Creating a poster of your family tree

A tree from MyCanvas

I had an inquiry recently from someone who wanted to get her Ancestry tree printed so that she could see the whole tree. This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked this question and I did a little research. I haven’t had the desire to see a printed version of my tree, but I do get the attraction.

I found three companies that create large-scale printed versions of a tree (sometimes very large, suitable for family reunions!). I like limiting my options, so I stopped at three. This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list, but I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to add resources in the comments!

• To have a decorative tree created from your Ancestry tree (rather than from software or a GEDCOM), it looks like the easiest option might be MyCanvas, which offers a 24 x 18 poster in three different types of trees, Standard Combination or Descendant (coming soon). Just connect your Ancestry tree to get started. Prices vary from $25 to $55, depending on the tree type and the number of generations. (Maximum is nine generations.) They also offer oak hanging rails.
• Ancestry Printing will create a large-scale chart directly from a variety of genealogy software packages (including the one I use, Reunion). It also looks like they print from Ancestry, Geni, My Heritage and Tribal Pages. AncestryPrinting says it offers personalized customer service and lots of flexibility. They will do the designing for you! Their pricing is based on the linear foot of the chart.
• Family ChartMasters offers custom decorative charts, as well as working charts and charts with blanks to be filled in. You can design your own or work with a designer. They offer charts in a variety of formats and you can get the ball rolling with a free consultation. Their prices vary depending on the type of chart.

If you’re looking for a decorative gift, a giant tree for a family reunion or a large-scale chart to help you with your research, it looks like these companies can help! If you have experience with any of these companies or you know of others, please let me know in the comments.