Printing Large Charts from Ancestral Quest
Ancestral Quest provides four options for printing large charts.
Access even more charts
...with Ancestral Quest Charting Companion from Progeny Software!
You can supplement your Ancestral Quest charting capabilities with Bow-Tie Charts and Hourglass Charts, and by printing many of the charts already available in AQ, but with some additional options. You can even generate the code to have your chart embroidered. Compatible with Ancestral Quest version 3.0-16, MSRP $39.95/$44.95.
You can view additional details and sample charts.
Multiple Page Charts
Some charts can be printed directly from within Ancestral Quest to your standard printer with letter size paper, so that you can print a large chart on many sheets of paper, and then tape or glue them together.
Print Directly
If you have a large printer connected to your computer, simply select a large paper size and print directly to your large printer. (Most users do not have direct access to a large printer from their computer.)
Use a Local Printing Service
You can use AQ's capability of printing to a PDF file. Select a paper size up to 200” x 200” and print to a PDF file, then take this file to a company that has large printers and pay them to print it for you.
Use Family Chartmasters
Incline Software has teamed up with a printing service which can take your PDF file and ship you a completed chart, or you can select a custom chart from their list of charts and work with them to customize it to your liking. While AQ has a large selection of options for large charts, you may want to browse the selection of this charting service. They will work with you to get a custom chart just the way you want it.
Option 1
Printing Large Charts on Your Normal Printer, Using Several Sheets of Paper
This option is available for the following charts in Ancestral Quest:
- Ancestry Wall Charts
- Descendant Wall Charts
- Descendant Dropline Charts
- Line of Descent Charts (Will only print one page wide, but for as many pages long as is required)
To use this option, select the chart, choose your options, make sure the Destination is set to Printer/Screen and click on Preview. You will see the report in sections. If you need to make changes, close the Preview window and adjust your options, then click on Preview again. When you are ready to print, click on the Print button.
You may want to change the font sizes for various parts of the report, especially the size of the Title. By default, the title font is set small enough to fit nicely on a single sheet of paper. If you intend to have a larger chart, you will want to make the title font larger.
After the pages all print, lay them out on a table and tape them together or glue them. Some of the reports (notably the Ancestry and Descendant Wall Charts) will print a legend in a corner if you leave enough margin. This legend can help you know which piece of paper goes into which position within the overall chart.
Option 2
Printing to a Large Printer Connected Directly to Your Computer
This option is available for the following charts in Ancestral Quest:
- Fan Charts
- Ancestry Wall Charts
- Descendant Wall Charts
- Descendant Dropline Charts
- Line of Descent Charts
- All other reports can be printed to a larger piece of paper, but they may not be optimized for it
To use this option, select the chart, choose your options, and make sure the Destination is set to Printer/Screen. Now go into Page Setup or Printer Setup to select the printer and the size of paper you want to use for this report. Finally click on Preview. If you need to make changes, close the Preview window and adjust your options, including paper size, then click on Preview again. When you are ready to print, click on the Print button.
You may want to change the font sizes for various parts of the report, especially the size of the Title. By default, the title font is set small enough to fit nicely on a single sheet of paper. If you intend to have a larger chart, you will want to make the title font larger.
Option 3
Printing to a PDF File, Which Can be Sent to a Printing Service
This option is available for the following charts in Ancestral Quest:
- Fan Charts
- Ancestry Wall Charts
- Descendant Wall Charts
- Descendant Dropline Charts
- Line of Descent Charts
- All other reports can be printed to a larger piece of paper, but they may not be optimized for it
Note: To use this option, you will need to first have a PDF Printer Driver installed. If you have Windows, you can download and install a third-party print-to-PDF type of print driver; visit this page of our site. If you are running AQ for Mac, visit this page for info on setting this up.
- Select the chart, choose your options, then, in the lower-right corner of the window, within the Destination section, make sure that Printer/Screen is selected.
- Click on the Printer Setup button.
- Within the Printer Setup window that appears, for Printer Name, click the down arrow, and select the desired PDF generator that you have installed/wish to use. You can select the other Printer Setup options on this screen, as desired. Click OK.
- Go into Page Setup to select the size of paper you want to use for this report. To do this, you will need to find the Properties button next to the name of the Printer, (which should be the PDF driver you had selected). Click on this button.
- You can select one of the predefined paper sizes, or choose Custom and select a paper size up to 200” by 200” (508 cm by 508 cm). Depending on the type of report you are printing, set the orientation to portrait or landscape.
- Click on Preview. If you need to make changes either to the paper size or the report options, close the Preview window and adjust your options, then click on Preview again. Close the preview when you are satisfied with the appearance of the chart.
- Click on the Print button.
- The Print dialog box will appear. Verify that your desired PDF printer appears within the Printer Name box.
- Do not click to select the box labeled Print to File, just click the OK button.
The report will not actually print on your printer at this time. Instead, you will be asked for the name of a file. Give the file any name you want, but it should end in .pdf. For example, name the file MyAncestryChart.pdf.
If you know of a printing service, you can take this file to them, or you can attach it to an e-mail message to them requesting that they print the chart for you. Depending on what is available in your community, some common printing service companies include FedEx Office, The UPS Store, OfficeMax/OfficeDepot and Staples.
You could also send the file to Family Chartmasters, our printing partner. If you are doing a color chart, you will probably find their prices to be more reasonable.
Option 4
Choose a Large Chart from the Selection at Family Chartmasters
Simply visit the Family Chartmasters website and browse through their list of report options. As you choose a chart, you will need to be prepared to send them a copy of your Ancestral Quest data file, or send a GEDCOM file to them that they can use in preparing the chart for you.
If you want Family Chartmasters to print a chart that you have prepared using the charting capabilities of Ancestral Quest, follow the steps listed in Option 3.
