Blog

Guides and ideas around the printed family tree.

Short, practical articles for people who want to get their family tree off the screen and onto a wall: how to start a family tree from scratch, how to read and fill in a pedigree chart with ahnentafel numbers, and on which occasions a printed tree makes a good gift. Two further guides compare family tree templates in Word, Excel and PDF and explain the German family book (Familienstammbuch) for anyone with German roots. Step-by-step instructions for exporting a GEDCOM file from the big platforms are in the export guides listed below.

• 22 March 2026·5 min read

  7 occasions to give a printed family tree

  From weddings to family reunions: seven occasions for a family tree poster, and the size that suits each one.

• 20 October 2026·3 min read

  Christmas order deadlines per country

  The last day to order a family tree poster for delivery before Christmas, per country, framed and unframed — and what to do if you miss it.

• 1 November 2026·7 min read

  How to make a family tree, step by step

  A beginner’s guide: start with what you know, ask your relatives, find documents and records, note your sources and avoid the common mistakes.

• 1 November 2026·7 min read

  How to read and fill in a pedigree chart

  What a pedigree chart shows, how ahnentafel numbers work (father 2n, mother 2n+1), what pedigree collapse means and how to fill in every field.

• 1 November 2026·6 min read

  Family tree templates: Word, Excel or PDF?

  Pedigree chart, fan chart or family group sheet in Word, Excel or as a printable PDF: what each is good for, tips for filling in and printing.

• 1 November 2026·6 min read

  The German Familienstammbuch explained

  What a German family book contains, how to read it with a glossary of German terms, how to request records from Germany and read old handwriting.