DocumentationOpen the editor

Export a PNG, SVG or PDF

Download the genogram as an image, a vector drawing or a PDF, with the key included, so that it can be submitted, shared or printed.

3 min readChecked 16 October 2026Open in the editor
Demonstration in the editor
This demonstration runs in the editor on a copy of a sample family. It does not change your own chart.

Procedure

  1. 1

    Click Export in the top bar. The export menu opens.

  2. 2

    Check the header of the menu, which reads “With names” or “Names replaced by numbers”.

  3. 3

    Select PNG image, SVG vector, PDF or JSON project. The file is downloaded, and a message confirms the format.

  4. 4

    Open the file from your downloads folder. The PNG, SVG and PDF files are named family-genogram, followed by the extension of the format.

  5. 5

    Confirm that the key, the names and the lines are legible before the file is submitted or printed.

Tip

To print the chart, export a PDF and print it from a PDF viewer. A large family is reduced to fit the page, so check that the smallest text remains legible. If the editor reports that the chart is too large for a readable PNG or PDF, export an SVG vector instead.

Note

The JSON project file holds the real names even in Clinical mode. Do not submit or share it if the chart describes real people.

Choosing a format

FormatUse
PNG imageA PNG file is a picture of the chart that can be pasted into a word processor, a slide or a message.
SVG vectorAn SVG file is a vector drawing that stays sharp at any size and can be edited in a drawing program.
PDFThe PDF is a single A4 page in portrait orientation, with the chart placed on it as an image and scaled to fit. It suits printing and uploading to a coursework portal.
JSON projectThe project file is a complete copy of the chart data, including real names and private notes. The editor cannot open it at present, so it is useful only as a record.

What an exported file contains

An exported file contains the chart together with its key. The key is always included, even when it is hidden on the canvas, and it uses any names that you have given to its entries and leaves out any entries that you have hidden. People, lines and groups that have been hidden are left out, as are private notes. If a hidden person was connected to others, a line at the foot of the file states how many connections were omitted.

An export does not follow every setting in View. The switches on the What is drawn tab affect only the canvas, apart from the choice of shading and Clinical mode, and only some rows on the What is written tab are carried into the file. The details are given in Choose what is drawn and Choose what is written under people.

If Clinical mode is on, PNG, SVG and PDF files identify each person by a number. They also leave out notes, canvas text, conditions and background details, as described in Replace names with numbers in Clinical mode.