Chart types
Fan chart posters
A fan chart puts one person at the center and every ancestor in rings around them: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, out to eight generations and 255 names.
Full, three quarter or half circle
A full circle suits portrait posters. A half fan reads beautifully above a sofa in landscape.
Color by family line
Each grandparent's line keeps its own color, so you can follow a branch from the center to the edge.
Names that fit
Inner rings follow the curve; outer rings turn outward. Long names shorten to initials only when they must.
Questions
How many generations fit on a fan chart?
Up to eight generations, which is 255 people. On an 18 × 24 in poster six or seven generations read best; 24 × 36 and 36 × 48 handle eight.
What if some ancestors are unknown?
Their places stay as quiet empty segments, which most families like: it shows where the research goes next.
Other charts: Pedigree chart · Descendant chart