Adding too many people too early
Build the direct family first, export a draft, then add cousins and historical branches.
How to Make a Family Tree
This guide walks through the full process from a blank list of relatives to a readable exported chart. It is written for people making a practical family tree, not a huge genealogy database: the goal is a clear image that relatives can understand, correct, print, or share.
Before You Start
Decide what the tree is for. A school project, a reunion handout, a memorial keepsake, and a research chart all need different amounts of detail. A good first version usually shows fewer people with cleaner relationships instead of every possible branch.
Scope
Choose three to five generations or one family branch.
Privacy
Avoid publishing full details for living relatives without permission.
Output
Plan for print, presentation, or online sharing before choosing a layout.
Step 1
List your core family members
Start with the people you can verify without research: yourself, parents, siblings, spouse or partner, and children. Add grandparents only after the first household is correct.
- ✓Use full names where possible, but leave uncertain middle names blank.
- ✓Write unknown dates as approximate notes instead of guessing.
- ✓Keep living relatives private if you plan to share the finished image online.
Step 2
Collect key details and photos
For each person, gather the smallest useful set of details: name, relationship, birth year or age range, location, and one clear portrait if you have permission to use it.
- ✓Prefer one recognizable face photo over decorative family photos.
- ✓Keep notes short enough to read after export.
- ✓Save source notes separately if you are doing serious genealogy research.
Step 3
Choose a layout by your goal
Use the layout that matches the job. A printable ancestor chart needs a different structure than a reunion handout with cousins, aunts, and uncles.
- ✓Use a four-generation template for a classic ancestor chart.
- ✓Use an extended template when side branches matter.
- ✓Use a blank canvas for adoption, remarriage, or custom branch projects.
Step 4
Map relationships clearly
Add relationship lines before visual styling. If the structure is wrong, colors and photos will only make the chart harder to repair.
- ✓Keep siblings on the same generation level.
- ✓Leave space around couples so parent-child lines do not collide.
- ✓Split very large families into maternal and paternal branches.
Step 5
Review, refine, and export
Before exporting, review the chart at the same size relatives will use it. A tree that looks fine while zoomed in may be unreadable as a printed page.
- ✓Check every line from child to parent.
- ✓Open the exported PNG or JPG and inspect text readability.
- ✓Keep a dated export before making major edits.
Choose the Right Family Tree Layout
Layout choice is the main reason some family trees become hard to read. Use the chart below to pick a structure before you add photos or design styles.
ProjectBest starting pointWhy it works
Printable ancestor chartFour-generation or five-generation ancestor templateThe reader usually follows one person backward through parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
Family reunion handoutExtended family templateA reunion chart needs sibling groups, cousin branches, and enough spacing for many living relatives.
Small household chartModern or blank templateA compact tree is easier to share when you only need parents, partners, and children.
Complex or blended familyBlank or blended-family templateStep-parents, adoption, remarriage, and half-siblings often need manual structure choices.
Using long biographies inside cards
Keep card text short. Put longer stories in a separate document or caption.
Mixing confirmed and uncertain facts
Mark uncertain dates or relationships clearly so relatives know what still needs checking.
Designing before checking relationships
Finish parent, spouse, child, and sibling connections before adjusting colors or photos.
A Practical First Tree
If you want the fastest useful result, open the four-generation template and replace the sample names only. Then add birth years, review relationship lines, and export a PNG. Send that first draft to one relative for corrections before adding cousins, locations, or longer notes. This keeps the project manageable and usually produces a cleaner final chart.