In this post you will learn where and how to print 9 generations of your family tree on a fan chart. It is free and very easy to do.
Last Saturday I made a blog post at my DNA blog website dnatestingforgenealogyhq.com titled “Getting Started With X-DNA Genealogy Research“. On that post I shared a partial image of my family tree highlighting the ancestors from whom I possibly inherited my X-Chromosome. I got many readers asking where I had created the chart that I used and that sparked me to create this blog post since it may be just what you need to display your family tree.
My 9 Generation Family Tree
What you see above is what you will get. By the way, when you print yours it will not be highlighted. That was done by me independently to show the possible ancestors from whom I inherited my X-Chromosome. I highly recommend that everyone try out this service since it is also a great way to exchange family trees and see where we may be related without much effort. It is excellent to try and find common matches with your DNA matches.
Where to Print Your Own Chart
I printed the above chart using the 9 Generation Fan (black & white) at TreeSeek.com
There are two ways that this website can create the fan chart for you. The first way is by by clicking the blue button that says “login to create your chart”. You will be asked to login to familysearch. You will only use this choice if you already have your family tree at familysearch.org if you don’t you need to use the second method.
The second way to create your chart will be to upload a Gedcom file. A Gedcom file is very easily created by the software program you may be using. For example on Family Tree Maker (affiliate link) you just click File > Export > select Gedcom 5.5 under Output Format then click OK and select where you want your file created. Use the Desktop so that you can easily find it.
Once you create your Gedcom, under the Blue Button found at the website there is a link labeled “TRY NOW”. Click it and you will be shown the next page. The image bellow is a copy of it.
Click on “Choose File” and upload your Gedcom. After you do that you will be presented with the following screen.
Just choose the 9 Gen Fan (black & white) or you can choose any of the other ones if you like then click on “Create Chart”. Once you do that wait a few minutes to be displayed with the following page.
On the above page you have two options. You can download the chart to your computer, winch I highly recommend, or order a print. If you click order a print you will be presented with the following screen.
As you can see it will only cost $14.99 to print your chart on a 18″ x 24″ paper. I personally think it is a great deal. To be honest I have not ordered mine since I am not ready yet. Since I needed a working chart I just printed my PDF to poster size.
How to Print Your Chart to Poster Size
I opened my chart using adobe PDF Reader and clicked on File > Print and then chose print to poster. For what ever reason it did not want to print on my printer. So what I did instead was poster and choose print to CutePDF. You may remember CutePDF from my previous post “Never Print to Paper Again With PDF Printers“. CutePDF created a PDF document with twelve 8″ x 11” pages which I then printed to my printer.
The only draw back is that you will have to stitch them together with clear tape, which I did. I now have it hanging on my wall and have written notes on it and highlighted the areas that I need to work on my Family Tree to break my brick walls.
Now you know how to create your own 9 generation family tree and even how to get it printed either by buying it or by printing it your self. I hope that you liked this post and if you did help others find out about it. Easily share it on you facebook wall or twitter account using the social media icons down below. Thanks in advance.
This is neat. I will try it soon.
It is, I also use it as a tool to see where I need to focus on my Family Tree.
The problem with TreeSeek is that it pulls info from FamilySearch. I’d love to print my family tree but because anybody can edit a family tree in FamilySearch, my tree has some nonsensical entries attached to it, which in turn renders the genealogical fan chart inaccurate and useless. It’d be nice to have something like that associated with Ancestry, where I have built my tree based on painstaking DOCUMENTATION and not just a person with the same name, like in FamilySearch.
BTW Moises, I think you and I are related through the descendancy of Lope de Sosa, I’m not sure at what point our trees diverge, though.
Use the option to upload Gedcom instead. Yes, I have him in my tree but I need to double-check since one of the sources I used has come into question.
Thank you so much for all the info you are providing. This chart looks very interesting and im going to use it when i get together with my few siblings on this coming Holidays. I am excited to see what we'll fibd and who we'll find.
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you uncover some great information over the holidays.