose your work.
Pay attention to where the file goes. Download folders differ from one computer to the next. If you can, save it to your desktop, or to a folder you already use for this service, and give it a name you will recognize later.
Downloads from our site stay available for 10 days after purchase, and you can download a file up to 5 times in that period, as explained on our template FAQs and Terms of Service. You can use the template itself as often as you need, but once that download period ends we cannot replace a lost file. That is why a copy saved on your computer matters.
For the overall choose, personalize, and print flow, see How funeral program templates work. For Word-specific editing help, see Funeral program templates for Word.
Make a working copy in Word
Open the file in desktop Word 2007 or higher. Do not open a Word template in Google Docs, Word Online, the Word mobile app, or Apple Pages. Our Word guide explains that bifold layouts can shift or stack in those programs. If that has already happened, close the file and open a fresh copy in desktop Word.
If a yellow Protected View bar appears, click Enable Editing before you start.
Once the file is open, use Save As to make a working copy. Leave the original download untouched, so you can go back to a clean template if you need it or want to use the design again. Give the new file a clear name, such as the person's name and the word program.
Check that your edits are really saved
After you have the working copy, type something small, such as the person's name, then save and close the file. Open it again and make sure the change is still there. This also confirms you are not working in a read-only copy.
While you edit, save every few minutes, especially after you add photos. Do not rely on Autosave alone.
If the pages look stacked or you cannot click into a text box, you are likely looking at a file that was opened outside desktop Word. Close it and open a fresh copy in desktop Word, as described on the Word guide. If you would rather edit in your browser, choose a design that includes Canva and follow the Canva steps below.
If you chose a Canva file type
Canva is only on some designs. On the product page, choose Canva in the File Type menu. If Canva is not listed, that design is not available in Canva. The Quiet Shore bifold and the Pastel Memories bifold both come in Word and Canva. Neither of those two comes in Apple Pages.
After checkout, you download a PDF. That PDF contains a private link to your Canva template. Open the PDF, then open the link by clicking the button, copying the link into your web browser, or, on some designs, scanning the QR code with your phone. Sign in to Canva, or create an account. A Canva account is enough, and Canva Pro is not needed.
Click Use template. This makes your own copy in your Canva account. Your edits are kept in that copy. The original stays unchanged, so you can start fresh from the link.
After the template is open, add your photo, name, dates, order of service, obituary and poems. When you have a version you are happy with, click Share, then Download, choose PDF Print, and keep that file with your other service papers.
If you bought an Apple Pages file
Some designs also come in Apple Pages. Check the File Type menu on the product page. The Quiet Shore and Pastel Memories bifolds linked above do not include Pages, so this section applies only when the product you bought lists Apple Pages.
Open the Pages file in Apple Pages, make a copy before you edit, and save as you go. Do not open a Word template in Pages to get around Word. That is the case our Word guide warns can shift the layout.
If a download will not start, or a file will not open, contact us through our contact form during the 10-day download period, as the FAQs describe. Please include your order number or the email address you used at checkout.
You can browse bifold funeral program templates, or all funeral program templates, when you are ready to choose a design.
