Genealogy Pedigree Charts & Forms

The output side of family-history work: poster-size pedigree charts for the wall, family group sheets for the binder, fan charts for the framed gift. Pair with Genealogy Tree Visualization for digital views and Genealogy Citation Management for the form-based research workflow.

Print-grade chart software (paid)

• ★ TreeDraw — paid; the chart specialist. Wall-chart-quality typesetting, used by professional genealogists, museums, and family-reunion organizers. Imports GEDCOM. Long-running, niche.
• ★ Charting Companion (Progeny Genealogy) — paid (~$30); plugin into Family Tree Maker, Legacy, RootsMagic; produces high-quality pedigree, fan, hourglass, descendant, all-in-one charts.
• TreeView — paid + free trial; standalone Windows charting + ancestor research integration.
• Pedigree Pro — paid; smaller niche.
• GenoPro — paid + free trial; medical-pedigree-style symbols (genograms) for adoption, twins, miscarriages, divorces.
• MacFamilyTree charts — paid Mac; native print output.
• Reunion charts — paid Mac.
• RootsMagic chart output — paid; included; competent.
• Family Tree Maker chart output — paid; included.
• Family Historian charts — paid; UK-flavored; very polished.

Free / FOSS chart output

• ★ Gramps reports — free; pedigree, descendant, fan, hourglass, narrative. Multiple plugins. Print-ready PDF.
• ★ webtrees charts — free; in-browser; printable PDF/SVG.
• Gramps Web charts — free; same engine via web.
• Graphviz — free; quick .dot-based tree render.
• D3.js / d3-pedigree — free; custom HTML/SVG charts for blogs.

Print services

• MyCanvas (Ancestry) — paid; print posters / books / charts directly from your Ancestry tree. Quality good, costs add up.
• Heritage Genealogy Charts — paid; specialty in printing custom genealogy wall charts.
• Family Tree Magazine charts — free templates + paid prints.
• Family Chartmasters — paid concierge service; design + print.
• FedEx / Staples engineering print — paid; bring your own PDF; cheap large-format printing.
• Local print shops — paid; for the truly large (4×6 ft) family-reunion poster.

Free PDF templates / forms

• ★ Ancestry blank charts + family group sheets — free PDF download, no account needed.
• ★ FamilySearch printable charts — free; pedigree, family group sheet, research log.
• ★ Family Tree Magazine forms — free + paid; large library.
• ★ Mid-Continent Public Library — free; comprehensive forms collection: research log, source citation worksheet, timeline, correspondence log.
• NGS Pedigree Chart — free PDF.
• NEHGS forms — free for members.
• Cyndi's List Forms category — free aggregator.

Fan charts (the modern favorite)

• ★ FamilySearch Fan Chart — free; in-app fan chart; printable up to 7 generations.
• MyHeritage fan view — paid.
• Charting Companion fan output — paid; print-grade.
• Gramps fan chart plugin — free; FOSS.
• Family Tree Maker fan chart — paid; included.
• Pedigree Charts Tools (Free fan-chart generators) — various small free web tools.

Pedigree numbering systems

• Ahnentafel — pedigree numbering; subject is 1, father 2, mother 3, paternal grandfather 4, etc. (powers-of-2 doubling). Used in pedigree charts.
• Register System (NEHGS) — descendant numbering; used in printed family genealogies.
• Modified Register (NGSQ) — variation; used in NGSQ.
• d'Aboville — descendant system used in France / Quebec.
• Henry System — older descendant system.

Wall-chart formats

• Pedigree (ancestors only) — root at right, ancestors radiating left/up. 8–12 generations on a 36×60" sheet.
• Descendant — root at top, descendants spreading down. Family-reunion classic.
• Hourglass — proband in middle, ancestors above + descendants below.
• Fan — half-circle radial; pretty; compact.
• Bowtie — proband in middle, paternal line spreads left, maternal right.
• DNA-overlay charts — chromosome painting + pedigree combined; experimental but increasingly common (see Genealogy DNA Third-Party Analysis).

Family group sheets / individual record forms

• Family Group Sheet — single-page summary of one couple + their children. Used for organized binders. Free templates everywhere.
• Individual Worksheet — one-page summary of one person's life events. Free templates.
• Research Log — what was searched / found. Free templates.
• Source Citation Worksheet — Mills-style; free at EvidenceExplained.com.
• Timeline — chronological summary; free.
• Correspondence Log — track letters / emails to records offices.

What's changing in 2024–2026

• High-quality digital fan chart sharing — FamilySearch's free fan chart became a popular default; printable + shareable.
• Print-on-demand integration — Ancestry MyCanvas + MyHeritage Photo Books streamlined; cost remains the barrier.
• AI-augmented narrative output — apps generating publication-ready bio paragraphs alongside charts.
• Custom interactive web charts for family blogs growing via D3 + community templates.

Pick this if…

• Best print-grade wall chart, paid: TreeDraw or Charting Companion.
• Free, FOSS, customizable: Gramps reports.
• Easy free fan chart: FamilySearch Fan Chart.
• Genogram / medical-pedigree: GenoPro.
• Family group sheets / forms: FamilySearch + Family Tree Magazine free PDFs.
• Concierge print + design: Family Chartmasters.
• DIY large-format print: export PDF from your software → FedEx / Staples engineering print.
• Custom interactive web tree: D3.js + d3-pedigree.