Direct Line or Custom: Which Family Tree Is Right for You?
Most family tree projects fall into one of two categories. A Direct Line Tree follows a single ancestral line. A Custom Tree expands outward to include extended family. The difference affects both the layout and the pricing, so it's worth understanding before you start planning.
Direct Line Tree
Starts with one person or generation and traces a single line of direct ancestors upward: parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and beyond. It doesn't include siblings, cousins, or extended family branches.
The example below is a Watercolor Edge bracket layout spanning six generations of the Paffe and Baldwin families, starting with four siblings and tracing both family lines back through the 1700s. Every person shown is a direct ancestor.
Direct Line Trees are priced by generation. See pricing.
Example: 6-generation bracket Direct Line tree. Click to see a larger view.
Custom Tree
A Custom Tree goes beyond the direct ancestral line to include extended family: siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, or multiple family branches. The structure is more flexible and can grow in multiple directions depending on what you want to capture.
The example below shows the same Paffe and Baldwin families in a Custom layout. Starting from the same four siblings, it expands outward to include each ancestor's parents, brothers, and sisters across four generations. The result is 88 people, reflecting the natural asymmetry of a real family: one side considerably larger than the other.
Custom Trees are priced by the number of people included. See pricing.
Example: 88-person Custom Tree. Click to see a larger view.
Not sure which fits your family?
We'll figure it out together during a free consultation.