FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Note: when I link to products below, I'm often using affiliate links which don't cost you anything but give me a little credit if you make a purchase. Everything I link to is something I'm currently using or have used before.  

The U.S. deluxe bundles have some pages that are America-centric, such as census pages and pages for specific military conflicts. The international bundles have 200 pages that are general enough to be useful no matter where you are researching.

You can see a full list of the pages offered in the shop on The Big List of Genealogy Pages. This list will also show you whether or not the page you're interested in is included in a deluxe bundle. If you're just curious about which pages come with the U.S. and International deluxe bundles, check the item description on those bundles for a full list of included pages. 

All pages sold by Family Tree Notebooks are digital. Once you make your purchase, you will receive a download link for your pages. You can then save the pages to your computer or device and print them out as many times as you need to. You won't be receiving a physical set of pages. 

If you're having trouble downloading your pages or you can't find the download link, drop me an email at carly@familytreenotebooks.com and I'll be able to help you out. 

These pages are regular PDF files so they are not fillable automatically. You need to use a program to add text and photos. Personally, I use Goodnotes 5 on my iPad (an app that also works on your Mac). Here's a post about that: 

https://familytreenotebooks.com/blogs/news/how-to-make-genealogy-notebooks-on-your-ipad

Other people use Adobe Acrobat to add text and photos. Here's a tutorial: 

https://familytreenotebooks.com/blogs/news/add-photos-and-text-to-your-genealogy-pages-without-an-ipad

There are other programs you can use. Anything that adds text and photos to PDF files will work. You can also print the forms out and fill them out by hand. 

I do not sell binders or any other physical product. Many of my notebooks are discbound notebooks so they look more like traditional coiled notebooks. I love the look but I admit that they aren't quite as stable as the notebooks get larger so if you're worried about stability, I would recommend a three ring binder. 

Here are my affiliate links for discbound binder supplies and tabs:

Discbound notebook (This one is basic black. Nicer covers are available in many colors and patterns if you search for "discbound notebook")

Discbound hole punch (cheaper ones are available but this is the one I use)

Extra discs (to size up as the notebooks get bigger)

Tabs

Smooth bright white paper (prints out the highest quality images and feels good to the touch as you flip through the notebook)

I have an HP OfficeJet Pro printer

Your ink needs will depend on your printer. I use an HP printer with an ink subscription so I never run out of ink. (Most new HP printers now have the option for the ink subscription.) The printer is connected to the ink service so they constantly monitor my ink levels and when they start to get low, new ink cartridges are mailed to me.

The cost is based on how many pages you are printing per month, not how much ink you're using, so it doesn't cost me any extra to print in color than it does to print in blank and white. They have a 50 page per month plan for $2.99 but my subscription is the 300 page per month plan for $9.99 because I print so many things for my shop and for my kids. 

Depending on how you're organizing your notebook, you could just print pages out and then stick them into the notebook between your forms. However, my preferred method is to open Ancestry on my iPad, take a screenshot of the relevant document, crop that image down, and use that image in my notebook by placing it on my blank notes page.

This allows me to get a good, clear image and often I'll add a second image of a particular portion of the document zoomed in. By using the blank notes page, I'm also able to include the index number in the lower right corner. 

Don't use the clipping function on Newspapers.com. Using the clipping function or saving the clipping as a PDF will result in a low quality image. My preferred method is to choose "print" and then "select part of page" and then "save" and then "save as jpg". This will save the clipping as a high quality image that you can use on your pages and size to your needs. 

Little tip: if you have a clipping that is too long to fit nicely onto your page, having it saved as an image allows you to place that image multiple times on the same page, cropping each image to your desired section so the clipping reads the way it was intended to.