Family Tree Maker charts that won't print
There's a hard ceiling almost nobody mentions: Family Tree Maker cannot print or export any chart larger than 200 inches. Past that, it simply doesn't produce anything — and the message on screen rarely says why. That single limit explains most "my chart won't print" complaints.
- Applies to
- FTM 2024 · 2019 · 2017 · 2014
- Platform
- Windows & Mac
- Time
- ~30 min
Which problem have you got?
"It won't print" covers several quite different faults, and they have different fixes. Find yours here first.
| What happens | Usual cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing prints, or export produces no file | Chart is over the 200-inch limit | Fix 1 |
| Prints as separate pages, not one picture | Book layout instead of poster | Fix 2 |
| Chart is cropped or cut off at the edge | Paper size doesn't match the printer | Fix 3 |
| Need a wall chart, only have an A4 printer | Not a fault — use tiling | Fix 4 |
| Print shop says the file is low quality | An image was sent instead of a PDF | Fix 5 |
| Photographs missing from the chart | Images off, or no portrait assigned | Below |
Fix 1 — Check the chart isn't over the limit
Most common 200 inches is the ceiling
This is the piece of information that saves people an evening. Family Tree Maker will not print or export a chart beyond 200 inches in either direction. It's not a printer problem, not a driver problem, and no amount of reinstalling will change it. It's a limit in the software.
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Look at your chart's dimensions in its settings. A descendant chart covering many generations passes 200 inches surprisingly easily.
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Reduce the generations shown. The quickest lever, and usually the one that makes the chart readable as well as printable.
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Shrink the boxes or reduce what each box displays. Every extra fact per person multiplies across hundreds of people.
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Split into several charts — one per branch. Four readable charts beat one that can't be printed or read.
200 inches is over 16 feet. If you're near that, ask whether anyone could actually read the result — a chart that size has boxes too small to see from far enough away to take it in.
Fix 2 — Book layout or poster layout
Wrong choice looks like a fault Two completely different outputs
Most charts offer two layouts, and picking the wrong one produces something that looks broken but isn't.
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Book layout breaks the tree across numbered pages read in sequence, like a document. Right for a binder or a family history book.
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Poster layout produces one continuous chart meant for a single large sheet — a plotter or a print shop. Right for a wall.
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If your chart came out as disconnected pages when you wanted one picture, you were in book layout. Switch and reprint.
Fix 3 — Match the paper size to the printer
Cropped output The size list in chart settings
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Open the Size list in the chart settings and pick a paper size your printer genuinely supports.
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A chart set to a size the printer can't handle either refuses outright or crops the edges — which is why people find the right-hand branch of the family missing.
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If your printer handles larger sheets, this is where you tell the chart to use them.
Fix 4 — Tiling, for a wall chart at home
No plotter needed Print in overlapping sheets and tape
Tiling divides a large chart into overlapping standard pages that you trim and tape together. It's how most reunion charts actually get made, and the overlap is deliberate — it gives you something to line up against.
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Choose poster layout first, then enable tiling in the print settings.
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Print a single test page before committing forty sheets of paper.
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Lay the sheets out on a large table in order before taping anything. Trim the overlap on one edge only, so each sheet tucks under its neighbour.
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Tape from the back. It holds better and doesn't show.
Fix 5 — Export a PDF for a print shop
For a proper wall chart Never send an image
If you want one clean sheet, a print shop is the answer — and what you send them decides whether it comes back sharp or soft.
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Export to PDF. The text stays as text, so it stays crisp at any enlargement.
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Don't send a screenshot or an exported picture. Those have a fixed number of pixels — blow one up to poster size and every name goes fuzzy. This is the single most common reason a printed chart disappoints.
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Ask the shop what dimensions they can handle before you build the chart, then design to fit.
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Ask for a small proof before the full print run.
Photographs missing from a chart
A chart shows a face only when both of these are true, which is why some people appear with a portrait and others don't:
- That chart has images enabled — it's a per-chart setting, not a global one.
- That person has a portrait assigned — attaching a photo isn't enough on its own.
Both are covered in photos not showing in Family Tree Maker.
If it still won't print
- Try printing to PDF instead of to the printer. If the PDF works, the problem is the printer or its driver, not Family Tree Maker.
- Try a smaller chart of the same type. If a three-generation version prints, you're at the size limit.
- Check the tree file itself. Charts draw on the whole database, so a damaged file can produce odd output — see repairing a corrupted file.
Chart needed for a reunion or a gift?
We'll set the chart up with you so it fits the printable range, looks right, and exports cleanly for whoever's printing it.
Getting a chart people actually want to look at
- Fewer generations, larger boxes. Readable beats comprehensive on a wall.
- Decide the finished size first, then build the chart to fit it.
- Trim what each box shows. Names and years are usually enough.
- Assign portraits before building the chart — see assigning a portrait.
- Clean the tree first. Duplicates show up glaringly on a chart — see merging duplicates.
- Always proof a single page before a long print run.
Frequently asked questions
Why will my large family tree chart not print at all?
Usually because it exceeds the maximum size Family Tree Maker handles — charts over 200 inches can't be printed or exported, and the failure isn't always explained on screen. Reduce the generations, shrink the boxes, or cut the detail per box to bring it back in range.
What is the difference between book layout and poster layout?
Book layout splits the tree across numbered pages read in sequence, like a document. Poster layout produces one continuous chart for a single large sheet. If your print came out as disconnected pages when you expected one picture, you were in book layout.
How do I print a wall chart without a large format printer?
Tiling — it divides the chart into overlapping standard sheets you trim and tape together, and it's how most reunion charts get made at home. The alternative is exporting a PDF for a print shop, which is faster and considerably neater.
Why does my printed chart look blurry?
Almost always because an image went to the printer instead of a PDF. A screenshot has a fixed number of pixels, so enlarging it to poster size softens the text. A PDF keeps text as text, which stays sharp at any size.
Why are photographs missing from my printed chart?
Images appear only when that chart has them enabled and the person has a portrait assigned. Both conditions must be met, which is why a chart can show some faces and not others. See photos not showing.
Can I print my entire tree on one chart?
Rarely, and it's usually the wrong goal. A sizeable tree produces a chart well beyond the printable limit and beyond what anyone can read. Several focused charts — one per branch, or a few generations each — nearly always work better than one enormous sheet.