Letter Size Family Tree Chart Excel: 8.5×11 Printing Done Right

You filled in forty names. Hit Print. The copy came back with gridlines across Grandma's birth date, a reminder column nobody should see, and the right edge of the chart clipped off the page.

The data was fine. The letter size family tree chart excel workflow was not.

Standard US letter paper — 8.5×11 inches — is still the default for reunion handouts, binder inserts, and desktop printers. This guide covers orientation choice, print areas, and the instruction column most pedigree templates include. For the full template selection picture, see How to Choose the Right Family Tree Chart Excel Template.

More template advice lives in our template guides and tips.

Key takeaway: Clean letter-size pedigree prints need three things: the right orientation (portrait or landscape), a defined print area, and hidden instruction columns — plus gridlines turned off in print settings.

Why Letter Size (8.5×11) Still Dominates Family Tree Printing

Home and office printers in the United States default to letter paper. Three-ring binders, sheet protectors, and mailing envelopes assume that size. When a template vendor says "print-ready," they usually mean tested on 8.5×11 — not A4, not tabloid, not a custom poster width.

That matters for Excel pedigree charts because cell widths and generational spacing are tuned to fit a specific paper footprint. Stretch the sheet to legal or shrink it with "Fit to One Page," and names that looked fine on screen wrap awkwardly or become unreadable.

If your venue supplies a large-format printer for a wall display, you may still design on letter layouts and scale up — but the proof copy almost always starts on letter. Get letter right first.

Portrait vs Landscape on Letter Paper

Orientation is a layout decision, not a preference setting.

Portrait (vertical) stacks generations vertically on the page. Names read naturally in a binder. Handouts folded into programs fit standard envelopes. Most three-generation pedigree forms default to portrait because the page height accommodates parents above grandparents.

Landscape (horizontal) spreads cells across the wider dimension. Compound surnames, long place names ("Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts"), and margin notes fit without shrinking font to illegible sizes. Display tables at reunions often use landscape so guests can read names from a few feet away.

Scenario	Better orientation
Binder archive, page-by-page reading	Portrait
Reunion table display, wide names	Landscape
Black-and-white copies for 30+ cousins	Either — pick the B&W sheet matching your orientation
Switching mid-project because names overflow	Duplicate sheet tab in landscape workbook rather than forcing portrait cells

Warning: Forcing a landscape-designed chart to print portrait (or vice versa) via page setup alone often clips cells. Switch to a sheet laid out for the target orientation when the template provides both.

SmartArt and freeform DIY trees break most often here — another reason structured pedigree workbooks ship separate portrait and landscape tabs. Layout details for genealogy use: Genealogy Family Tree Template Chart for Excel.

Set the Print Area Before You Print

Excel prints whatever it thinks you want — often the entire used range including blank columns past your chart. Define a print area so only the pedigree prints.

In Microsoft Excel (desktop):

Open the chart sheet you will print.
Select the cell range that covers the visible pedigree — exclude instruction columns you plan to hide.
Go to Page Layout → Print Area → Set Print Area.
Open File → Print (or Print Preview) and confirm pagination.

In Google Sheets: Use File → Print and adjust the print range in the dialog. Named print areas from Excel sometimes import; re-check after upload.

If the chart spans exactly one page, preview should show a single page without stray columns. If preview shows two pages with half a tree on each, adjust margins (Page Layout → Margins → Narrow) or verify you selected the correct orientation under Page Setup.

Warning: "Fit Sheet on One Page" rescales everything. It can save a draft — and it can shrink text until nobody over fifty can read it. Prefer correct orientation and print area over aggressive scaling.

Hide the Instruction Column

Many pedigree templates — including structured paid workbooks — place an instruction or reminder column at the right edge of the chart sheet. While editing, that column explains field labels, hide-before-print reminders, or column sizing notes. On paper, it looks like a spreadsheet mistake.

Hide it — do not delete it. Deleting breaks merged cells or formulas some templates rely on.

In Excel:

Click the column letter of the instruction column (often the rightmost column with text like "Hide before printing").
Right-click → Hide.
Re-open Print Preview to confirm the column no longer appears.

In Google Sheets: Right-click the column header → Hide column.

After hiding, reset the print area if the hidden column was inside the previous selection. The printable region should include only chart cells.

Templates built for events assume this step. Jenna Alvarez, a verified buyer of the PlanoNest pedigree workbook, noted that the hide-before-print reminder helped her copies look professional in a standard binder — not like exported grid paper.

Gridlines, Margins, and Color vs Black-and-White

Three print settings separate "chart" from "spreadsheet":

Turn off gridlines for print. Page Layout → Sheet Options → uncheck Print under Gridlines. Gridlines on screen help editing; on paper they clash with pedigree lines.

Choose margins deliberately. Normal margins work for most letter pedigrees. Narrow margins buy space when preview shows a sliver of the chart on page two — but watch printer minimum margins; some home printers clip edge cells.

Pick color or B&W sheet before printing. Color backgrounds pop on a display copy. Black-and-white sheets save ink when you print thirty handouts for cousins. A workbook that ships both means you do not rebuild the tree when the display version stays color and handouts go greyscale.

Download context for print-ready files: Downloadable Excel Family Tree Pedigree Chart.

Templates Built for Letter-Size Pedigree Charts

Building print areas from scratch in SmartArt or a blank grid consumes hours — and the first paper change often breaks the layout.

Product highlight: PlanoNest Family Tree Chart Excel Template: four letter-oriented pedigree layouts — Color-Portrait, Portrait (B&W), Color-Landscape, Landscape (B&W) — with preset structure, B/M/D fields, chart numbering, and hide-before-print instruction column. $3.9 USD one-time.

The Family Tree Chart Excel Template opens with a Start Here sheet, then four chart tabs tuned for standard printing workflows. Pick portrait for binders, landscape for display tables, hide the instruction column, set print area once per sheet, and reuse the file for the next reunion update.

Quick Print Checklist

Run this list before any event print run:

Orientation — portrait for binders, landscape for wide names / display
Instruction column — hidden, not deleted
Print area — set to pedigree cells only; preview confirms one page if intended
Gridlines — print option off
Color vs B&W — match sheet to printer task
Test sheet — one physical print before the batch of thirty
Chart numbers — if multi-page, verify "Cont. on chart no." before copying

Return to the hub: family tree chart excel template guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paper size should I use for an Excel family tree chart?

In the United States, 8.5×11 inch letter is the standard for home printers, binders, and most template layouts. Confirm Page Setup → Size shows Letter before printing. A4 users should switch paper size in Page Setup to match local standards.

Should a family tree chart print in portrait or landscape?

Portrait fits binders and vertical reading. Landscape fits wider name and place fields and display-table viewing. If names truncate in portrait, switch to a landscape-designed sheet rather than shrinking font below readable size.

How do I stop Excel from printing gridlines on my family tree?

In Excel: Page Layout → Sheet Options → uncheck Print under Gridlines. Gridlines can stay visible on screen while editing. Re-check Print Preview after changing the setting.

What is the instruction column on pedigree templates?

A helper column — usually at the right edge — with fill-in reminders or hide-before-print notes. Hide the column before printing so copies look like charts. Do not delete it if you plan to edit the file again later.

Can I print a letter-size Excel chart on larger paper?

Yes — many reunion organizers print letter-designed landscape sheets on tabloid or large-format printers for wall displays. Test scaling in Print Preview. For handouts, letter B&W sheets remain the economical default.