Frequently Asked Questions

What types of genealogy charts can you print?

Short answer—Any type of chart you can dream up. We can print Ancestor charts, Descendant charts or a combination of both. We can print as many generations as you want, depending on how big a chart you want. When we print an ancestor chart, we also have the option to show all of the siblings of the direct line ancestor and more. And we also specialize in "print everything in my file" charts.

The only thing we can't do is defy the laws of geometry. If you want a huge number of people in a large size font on a teeny tiny piece of paper, we may have to come up with some other options for you. Usually the magic we perform consists of a triangle between the number of people you want on the chart, the size of the font and the size of the paper. But we can come up with several options for you to choose from to help you figure out how to best display your family.

Some of our most popular formats are:


What type of file do you need to create a chart?

We can create a chart from any type of genealogy computer data file such as Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, Ancestral Quest, Family Tree Builder, The Master Genealogist, Personal Ancestral File, and many others. We would prefer the actual data file i.e. .ftm, .rmgc, .fdb, .paf, etc. All genealogy programs have the ability to export a .gedcom file and we can use that as well. Feel free to send us the whole file and we can take out just the parts we need.

If you have your data on a genealogy website, we would need a .gedcom file to create the chart. Most websites have instructions to let you create a .gedcom file. You can contact the website company and ask for instructions on how to do this, or if you want to give us a call we can walk you through it over the phone. To download your family tree from FamilySearch, just use our easy Family Search Download Page

To download your family tree from Ancestry: When you are logged in, scroll down on the home page to where you can see your family tree box (under the "recent activity" box). Click to "view this tree". At the top of the tree you'll see "tree pages" with a down arrow. Click once on the down arrow and you'll see the menu item "tree settings." On the right you will see a green button that says "Export Tree". After processing, the button will change to say "Download your gedcom file." Click on that button and save the file to a place where you will remember where it is (the desktop is a good place to put it if you are unsure.)

If you don't have your information in a genealogy format, we can still work with what you have. We do need to eventually use a genealogy file but we can create one for you. We charge $25.00 per hour to do Data Entry. Just get us your genealogy information any way you can and we'll send you a quote before we start. E-mail, Excel, Word-any format you can get to us will work.

Can you access FamilySearch FamilyTree data?

Yes, we can extract the data from FamilySearch Family Tree. After you have clicked "Free Consultation," there is a bar at the top of the page that says, "Retrieve your information from FamilySearch Family Tree," You will need the person ID# from Family Tree, unless you want the chart to start from you. Once you have entered your contact information, and click on the bar that says "Download from FamilySearch Family Tree". The next screen will prompt you to enter your user name and password, it will then send a file to us. Give us a day or two to look at your file and give you some options as per your request.

Does Family ChartMasters find the information and pictures to put on my chart?

At this time, Family ChartMasters does not offer genealogical research. We can recommend some researchers we trust, and then we'll be ready to create your chart when you have all your information gathered.

How do I scan pictures for a Family ChartMasters chart?


How do I zip (compress) image files together to send them to Family ChartMasters?

In Windows:

What is the best format for saving picture files?

  1. .tif or .tiff (Tagged Image File Format.) These have the least loss of quality. Don't compress, if possible. Especially avoid JPEG or LZW compression.
  2. .png (Portable Network Graphic). This is a new type of file that retains quality well.
  3. .bmp (Bitmap). These files retain good quality but are hard to send over the internet because they are much larger than other files.
  4. .jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group). These files are smaller but lose a lot of quality in the image.
  5. .gif (Graphics Interchange Format). These are ok for black and white pictures, but are highly compressed so they lose quality.

How do I create my own oversized genealogy chart and have Family ChartMasters print it?

You might try one of the following programs:

What is a Blank Chart?

A blank chart is a decorative design where you can write in the information for your family tree. These charts are a good choice if you are just getting started and want to write down what you have before you input your data into a genealogy software program. A blank chart is also good if you have a family member who has beautiful handwriting and you want to preserve that. We have several types of blank charts for you to choose from on our website. Go to the home page, click on "blank charts". On the top of the page is a pull down menu that is labeled "Blank Chart Styles". There are 17 styles to choose from. Once you choose a style, then you can choose a paper you want the chart printed on.

What is a Pre-Created Chart?

A Pre-Created chart is a chart that you have designed yourself. There are several software programs which will create a chart within their software. If you have a chart that you have created in another program and you want to have us print it for you, you can submit your chart file in any format, and we will take it from there. Our Pre-created chart pricing is lower, since you have the decorative work yourself.

What is a Working chart?

Working charts are inexpensive, large, draft copies printed on 20 lb. standard bond with non-archival ink and paper. They are perfect for writing on and collecting more information-especially at family reunions. We print the file as it comes out from the data that you send us. There is no on-line preview, no edits, no decorative elements added to the chart to save you money. When you send your file in for a free consultation, we will send you back several options for printing your chart and when you place your order, we get it printed and sent right out to you.

What is a Decorative chart?

A decorative chart is a custom chart with your family information in any format you want to design. We will add a title, border, background, pictures, or other decorative elements. We can also add color-coding or other graphics and embellishments. All of our decorative chart papers and ink are archival.

When we create a decorative genealogy chart, we put together a preview and email you a link to it so you can check it and make sure it is what you are envisioning and the information is all right. We can create virtually any design you can describe to us. We work back and forth with you using more previews until it is perfect. Then when you give us the ok we'll take payment and print and ship it right out to you.

What is the difference between a Working Chart and a Decorative Chart?

The biggest difference between and working chart and a decorative chart is the on-line preview. The working chart has no on-line preview and no edits; the decorative chart has edits and includes the on-line preview. Another difference is the paper. Working charts are printed on non-archival, 20 lb. Standard bond paper; Decorative charts are printed on archival paper with archival ink. We have 7 different papers to choose from. Working charts are plain black ink on white paper no pictures and no decorative elements; Decorative charts can include pictures, backgrounds, titles, border, and other decorative elements.

What is the cost for a chart?

The cost of our charts is largely dependent on the size of the chart, the quality of paper you want and whether or not you want a preview. That is why our free consultation is so great. Once you submit your file and let us know what type of chart you are looking for, we will look at the size the chart will be as per your request. We will then e-mail you with options that will include the price of the chart.

Is there a discount for printing multiple charts?

For the Blank charts and the Pre-created charts, we have no further discounts, due to the already low prices on those charts. For the Working charts and the Decorative charts, you pay full price for the first copy and then all additional copies are 1/2 off the original price. Orders for 10 or more copies receive an additional 10% off the whole order, and orders for 20 or more copies receive an additional 20% off the order.

How long does it take to print a chart?

Once we receive your order, it takes 24-48 hours to print your chart. Of course for Decorative charts you will want to allow for 2-3 weeks to make sure we can work back and forth with you to create exactly what you are envisioning.

How long does it take to ship a chart?

Our normal shipping is USPS Priority Mail which takes 2-3 days in the United States. We can also ship your charts Express Mail which is $45 and will arrive in the United States in 1-2 days. We're also happy to ship overnight for $145.

What if I have something else in mind and it is not like any of the sample charts you have on the website?

It sounds cocky, but after 11 years of saying we can print any style of genealogy chart from any genealogy file we're confident that we really can print exactly what you're looking for. You can relax knowing that we will print you a beautiful representation of your family's history. When you come to us, expect the best of the best. We know what we're doing with your genealogy.