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  General Questions  
 

Q: Is there a page limit for AncestryPress books?
A: At the present time, there is a 250-page maximum limit on books printed through AncestryPress. There is a minimum page limit of 18 pages, however if you purchase a book with less than 20 pages you will still be charged the base rate for a 20 page book.
Q: Why can’t I find my project?
A: To find your project, click on the "Publish" tab on the top navigation of Ancestry and then select the "My Projects" tab that will then be displayed for AncestryPress. You can also select the "My Ancestry" tab on Ancestry and select "Manage Projects" in the AncestryPress Projects section.
Q: Can I print more than one page at a time?
A: At the current time, AncestryPress allows you to print one page at a time to a desktop printer or you can have your entire book professionally printed by clicking "order" in the Ancestry Press tool.
Q: How can I include more generations in a book?
A: AncestryPress books are based on 4-generation family tree charts or lists (combination or descendant) or 4 or 5-generation family tree charts (standard). A good way to add more generations is to insert a family tree page and other desired pages for each of the people in the last generation represented on the original Family Tree chart or list, i.e. a new family tree chart for each great-grandparent.
Q: How can I include peripheral ancestors, e.g. siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.?
A: Auto-generated AncestryPress family tree books are based on a key person that you select from a particular family tree. Once that project is created, or if you start from scratch, there is no restriction on adding new pages, as long as the book does not exceed 250 pages. So, it is easy, as long as the person or family member is in your tree, to add peripheral ancestors, e.g. cousins, siblings, through new family group pages and family trees. Use the "new page" button, select the type of page you would like to add (timeline, record, etc...), select the Family Tree you want to get that information from and then select the person from that Family Tree. Add a "blank page" if the person is not currently in a family tree and then add text and photos about the person.
Q: How much does AncestryPress cost?
A: AncestryPress is free, anyone can use it. You simply need to register with an email address or be a subscriber of Ancestry.
Q: What gift products will you offer in the future?
A: We expect to eventually offer many gift products such as calendars, books, Family Tree posters and more. However, the feedback we receive from the AncestryPress site will help determine our future gift offerings.
Q: Will I be able to share my AncestryPress project?
A: Part of the ongoing development plan for AncestryPress includes the ability to both share and collaborate on a project. With the share feature you will be able to invite family and friends to view and purchase your book or even allow them to make a copy of your project that they can edit and purchase. Using collaboration, you will be able to assign family members or other researchers the right to view or edit the project.
Q: How do I get an offline (digital) version of my book project?
A: At the present time there are no plans to offer the ability to download a digital/PDF copy of a book project. You will eventually be able to share your project online via an email invitation or by allowing it to be viewed in the idea gallery.
Q: Why is there no birth, marriage, or death information for the 4th generation of the Standard Family Tree pages?
A: With the limited space of an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper it is hard to fit all the information for a family. As AncestryPress becomes available in larger sizes, there will be many more options for expanded output.
Q: Do I have to belong to Ancestry to use AncestryPress?
A: AncestryPress is a free service available to any registered user or subscriber of Ancestry.
Q: How do I create a book using my FTM 2008 data?
A: In FTM 2008 you can upload your tree to AncestryPress by selecting “books” under the publications types in the publish section. In an automated process, your FTM data can be transmitted to Ancestry (you will have the opportunity to determine if your tree data is kept personal or made public), where it will be made available for use in the AncestryPress tool.
Q: Can I create multiple projects with the same tree?
A: There is no current limitation on how many projects you can create from a single Ancestry family tree.
Q: Can I switch the type of project (standard, combination, descendant) that a book is based on once that project has been created?
A: An automatically generated AncestryPress project is created based on the type of tree/list that is initially selected. Once that project has been created there is no way to switch the project based on another tree/list type. You can, however, add either a standard family tree, a combination tree or a descendant list to an existing project using the “new page” feature. You can also easily create a new project based on another tree/list type.
Q: Are the printed books single- or double-sided?
A: Like a traditional book, AncestryPress books are printed on both sides of the paper. You can leave a page blank, but that blank will appear in your book.
Q: Is there a limit set on photo uploads to AncestryPress?
A: At the present time there is not a limit on the number of photos you can upload to AncestryPress.
Q: Is there an offline software version of AncestryPress?
A: AncestryPress is an online editing tool. At this time there isn’t an offline version.
Q: Is AncestryPress available in any languages other than English?
A: At this time AncestryPress is only available in English.
Q: Can I copy my AncestryPress book to a CD?
A: AncestryPress is an online book creation tool. At this time printing is the only output option.
Q: Can I use AncestryPress at the library?
A: AncestryPress is not currently available as part of the Ancestry Library Edition.
Q: Why doesn’t AncestryPress have more genealogy charts and reports?
A: We will continue to create and add new charts, reports, templates and backgrounds on an ongoing basis.
Q: When I make changes to my Ancestry online tree, will my project be automatically updated with those changes?
A: No, your project will not be automatically updated with those changes. However, you can choose to make the updates at a page or element level.
  • If a page can be updated the “Update” icon will be active. Clicking on the “Update” icon will update the current page or poster so that it matches the data in your online Ancestry tree.
  • If an element can be updated an “Update” icon will be displayed on the element menu bar. Click on that icon to update the text or image to match your online Ancestry tree.
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  Technical Questions  
 

Q: What is Adobe Flash, and why do I need it to use AncestryPress?
A: Adobe Flash is a free, downloadable software program that works together with your Internet browser to make AncestryPress work. If you haven’t already loaded Flash or if your version of the Flash software is not up-to-date, AncestryPress will notify you and provide a simple set of instructions to help you download the latest version.
Q: Can I use AncestryPress with dial-up Internet access?
A: AncestryPress is an online application, meaning that the faster your connection to the Internet, the faster the tool can go. While using the tool with a dial-up connection is technically possible, it is highly discouraged because it will run so slowly and will be a very frustrating experience.
Q: What are the minimum system requirements for AncestryPress?
A:
  • AncestryPress will run on both Windows and Mac operating systems and has been tested for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari Browsers.
  • AncestryPress is intended for a high speed internet connection only since it is an online application and is designed to work with photos and record images. Dial up internet access is not recommended.
  • Your computer should have a minimum of 256 MB of RAM (Random Access Memory), but 1 GB or more is recommended.
  • Although AncestryPress will work when your monitor is set to a resolution of 800x600 it has been designed for 1024x768 and above.
Q: When I make a change to data in AncestryPress, is it updated in my tree on Ancestry?
A: Changes made to data in AncestryPress are not reflected in the corresponding tree on Ancestry.
Q: I use a Mac, and each time I try to use the upload feature I am told that the file size of the file I am uploading exceeds the 15 MB limit, even when it is significantly less.
A: There is a known Mac upload issue that prohibits photo upload directly into the AncestryPress tool. Our engineers are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it. In the meantime, you can upload and attach photos using Ancestry (see Working with Ancestry).
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  Working in AncestryPress  
 

Q: Can I edit the text of an existing book?
A: You can always edit the text of an existing book. To select text to edit, simply click on the text box and then select the text editing tool in the text tool bar (appears above the text box when it is selected) or double-click on the text box. You can also add text by clicking on the “add text” icon in the menu bar at the top of the tool.
Q: Text is overlapping on my Family Tree or family group page. Why? How do I fix it?
A: Because of size and space limitations text will sometimes wrap down a line and over other text or images. This is something that you should carefully look for before ordering a book. If this happens in your project, you can change the font size, move or resize the text box, or edit the name or information so that it fits.
Q: How do I attach records to my Ancestry tree to be used in AncestryPress?
A: Any records or photos that you attach to a person in your tree on Ancestry will be available for use in AncestryPress.

To attach a record to an individual in your tree:
  1. Navigate to the Tree View in your family tree
  2. If there is a small green leaf near the name of that person you can move your mouse over that person and then click on the green hints link that will appear
  3. When the list of Ancestry hints appears, evaluate each of the records and verify which ones apply to the individual
  4. Click on the title of the desired record to view more detail
  5. To attach the record to your ancestor, click the "Accept" link to the right of the record information.
  6. If the record is not for your ancestor you can select the "Ignore" link.
  7. Follow the instructions to merge the record(s) into your tree
Q: How do I attach photos to my Ancestry tree to be used in AncestryPress?
A: Any records or photos that you attach to a person in your tree on Ancestry will be available for use in AncestryPress.

To attach a photo to an individual in your tree:
  1. Navigate to the Tree View in your family tree
  2. Verify that the person you wish to update is in the Home (leftmost) position
  3. Click the People tab at the top of the pedigree chart
  4. In the Recent Photos section, click the "add a new photo" button
  5. Follow the instructions to complete the upload process
Q: Where do the photos come from that are automatically inserted by AncestryPress into the various pages of my book?
A: Photos that are automatically inserted into AncestryPress book pages come from the primary photos on Ancestry. In order to take advantage of this capability, be sure to designate primary photos for each person in your tree that will be included in your book.
Q: How does AncestryPress choose the events that appear below the Timeline on Timeline pages? Can they be deleted or edited?
A: The events that appear below the Timeline on Timeline pages are selected randomly from a database of historical events. If you would like, you can delete or change the text by double-clicking the text box and making the desired change. Lines can be selected by holding down the left mouse button while and dragging the mouse pointer over the line. Once selected, lines can be deleted, moved by using keyboard arrow keys or duplicated using the corresponding options on the object tool bar. The line and associated text can also be selected by dragging the mouse across them and then deleted, moved or copied and moved and then edited as desired.
Q: How many personal events fit on a Timeline?
A: A maximum of 10 personal events are auto-populated onto a Timeline. However, additional events can be manually added by clicking on the “add text” icon (located at the top of the tool) and by copying a line. To copy an event line, click your mouse near a line and hold the button down while dragging your mouse over the line. That will highlight the line, then click the “copy button” located on the tool bar associated with that line.
Q: How do I change the personal events that show up on a Timeline page?
A: Personal events for the Timeline page come from the events for that person in the Ancestry tree. When a book is automatically generated AncestryPress looks at all the events for that person and selects up to 10 of them (only 10 are selected because of space limitations) based on a predetermined priority. For instance life events such as birth, marriage and death have a higher priority than a residence event. You can change those events for a person by adding more or changing them on Ancestry and then adding a new Timeline page in AncestryPress for that person. When you add a new page you will be able to select up to 10 events from all those displayed that you want to have show up on the Timeline. You can also manually add events as described in the other Timeline related questions in this section. Once you add the new Timeline page you can delete the old one. You can also click on the “Update” icon on the top menu bar to update the timeline page so that it matches the data in your online Ancestry tree. However, if you use this method you will not have the option to select which of the events you want to have displayed.
Q: Can I draw lines on the Timeline or elsewhere?
A: Lines cannot currently be drawn but they can be deleted, copied, moved and edited for length. Lines can be deleted by dragging the mouse across them to select them and then pressing the “delete” key on the keyboard or clicking on the “delete” icon on the displayed menu bar. Lines can be copied after selecting them by clicking on the “copy” icon on the line edit menu bar. They can be moved by using the arrow keys on the keyboard or if they are selected with another object such as text they can be moved by dragging the other selected object (in this case a text box). Once a line has been selected the length can be modified by dragging on the small green box that appears at the end of the line.
Q: Why am I not seeing my project?
A: To find your project, click on the “Publish” tab on the top navigation of Ancestry and then select the “My Projects” tab that will then be displayed for AncestryPress. You can also select the “My Ancestry” tab on Ancestry and select “Manage Projects” in the AncestryPress Projects section.
Q: How do I delete, copy or rename a project?
A: Projects can be deleted, copied or renamed by selecting the associated link below its listing on the “My Projects” page.
Q: How do I delete an uploaded photo?
A: Photos uploaded to AncestryPress can be deleted by right-clicking on the image in the “photos” image area and selecting “delete image.”
Q: How do I add a new page to an existing project?
A: Select the “new page” button on the tool bar at top of the application.
Q: How do I print without a background?
A: When you select the “Print Page” button you will be given the option to print the current page without a background.
Q: Can I print AncestryPress pages to my desktop printer?
A: Yes you can by clicking on the “Print Page” button located near the upper right hand corner of the AncestryPress tool.
Q: When I try to move an image or text box a small distance it keeps snapping back to its original position. Why is that and how can I move an image or text box a small distance?
A: Images and text boxes snap back to their original position so that users can drag objects around on the page and then easily return them to their original position. If you want to move an object a small distance simply select the object and then use the keyboard arrow keys to move it.
Q: Can I make a book using multiple Ancestry family trees?
A: An automatically generated AncestryPress book can only be created from one (1) Ancestry family tree. However if you have more than one tree on Ancestry you can select whichever tree you want the book to be generated from. Once the book is automatically created, you can add information to it from any of your trees on Ancestry.
Q: Who is the "starting person" in a family tree?
A: Every family tree has to start somewhere. The "starting person" in your tree is the person you want at the base of your tree. Make the most of your book by selecting a starting person that will have the sufficient ancestors or descendents based on the type of tree that you select.
Q: Can someone at AncestryPress do my research for me?
A: The AncestryPress service does not include any individual family history research services.
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  Privacy  
 

Q: Is my AncestryPress book private? Will my book be added to an Ancestry database or published on the Internet?
A: AncestryPress books are password protected as part of your Ancestry subscription. The information you upload directly through AncestryPress and place in your project is not and will never, without your permission, be part of a searchable database. However, this is not the case for content uploaded through trees on Ancestry(please refer to the trees section on Ancestry regarding public and non-public trees). As part of the ongoing development of AncestryPress we plan to offer both a collaboration option, where you can assign editing rights to certain individuals and an idea gallery where people can share their book designs with the AncestryPress community. In both of these cases, the user will be responsible to indicate whether or not he or she wants the material to be made public.
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