{"id":11209,"date":"2020-08-29T08:00:02","date_gmt":"2020-08-29T08:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fhug.org.uk\/kb\/?post_type=kb_article&#038;p=11209"},"modified":"2026-09-24T10:22:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:22:17","slug":"creating-a-book","status":"publish","type":"kb_article","link":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/kb-article\/creating-a-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Book"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>A book containing as much or as little information as you require on an individual, their family, their ancestors or descendants. The book creation is accessed from the main menu <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Publish&nbsp&gt;&nbspBooks<\/a>\n<h3>How to Create a book<\/h3>\n<p>Once you have selected the menu option above you will be asked if you want to open an existing book or create a new one. If a new one then you will be required to give it a name. This dialog box is then displayed allowing you to choose the various elements that make up the book.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11315 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents-1024x621.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"388\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents-1024x621.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents-150x91.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents-768x466.png 768w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-contents.png 1234w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/388;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You select which of the sections that you want in the book by highlighting an item in the left pane and clicking <img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/helpv6\/edittextschemedialog_3.png\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 27px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 27\/21;\" \/> to move it to the right pane. Depending on which of the options are chosen in the left pane an additional dialog box may be displayed to choose additional options before the item is added to the right pane.<\/p>\n<p>Once you have selected all the items that you require for the book click on <em>Book Settings<\/em> to see the various configuration items for your book.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11316 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings-1024x814.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"509\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings-1024x814.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings-300x239.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings-150x119.png 150w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings-768x611.png 768w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book-settings.png 1212w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 640px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 640\/509;\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Finally select the <em>View Book<\/em> option to see what your book looks like.<\/p>\n<p>Should you wish to make changes to the book you can select the <em>edit<\/em> option in the initial <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Publish&nbsp&gt;&nbspBooks<\/a> dialog box and change or add to the books contents. Once you are happy with the book then it can be printed, saved as a pdf or saved as a word document for further external editing.<\/p>\n<h2>Books in Version 8<\/h2>\n<span class=\"fh\" style=\"font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 21.4286px !important;\">\u0192<span style=\"color:#73B262; font-weight: bold;\">h<\/span><\/span> 8 makes books a good deal more flexible:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A Pedigree Chart can be added to any book, and there is a new <em>Pedigree Chart (as booklet)<\/em> report that produces one on its own. Its options can be changed at any time, not only when it is added.<\/li>\n<li>Diagrams can be edited after they have been placed in a book, and <em>book layout compatibility<\/em> keeps a chart&#8217;s page layout matched to the book, so a five-page diagram occupies exactly five book pages. You can set a diagram&#8217;s layout to suit a book before adding it.<\/li>\n<li>A small diagram, figure or map can occupy part of a page rather than a whole one.<\/li>\n<li>Scrapbook and photo-book pages, built from your own images and text, can form a whole book or a section of one. The snipping tool on the <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Tools<\/a> menu clips part of a chart, diagram or map straight into a scrapbook page or a Media record. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.family-historian.co.uk\/help\/fh8\/howto_addascrapbook.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Create a Scrapbook or Photo Book<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Address List and Place List reports can be included to describe the addresses and places mentioned in the book.<\/li>\n<li>The index covers people appearing in charts (tree, fan and pedigree) as well as in reports.<\/li>\n<li>A plugin-generated report added to a book now gives one chapter per record, headed as set in the book.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_13256\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13256\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-13256 lazyload\" data-src=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page-768x842.png\" alt=\"Editing a scrapbook page in a book\" width=\"700\" height=\"768\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page-768x842.png 768w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page-274x300.png 274w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page-934x1024.png 934w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page-137x150.png 137w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/fh8-scrapbook-page.png 1397w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 700px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 700\/768;\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-13256\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Editing a scrapbook page in a book<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"book_free_page_content\" class=\"sectionedit4\">Book Free Page Content<\/h2>\n<div class=\"level2\">\n<p>Sometimes a <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Publish&nbsp&gt;&nbspBooks<\/a> page may need images and text that cannot be created using a standard <strong>Report<\/strong>. In <span class=\"fh\" style=\"font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 21.4286px !important;\">\u0192<span style=\"color:#73B262; font-weight: bold;\">h<\/span><\/span> 8 a scrapbook page (above) is the simplest answer. In earlier versions, the workaround is to compose the page as a diagram. In <span class=\"fh\" style=\"font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 21.4286px !important;\">\u0192<span style=\"color:#73B262; font-weight: bold;\">h<\/span><\/span> V7 try using <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">View&nbsp&gt;&nbspCharts&nbsp&gt;&nbspBlank&nbspDiagram<\/a> or <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Charts&nbsp&gt;&nbspBlank&nbspDiagram<\/a> that offers some features like a word-processor to compose a page. Prior to <span class=\"fh\" style=\"font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 21.4286px !important;\">\u0192<span style=\"color:#73B262; font-weight: bold;\">h<\/span><\/span> V7 use the <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">View&nbsp&gt;&nbspStandard&nbspDiagram&nbspTypes&nbsp&gt;&nbspBlank&nbspDiagram<\/a> command. Use the following steps to create the page, but remember to take into account the paper size and space needed for Margins and Header\/Footer in the Book Settings, Page Layout tab.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspPage&nbspBoundaries&nbsp&gt;&nbspShow&nbspPage&nbspBoundaries<\/a> to ensure the images and text fit the page and allow for margins, etc.<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspOptions&nbsp&gt;&nbspBackground:&nbspOne&nbspcolour<\/a> and in <em>Options<\/em>\u00a0select white,\u00a0<em>OK<\/em>.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspInsert&nbspinto&nbspDiagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspPicture<\/a> and choose any image file.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Adjust the size &amp; position of this image similar to an image inserted into MS Word.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspInsert&nbspinto&nbspDiagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspText&nbspBox<\/a> and draw a box where text is wanted.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspFormat<\/a> and enter the <em>Text<\/em>\u00a0required on the page. It can combine plain text with\u00a0Expressions\u00a0to extract data from the\u00a0Project.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Click\u00a0<em>Font<\/em>\u00a0button and choose a font, style, size, colour, etc.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Set\u00a0Alignment\u00a0as required to\u00a0Left,\u00a0Centred,\u00a0Right, or\u00a0Justified.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">On\u00a0<em>Line and Fill\u00a0<\/em>tab set\u00a0<em>Fill<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em>Line<\/em>\u00a0to\u00a0<em>None<\/em>\u00a0or as required.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Repeat any of above for more images &amp; text, and drag them where wanted on page.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspOrder&nbsp&amp;&nbspGrouping<\/a> to put say text over images, or group images &amp; text into single entities.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"level1\">\n<div class=\"li\">Finally use <a href=\"#!\" class=\"cs_tooltip\" fhugtt=\"This is the menu across the top of the main Family Historian windows. The &gt; denotes a submenu\">Diagram&nbsp&gt;&nbspSave&nbspDiagram&nbspAs&nbsp&gt;&nbspFamily&nbspHistorian&nbspChart<\/a> with an appropriate name, which will appear in the Book\u00a0table of\u00a0Contents.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now in\u00a0<em>Edit Book<\/em>\u00a0select\u00a0<em>Saved Chart<\/em>, then click\u00a0&gt;\u00a0and choose the\u00a0Chart\u00a0name saved above.<\/p>\n<p>In\u00a0<em>Select Chart Pages<\/em>\u00a0click\u00a0<em>Position on Page<\/em>, then use cursor to drag to middle of one page.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11321 lazyload\" data-src=\"\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book_free_page_content.png\" alt=\"Family picture\" width=\"527\" height=\"377\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book_free_page_content.png 527w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book_free_page_content-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/book_free_page_content-150x107.png 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 527px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 527\/377;\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","fh_version":[14,15,739,826],"skill_level":[18,17],"topic":[61],"class_list":["post-11209","kb_article","type-kb_article","status-publish","hentry","fh_version-v5","fh_version-v6","fh_version-v7","fh_version-v8","skill_level-advanced","skill_level-intermediate","topic-reports-and-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb_article\/11209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/kb_article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/kb_article"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"fh_version","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/fh_version?post=11209"},{"taxonomy":"skill_level","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/skill_level?post=11209"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fhug.org.uk\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=11209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}