‘Publishing Your Family History’

Barry Jerome - 18 Apr 2007 - speaking at the BerksFHS Computer Branch, Woodley

Tools for the project

Your hardware may include a PC, a printer, a scanner, an Internet connection, a digital camera, a CD writer. When thinking of a printer you need to consider total cost including consumables which can affect the choice. The digital camera can be used for copying photographs and other material from relatives.

Software. Use software that you are comfortable with. Stick to ones that work well for you. A word processor can be used as a desktop publishing program and also for producing text to be used on any Web page. Software with a scanner often includes programs for image manipulation; otherwise there are several free image programs. A drawing package can be used for diagrams and maps. A spreadsheet can be used to create a distribution list recording where you have sent copies of the report and which version people have.

A common problem with writing is deciding when to start. Research never seems to stop and so an approach based on the ability to update is recommended. Breaking the report into chapters and sections where a section relates to an individual means it is possible to produce chapters based on a surname. However other ways of arranging the sections are possible, e.g. generations.

When designing a book you have to think of the format of presentation such as A4 or A5 paper. When choosing text size you need to think who will be reading the document. A 12-point font improves legibility whereas 10 point allows more text on a page. With long lines it is better to break the text either by using columns or adding blocks of text or pictures. A serif font (like the Times Roman font used for the main text of this summary) is recommended for text but sans serif (like the Arial font used here and used for the title of this summery) which is used for the can be used for headings and tables. To achieve a consistent appearance the use of templates or styles means that headings can be defined at different levels and applied to the whole report. To change the appearance you only need to modify the style.

To start, choose a person that interests you. Devise a standard set of paragraphs covering birth marriage death children residence jobs. The important thing is to start getting text down and then add illustrations afterwards. Sections can be combined into the chapters of the final book.

Printing and binding

DIY is now feasible although commercial outlets can be cost-effective. Things to consider include use of black and white or colour printing and the quality of the paper. 100 gsm paper is recommended as the extra cost is small in relation to increased quality particularly when printing on both sides of the paper. Simple binding with a slide or clip is possible for small sections but comb binding means the report can be opened flat. However, a title can be written onto a plastic comb.

A book does not have to be printed but can be distributed in other formats such as on the Internet or on a CD-ROM. Text from a word processor can be converted into HTML or printed as a PDF file using a software printer.

updated 1 Sep 2007