Pedigree chart software for Windows
Most family tree programs will draw a pedigree chart for you - then hand you a picture that fits a screen and blurs on paper.
Get KinCanvas from the Microsoft StoreThree chart shapes, three different jobs
| Chart | Shows | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Pedigree / ancestor | Parents, grandparents, great-grandparents of one person | Showing a line back in time; hanging on a wall |
| Descendant | Children, grandchildren, cousins below one person | Family reunion sheets, "who belongs to whom" |
| Fan chart | The same ancestors, bent into a circle | Fitting five or six generations into one readable poster |
Why "true size" is the whole point
A five-generation pedigree is 32 boxes wide. Squeeze that into a laptop screen and each name gets about forty pixels - enough to see that there is a name, not enough to read it. Software that prints at real size splits the chart across as many pages as it needs, tiles them edge to edge, and keeps the text at a font size a human can read. That is the difference between a chart you can hand to a relative and a chart you screenshot.
Making one from a GEDCOM file
- Export a GEDCOM file from whichever site or program holds your research.
- Open it in KinCanvas, pick the person at the bottom of the branch you care about.
- Choose the chart, then the number of generations you want (each extra generation doubles the width).
- Check the paper setting: the app tells you how many sheets the chart will need before you commit.
- Print, or export the chart to an image if you want to send it instead.
What it will not do
It is a viewer and chart renderer, not a research tool. There is no merging of duplicates, no record search, no source citations to fill in. If you need to edit the family file, keep using the program you already use and export to GEDCOM for the chart.
Questions
Can I print a chart bigger than A4?
Yes. Charts print across multiple pages at true size; the app shows the sheet count before printing.
Does it work with files from Ancestry or MyHeritage?
Yes - anything that exports GEDCOM. Those exports use UTF-8 or ANSEL, both are handled.
Is the fan chart free?
The fan chart is part of the Pro unlock (one-time purchase, no subscription).