How to Style a Family Tree
Family tree styling is configurable, so diagrams can match how your firm presents work to clients. Settings apply to family tree diagrams and are found in the family tree settings.
Typography
Three font sizes control the text hierarchy on each person's node:
- Primary font size — the person's name.
- Secondary font size — supporting detail.
- Tertiary font size — the smallest supporting text.
Increase these when a diagram is going onto a printed page or a screen viewed from across a meeting table.
Individual Colours
Avatar colours are set per gender:
- Male
- Female
- Non-binary
- Unknown — used when no gender is recorded
Changing these is the quickest way to make a tree match a firm palette, though it is worth keeping the four visibly distinct so the diagram stays readable.
State Colours
State colours distinguish people by status — most importantly living versus deceased — so a reader can take in a multi-generational tree without a legend.
Partnership Colours
Partnership containers group partners together, colour-coded by state:
- Current spouse
- Separated
- Divorced
These carry real meaning in an estate planning conversation, so the three should stay clearly different from one another.
Link Styles
Each relationship type has its own line style:
- Parent–child
- Adopted
- Foster
- Guardian
- Married
Distinct link styles are what let a diagram show a blended family accurately without annotations. See Family Relationship Types for what each one means.
A Note on Consistency
Styling is worth setting once for the practice rather than per diagram. Two advisers presenting differently styled trees for the same family is the sort of thing clients notice — and the value of generated diagrams is that everyone works from the same visual language.
Exporting
When the styling is right, export to PDF or PNG. The exported diagram uses your configured styling, so what you see is what the client receives.