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How to export a GEDCOM file from Legacy Family Tree

Estimated time: 2 minutes
  1. Open your family file

    Start Legacy Family Tree (Windows; version 9 and 10 share the same export) and open the family file you want to print. Legacy stores your tree in its own .fdb format, so the poster needs a separate GEDCOM export rather than the family file itself.

  2. Go to File › Export to › GEDCOM File

    Click the "File" tab in the top-left corner, choose "Export to" and then "GEDCOM File". The "GEDCOM Export" window opens with the export options.

  3. Set the export options

    In the "Produce file for" box choose "GEDCOM 5.5 (Standard)", not the Legacy-only format. Under "Record Selection" keep "All Records in the Entire Family File" so every branch is included. In the character-set box pick "UTF-8" (the default is ANSI); UTF-8 keeps accented letters, umlauts and ß intact. Pictures and other media are not needed for the poster and can stay out.

  4. Check the privacy options and export

    The "Privacy Options" button lets you suppress or exclude living people. Leave both off if the living family should appear on the poster. Then click "Select File Name and START EXPORT", choose a folder such as Desktop or Downloads and keep the .ged extension. Legacy writes the file within seconds.

  5. Upload to RootsOnPrint

    Your GEDCOM file is ready. Upload it at RootsOnPrint and design your poster there.

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Troubleshooting

Umlauts or accents look wrong after upload?

The file was probably exported with the ANSI character set, which is Legacy's default. Export again and choose "UTF-8" in the GEDCOM Export window. RootsOnPrint also reads ANSEL files; UTF-8 is simply the safest choice.

Only part of the family was exported?

The "Record Selection" was set to a focus group or a tag level. Open the export again and select "All Records in the Entire Family File". You decide about the root person and the number of generations later, in the RootsOnPrint design step.

Living relatives appear as "Living" without data?

A privacy option ("Suppress Details for Living People" or "Exclude Living People Totally") was active. Click "Privacy Options" in the GEDCOM Export window, switch both off and export again.

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