We love to highlight new developments and innovations, so this week we are delighted to share excerpts from a blog by Alec Sharples about how AI is enabling families to have a greater role in the style and design of their funeral stationery.
In his recent blog, Alec from Funeral Stationery 4U introduced his new service, which uses AI to help families to be more involved in creating funeral stationery. As Alec says, “When commemorating a loved one, a funeral order of service is more than just a printed programme – it is a cherished keepsake that reflects their personality, passions, and life story, and that of their loved ones shared story. AI design is a transformative evolution of memorial stationery, putting the design in the hands of the family in a way that hasn’t been possible before, unless you were a designer or a skilled Canva user, for example. Our state-of-the-art online editor brings AI to memorial stationery and allows families to create truly custom designs using AI-generated imagery, making each service booklet unique and deeply personal.
“Whether you’re looking for a serene landscape, a meaningful decorative accent, or a tribute to a beloved hobby, our AI image generator enables you to bring your vision to life with just a few words. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a one-of-a-kind funeral order of service using AI and provide a range of prompts to inspire your design.”
Setting the tone
Alec goes on to remind us how important the ‘feel’ of the order of service is, and how choice of colour and design can help reflect the character and personality of the person you are remembering.
Alec explains, “when creating a funeral orders of service, the choice of style plays a key role in setting the right tone. We love the way watercolour designs add a soft, elegant quality, creating a sense of gentle reflection. For a timeless feel, vintage themes can add a personal touch. If you prefer a contemporary feel, a minimalist approach with subtle pastel tones may be ideal. Nature-inspired themes, such as floral botanical illustrations, bring an organic beauty that symbolises renewal and remembrance. Regardless of the approach, selecting the right style ensures that the order of service becomes a cherished and meaningful keepsake.”
How to Include Style in AI Prompts
AI technology allows people to write a description as a prompt for AI. It will then use this to offer suitable images. Alec explains how this works and gives useful examples:
To generate images that fit beautiful and sensitive themes, try adding a style descriptor to your prompt. For example:
🌿 “A peaceful woodland in soft watercolour, with gentle sunlight filtering through the trees.”
🎨 “A vintage botanical illustration of roses and lilies, with delicate hand-drawn details.”
🕊️ “A serene sky at dusk, painted in minimalist-style and soft pastel shades with a gentle glowing horizon.”
Selecting Themes Around Personality Types or Hobbies
There are lots of different themes, so for a gardener you might write “A lush English garden in full bloom, with roses, lavender, and a rustic wooden bench.“
Or for a keen golfer, “A beautifully manicured golf course at dusk, with rolling greens and a glowing horizon.” A prompt for a football fan might be “A watercolour style football stadium under soft floodlights, symbolising a lifelong passion for the game.”
Adding Personal Decorative Elements
Beyond the background, you can use AI to generate smaller decorative accents. For example, a beautiful floral image or an elegant vintage gold filigree frame.
Customising the Text and Layout
Alec goes on to explain how simple it is to then add text and information. “Once you have your images in place, you can personalise the text, choosing fonts and colours that align with the tone you wish to set. You can also adjust the layout, ensuring that each section of the order of service is clearly presented and easy to read.”
Final Touches and Printing
It’s always an anxious moment, sending something to print, but Alec explains that “Before finalising your design, preview it to ensure everything looks perfect. Once you’re happy with it, you can proceed to order printed copies for the service and download a digital version for sharing.”
Exploring Funeral Stationery 4U’s AI-Powered Editor
The best way to see if it feels right for you is to take a look. Alec says, “We invite you to explore our AI-powered editor by editing our AI template, and bring your vision to life. If you need inspiration, try out some of the suggested prompts above and experiment with different styles, add text art, decorative accents and much more, until you find the perfect look for your funeral order of service.”
However, Alec recognises that, particularly following a bereavement, some people would rather not try to create the order of service themselves, so Funeral Stationery 4U has a wide range of pre-designed funeral order of service templates or a Done For You Service for a fully bespoke design by their talented team.
It’s great to see that people like Alec are harnessing new technology such as AI in a positive way, to give bereaved families greater flexibility and creative control over their funeral stationery designs and content, but that they also continue to offer a more traditional service for those that want it.
View the full original post on how AI is helping families personalise memorial stationery.