How to Print a Funeral Program: Staples, FedEx Office, or at Home

Step by step

1. Print one copy first. Before printing 50 or 100, print a single copy on the paper you will use, fold it, and check the name, the dates, the photo, the fold and the page order. It costs one sheet and catches the mistakes that ruin a whole run.
2. Pick the right file. Copy-shop PDF (letter) for FedEx Office, Staples and home printers. Professional PDF (12 × 9.5 in with crop marks) only for a commercial printer or funeral home that trims. The share PDF is for screens, not for printing.
3. Print double-sided, flip on the short edge. The program is one letter sheet printed on both sides. Choose two-sided printing and flip on the SHORT edge; flipping on the long edge prints the inside upside down. At home, print Candlefold's one-page two-sided test first to find the right setting.
4. Choose the paper. 32 lb bright white paper is the best all-round choice at a shop or at home. Heavier cover stock (60-80 lb) looks richer but should be scored before folding; 100 lb cover cracks at the fold unless scored.
5. Fold with the cover facing out. Fold the sheet in half with the cover outward, line up the corners, and crease with a bone folder or the back of a spoon. Ask the shop for a half-fold if they offer it.

Print one copy first, and check it before printing the full set. This catches folding, colour, name-spelling and page-order problems while there is still time to fix them. Then use the copy-shop PDF for FedEx Office, Staples or your own printer: it is a plain letter-size file that keeps everything a quarter inch inside the edge, because self-service printing always leaves a small white margin. Ask for letter size, double-sided, flipped on the short edge, 32 lb bright white, folded in half.

Which file do I use?

Candlefold gives you several PDFs. Use the right one for where you are printing:

Candlefold's print files and where each one goes

File	What it is	Use it for
Copy-shop PDF (letter)	One 8.5 × 11 in sheet, two sides. Folds to 5.5 × 8.5 in. White paper, nothing closer than 0.25 in to the edge, no crop marks.	FedEx Office and Staples (online upload or at the counter), any copy shop, and your home printer. This is the one most families need.
Professional PDF (12 × 9.5 in, crop marks)	The same program on a larger sheet with 0.125 in bleed, crop marks, fold marks and a printer's note.	Only a commercial printer or funeral home that prints on larger paper and trims it. Never for self-service upload.
Large-print copy	The same content in 16 pt type or larger.	Older guests. Usually one sheet; see below if yours has two.
Share PDF	The four pages in reading order, for phones and screens.	Texting or emailing to relatives who cannot attend. Not for printing.
Cards	Six 2.5 × 4.25 in cards on a letter sheet, fronts and backs.	Prayer or memorial cards. Printed double-sided, flipped on the long edge.
Two-sided test page	One sheet with a cross on each side.	Home printers: find the right duplex setting before you print the program.

Why print one copy first?

Because the mistakes that ruin a full print run are cheap to catch and expensive to discover afterwards: a name misspelled, a photo cropped wrong, pages in the wrong order, or a duplex setting that puts the inside upside down. One test copy, on the paper you will actually use, catches all of these for the cost of a single sheet. Do it even if the service is tomorrow. It takes about two minutes.

How do I print at FedEx Office?

1. Download the copy-shop PDF from Candlefold.
2. On office.fedex.com, choose Copies & Custom Documents and Upload a File. (FedEx Office accepts PDF files up to 150 MB.)
3. Choose 8.5 × 11 in, full colour, double-sided.
4. Paper: Laser (32 lb) is the best choice for a program. FedEx also lists 24 lb, 28 lb recycled, 60 lb and 80 lb laser, and 100 lb matte cover.
5. Finishing: FedEx lists half-fold among its folding options. If it is offered for your paper, choose it; otherwise fold them yourself (it is quick).
6. Order before noon Central time for the best chance of same-day pickup. FedEx Office says most orders are ready the same day or within 24 hours, depending on the store. Call ahead.

FedEx Office says uploaded standard documents, letter size included, print with a small margin and never full bleed. That is why the copy-shop PDF keeps the cover frame, the photos and the dark Evergreen background at least a quarter inch inside the edge: nothing gets cut off, and the white border looks planned.

How do I print at Staples?

1. Download the copy-shop PDF.
2. On the Staples print site, use document printing (copies and documents), not Booklets. Staples booklets start at 8 pages, and a 4-page program is one folded sheet.
3. Choose letter (8.5 × 11 in), double-sided, and 32 lb premium paper (28 lb is fine too).
4. Staples lists folding and cutting as finishing options for documents. Ask for the sheets folded in half. We could not confirm the exact fold choices in the online builder, so if you do not see a half-fold, ask at the counter or fold them yourself.
5. For same-day pickup, order by 12 pm. Staples also offers paid Express pickup, ready in about three hours, if you order more than 3½ hours before the store closes.

Staples’ same-day brochures are tri-fold only and print with a white border, and their full-bleed brochures take five to seven business days, so they are not the right product for a funeral this week.

What should I say to the clerk?

Bring the copy-shop PDF on a USB stick or email it to the store, and say:

“Please print this PDF at actual size on letter paper, double-sided, flipped on the short edge, on 32 lb bright white, full colour, and fold them in half. Could you print one copy first so I can check it?”

If you want heavier paper, ask for 80 lb cover and ask them to score it before folding. Heavy cover stock, especially with a dark cover like Evergreen, cracks along the fold if it is not scored first. If the shop’s software shrinks the file slightly to fit its margins, nothing is lost, because every part of the copy-shop PDF is already inside the safe area.

When should I use the professional PDF?

Use it only with a commercial printer or a funeral home’s print room that prints on a larger sheet (tabloid or 12 × 18 in) and trims it to 11 × 8.5 in. The professional PDF has 0.125 in of bleed, crop marks and fold marks, so a dark cover can run right to the paper edge. If you upload it to a self-service uploader, it is shrunk to fit a letter page and the crop marks print on your program. We could not verify from FedEx Office’s or Staples’ current pages whether their counters will trim a customer file with crop marks, so ask before you order.

What paper weight should I use?

• Program: 32 lb bright white (about 120 g/m²) is the best all-round choice at a shop and at home. It is opaque, prints cleanly and folds crisply. 24-28 lb works if that is what is available, but a little ink shows through.
• Heavier program stock: 60-80 lb cover feels more substantial. Ask the shop to score it before folding.
• Avoid 100 lb cover for a folded program unless it is scored: it cracks along the fold.
• Cards: 80-100 lb cover at a print shop. At home, see the card stock section below.

Can I print a good result at home?

Yes. Use the copy-shop PDF. It is the same file the shop gets, so what you see is what the shop would print.

1. Print Candlefold’s two-sided test page first (under “More print files” on the download page). Print it double-sided with “Flip on short edge”, then hold it up to a window. The crosses on the two sides should sit on top of each other, and side 2 should read the right way up when you turn the sheet over from left to right. If side 2 is upside down, use the other flip setting.
2. Use 32 lb paper, not 20 lb copy paper, which curls and shows ink through.
3. Print at 100 % (actual size) and double-sided, flipped on the short edge. If your printer has no automatic two-sided printing, print page 1, put the sheet back in the tray as the test page showed you, then print page 2.
4. Fold with the cover facing out, line up the corners, and crease with a bone folder or the back of a spoon.

The copy-shop file prints on white paper with no background tint, so home inkjets and laser printers do not leave a speckled cream box. If you are printing many copies of the Evergreen design at home, turn on Ink saver under “More print files” on Candlefold’s download page: the dark green cover and card fronts become light, with green lettering.

What card stock works in a home printer?

Most home inkjet printers take card stock only up to about 200-216 g/m². HP’s support pages give 163-200 g/m² for common Envy models. Pound weights are confusing, so here are the usual conversions:

• 65 lb cover ≈ 176 g/m²: the safe choice for almost any home printer.
• 80 lb cover ≈ 216 g/m²: only if your printer’s manual lists 216 g/m² or more.
• 100-110 lb cover ≈ 270-300 g/m²: print shop only. It jams or smears in most home printers.

Feed card stock through the rear or manual tray, one sheet at a time, with the paper type set to “Cardstock” or “Heavy”. Print the cards double-sided with Flip on long edge. If you print the backs by hand, re-feed the sheet as the test page shows. The backs are laid out mirror-image so that each one lands behind its front.

How do I cut the cards?

The six cards sit edge to edge with crop marks in the margins. The bottom row is printed upside down (“head to head”), so the middle cut runs between two name bands, and a cut that is a millimetre off never leaves a strip of someone else’s photo.

1. Use a paper trimmer or guillotine. A metal ruler and a sharp craft knife on a cutting mat also work.
2. Cut the top and bottom margins off along the outer crop marks.
3. Make the middle cut between the two rows.
4. Make the two inside vertical cuts, then trim the left and right margins.
5. For cards that last, ask FedEx Office or Staples to laminate them. Both list lamination as a finishing option.

The large-print copy

The large-print copy uses the same folded letter sheet as the program, in 16 pt type or larger. It prints and folds exactly like the program. If the family’s words are too long to fit one sheet even at 16 pt, Candlefold makes two sheets (8 pages) instead of shrinking the type, and tells you before you pay. To put two sheets together:

1. Print both sheets double-sided, flipped on the short edge.
2. Keep them in the order they print. Lay sheet 2 inside sheet 1.
3. Fold them together with the cover outward.
4. Staple twice on the fold. A long-reach stapler works, or ask the shop to “saddle stitch” them.

How long does same-day printing actually take?

At FedEx Office the published cutoff for many same-day orders is noon Central time. At Staples it is 12 pm, with paid Express pickup later in the day. Neither company guarantees a turnaround for every store. What decides whether you get your programs today is your store’s workload, so call ahead, every time.

Where to print a letter-size folded funeral program, checked September 2026

Path	File	Same-day cutoff	Prints to the edge?	Ask for
Home	Copy-shop PDF	None	No. The file keeps a 0.25 in white border.	32 lb paper, flip on short edge, print the test page first
FedEx Office	Copy-shop PDF	Before noon Central time for many orders	No. FedEx says uploaded documents print with a small margin.	Letter, double-sided, Laser 32 lb, half-fold
Staples	Copy-shop PDF	12 pm; paid Express pickup later	Not for same-day documents or brochures	Letter, double-sided, 32 lb, folded in half
Commercial printer or funeral home	Professional PDF	Ask	Yes. They trim on the crop marks.	Trim to 11 × 8.5 in, fold in half, score heavy stock

Neither company publishes a flat national price per copy, so ask for a quote when you call ahead rather than relying on a number from any website, including this one.

What if the service is tomorrow?

If a print shop’s same-day cutoff has passed, printing at home tonight is usually the more reliable option, because you control the timeline. If you would rather use a shop, call your nearest Staples or FedEx Office directly and ask whether they can turn around a small job before closing. Either way, print one copy first, even tonight.

Questions families ask

Why print one copy first?

It catches name, date, photo, fold and page-order problems while you can still fix them, before you have paid for 50 or 100 copies. It is the first step for a reason.

Which Candlefold file do I upload to FedEx Office or Staples?

The copy-shop PDF. It is exactly letter size (8.5 × 11 in), two pages, with everything at least a quarter inch from the edge. Self-service uploads at FedEx Office print with a small white margin and never to the edge, so this file prints without anything being cut off. Do not upload the professional PDF there: it is a larger sheet with crop marks for printers who trim.

How do I print at FedEx Office?

On office.fedex.com choose Copies & Custom Documents and Upload a File. Pick 8.5 × 11 in, full colour, double-sided, Laser (32 lb) paper, and the half-fold finishing option if it is offered for your paper. FedEx Office says many orders placed before noon Central time are ready the same day, depending on the store.

How do I print at Staples?

Use Staples document printing (copies and documents), not Booklets: Staples booklets start at 8 pages. Upload the copy-shop PDF, choose letter size, double-sided, 32 lb (or 28 lb) paper, and ask for it folded in half. Orders placed by 12 pm can be picked up the same day.

What should I ask the clerk?

Say: “Please print this PDF at actual size on letter paper, double-sided, flipped on the short edge, 32 lb bright white, full colour, and fold them in half. Could you print one copy first so I can check it?”

What paper weight should I use?

For the program, 32 lb bright white text paper (about 120 g/m²). 24 or 28 lb works but shows a little ink through. Cover stock (60-80 lb) feels richer; ask the shop to score it before folding. For cards, 80-100 lb cover at a shop, or 65 lb cover on a home inkjet.

When do I use the professional PDF?

Only when a commercial printer or the funeral home's print room will print on a larger sheet and trim it (for example to get the Evergreen cover printed right to the edge). The file has 0.125 in of bleed and crop marks. Self-service copy printing cannot use it.

What card stock works in a home printer?

Most home inkjets take cover stock only up to about 200-216 g/m², which is 65-80 lb cover. 65 lb cover is the safe choice; use 80 lb only if your printer's manual lists 216 g/m² or more. Leave 100-110 lb for a print shop.

The large-print copy has two sheets. How do I put it together?

Print both sheets double-sided, flipped on the short edge. Keep them in the order they print, lay sheet 2 inside sheet 1, fold them together and staple twice on the fold. Most large-print copies fit on one sheet, just like the program.

What if the service is tomorrow?

Print at home tonight if the shop's same-day cutoff has passed, or call the store and ask. Either way, print one copy first. It takes two minutes.

Sources

• FedEx Office: Online printing FAQ (checked 2026-09-28). Standard documents uploaded through Upload a File, letter included, “are produced with a small margin around the edges and are not printed full bleed”. Paper weights explained (20 lb everyday, 32 lb premium text, 80/100 lb cover). Same-day pickup for many orders placed before noon CST. PDF preferred, 150 MB maximum.
• FedEx Office: Copies & Custom Documents (checked 2026-09-28). 8.5 × 11, 8.5 × 14 and 11 × 17 in. Paper: Laser 24 lb, 32 lb, 60 lb, 80 lb, 28 lb recycled, 100 lb matte cover and others. Finishing: half-fold, tri-fold or z-fold, cutting, lamination, binding.
• FedEx Office: Brochures (checked 2026-09-28). Uploaded files print on 32 lb paper with a small margin and a half-fold option; only Canva designs print full bleed.
• Staples: Booklet Printing (checked 2026-09-28). Saddle-stitched, 8 to 80 pages, single pages in reading order, page count a multiple of four. Same-day standard pickup if ordered by 12 pm; Express pickup must be ordered 3½ hours before closing.
• Staples: Copies & Document Printing (checked 2026-09-28). Letter, legal and ledger sizes; 24, 28 and 32 lb papers and card stock; folding, cutting and lamination.
• Staples: Brochures (checked 2026-09-28). Same-day brochures are tri-fold, 32 lb, with a white border; full-bleed brochures take five to seven business days.
• HP Support Community: Envy card weights (checked 2026-09-28). Cards 163-200 g/m² on common HP Envy inkjets.
• Microsoft Support: Create a booklet or book in Word (checked 2026-09-26). Confirms “Flip pages on the short edge” as the duplex setting for a folded booklet.

What we could not verify: the exact folding choices in Staples’ online document builder; whether FedEx Office and Staples counters will trim a customer file on its crop marks. Ask your store about these. The pound-to-g/m² conversions above are the standard ones for text and cover paper.

Prices and store policies were checked against Staples’s and FedEx Office’s own published pages on the dates above. Call your local store to confirm same-day cutoff times and pricing, which vary by location and are not published as a flat national rate.