Genealogy Chat

Morning all, If i wish to turn my family tree into book form, where would i get a big enough book come ledger (assuming a page per person) bearing in mind the pages of the book would have to go through the printer or inserted into clear envelopes (I suppose loose leaf but good quality). By the time i,m ready for this there will be in the region of 1000 pages, or any other suggestions?? Rod

Not sure how you would get a book into the printer? What's wrong with just printing it onto ordinary computer printer paper and then binding it? nell

I think Rod is wanting to do it a page at a time then find something in which to put it all (such as a folder) rather than putting a book in a printer! Watching this thread closely, as I'm about to embark on a similar task!

Do you actually need a page per person? Although I like to find out as much as possible about the people on my 'tree', sometimes the information only amounts to a couple of sentences. Our family history program on PC will print out in narrative form, so that the history reads like a book in story form, with all info. included. Names can be in bold, so easy to follow them. .Maybe that would be something you may wish to consider. Gwyn

Hi Rod, with that many pages you might want to split it into volumes maybe a volume per family name or in certain time spans. Just a thought as that is how I am filing my collection of info and pos how I would consider making into a book. Tina

Thanks Mandy, perhaps Nell didn,t understand!. Rod

No, and I still don't!!! Either you buy a book and write the details, or you print out the info and then make it up into a book, I would have thought. Forgive me if I am being gormless. nell

Gwyn, yes I suppose as you go back on the tree there will be less info to be had so there will undoubtedly be times when there will be more to one page. Tina, volumes seems to be the the only way I have found so far, but then after looking around the only things I have found are 25 page books like photo albums. Rod

I have a son who is an art student and he has asked for an A3 printer for his birthday. We managed to find one for about £300 at Amazon. Alternatively a good photocopier shop will change A4 to A3 . Ours charges about 12p a sheet. You can buy A3 folders or an office shop will bind the sheets into a book.

Rod, Why not try to find some really nice lever arch files for the different volumes and then you can add pages as it builds. you can also customise the pages. Pages can be made of diffent paper and card also decorated with photos, newspaper clipings, notes, maps etc. or I have seen some nice albums that have photo pages and poly pocket type pages in the same album. Try WHSmith they do albums that you can add extra pages to. Tina

Annie, I like the idea of the binding into a book. I just dont want a pile of A4 sheets looking like an actors script!!. Rod Tina, I,ve been living with that arrangement for the past three or four years, and wondered if there was something of better quality. Rod

Why not print out 'Family Group Record' pages from www.familysearch.org You could print them onto good quality card instead of ordinary paper, then fill in the details of the person (including wife children etc.) and then on the reverse of the sheet, print out any extra information you have about that person. Then put them all into loose leaf folders or binders. Kath. x

Ive done a similar thing although I print out family groups. Ive used a5 leather filofax and acid free paper to put them in one file for each side of the family. A5 pages have been fine for me but if a4 is preferable to you there are plenty of a4 ring binders around. Recently did one as a suprise wedding present, it went down a treat. Sue

Hi Rod, I wrote mine up for two brances of my family and created a nice front cover. I did it all on PC so I can add to it when I find new info. I just printed it off and used a binder and acetate covers to keep it all together.....You can also add census pages, certs photo's and any other documents you come accross.... Deb ps. I also added a contents page. I'm not that great at explaining things but if you like I will email you a copy so you can take a look

Hi, My cousin put his life onto paper, complete with photo`s, maps etc. and he gave me a copy. I have had it bound, with the title and his name in gold lettering. Yes it did cost me £80 to have it bound, but what a priceless thing to hand down. Kathlyn

Kathlyn, I,m begining to warm to the binding thing.May sound dalt but what sort of shop did you find to do that? Rod

Rod, Try googling for book binders.....maybe put genealogy in the search also....I will eventually get mine done professionally. Deb

Jane, I sort of get the feeling that if I dont produce it as a book bound and presented properly it will be passed over as just another book in the bookcase and possibly never get read. I want to make it so that my granddaughter (who the book is for) will go to it in the future and say to her grandchildren there you are its in this book that my granddad wrote, Therefore it needs to stand out as a book of quality. Or am I dreaming. Rod

Rod Are you near a University town? Students use book binders routinely. Gwyn

I'm just worried that if I bind the book, it will say 'THIS IS THE FINISHED ARTICLE' I'll never be finished! What if I leave out a very important page?! Or find more information! And Rod, I work in a school.....we use binding equipment regularly, maybe your local school could help out?