Free printable family tree template - make your own in minutes
Search for a “family tree template” and you’ll find endless blank PDFs and printable charts with empty boxes waiting to be filled in by hand. They’re a lovely idea - until you run out of boxes, misjudge the spacing, or want to add a branch the template never planned for. This guide shows you a better way: making your own family tree template that stays neat no matter how big your family gets, and printing it for free.
What a family tree template is really for
A template exists to solve two problems: structure (where does each person go?) and presentation (does it look good enough to frame?). A printed blank template handles neither very well once real families get involved - second marriages, half-siblings, and that one branch with seven children all fight for space that was drawn for a tidy four-generation family.
A fill-in-yourself tool solves both automatically. You add people, and the layout arranges them for you - correctly spaced, correctly connected, and re-flowed every time you add someone new. You get the convenience of a template without its ceiling.
Make your own template in three steps
Everything below happens in the free RootsPrint editor. There’s nothing to download and no account to create; your tree is saved privately in your own browser.
Step 1: Start with yourself
Open the editor and enter your first name. That single person is the seed of your template - the tree grows outward from there. Starting with yourself keeps the first few generations concrete and quick.
Step 2: Add relatives around you
Add parents, grandparents, siblings, a partner, and children. As you go, the chart lays itself out - no measuring, no erasing, no running out of room. This is the part a printed template can’t do: the structure adjusts to your family rather than forcing your family into fixed boxes.
Step 3: Pick a theme and print
Choose one of the print-ready themes to turn your chart from a working diagram into something worth framing, then export. For a readable print, pick a focused view - such as “Where I come from” or “My direct line” - and let the paper size fit itself; for the whole family, export a multi-page Book or a wall poster. See our guide to printing a family tree for scopes, sizes, and tips.
Why this beats a blank printable
- It never runs out of boxes. Add as many people and generations as you like.
- It stays neat. Spacing and connecting lines are handled for you, so nothing overlaps or drifts.
- It’s editable forever. Fix a name, add a newly discovered relative, or reprint after a birth - without starting over.
- It’s genuinely free and private. No subscription, no signup, and your family data never leaves your device.
Prefer to start from a filled example?
If a blank page feels intimidating, our beginner’s guide to building a family tree walks you through exactly who to add first and what details to record. And once your tree is built, remember to back it up so years of work stay safe.
Open the editor to make your own family tree template now - it takes minutes and costs nothing.