Convert GED to JPG

A genealogy program may export a family tree as .ged, while a website, photo editor, print service, or messaging app needs a JPG image. GEDCOM data must be opened in genealogy software and rendered as a chart before it can become a usable JPG.

GED and JPG formats

GED commonly refers to a GEDCOM (GEnealogical Data COMmunication) file. It is a plain-text exchange format used by genealogy applications and services, including Gramps, RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, and many family-history websites.

A GEDCOM file stores records for people, families, relationships, events, dates, places, notes, sources, and links to media. It does not contain a fixed family-tree design, page size, font selection, or image pixels. Different genealogy programs can therefore create different-looking charts from the same .ged file.

JPG, also called JPEG, is a compressed raster-image format supported by browsers, phones, image editors, and print services. It is convenient for sharing a fixed chart image and is usually smaller than PNG, but its lossy compression can soften small names, dates, and connecting lines.

Create a chart before exporting

Use genealogy software that can import GEDCOM and generate ancestor, descendant, pedigree, or family-group charts. Gramps is a free desktop option for Windows, macOS, and Linux; RootsMagic, Family Tree Maker, and Legacy Family Tree can also create charts from imported GEDCOM data.

1. Open the .ged file in the genealogy application using its import command. In Gramps, use Family Trees → Import.
2. Check imported names, dates, relationships, and media links. GEDCOM imports can lose application-specific custom fields, formatting, private facts, or unsupported source data.
3. Create the required chart or graphical report and select the starting person, number of generations, page orientation, paper size, and font size.
4. Export the chart as SVG or PDF where available. SVG is preferable for a single large chart because it remains scalable; PDF is preferable for printing and preserving page layout.
5. Convert the SVG or PDF output to JPG at the needed pixel dimensions.

The original recommendation of yEd is not appropriate for this job: yEd does not natively import GEDCOM files. It can draw diagrams only after genealogy data has been manually transformed into a supported graph format.

Convert SVG or PDF to JPG

For an SVG chart, open it in Inkscape and export a high-resolution PNG, then save or convert that PNG to JPG. Inkscape can also perform the raster export from a terminal:

inkscape family-tree.svg --export-filename=family-tree.png --export-dpi=300

Convert the PNG with ImageMagick:

magick family-tree.png -background white -alpha remove -alpha off -quality 92 family-tree.jpg

For a PDF, Preview on macOS can export an opened page as JPEG through File → Export. For repeatable conversion or multi-page PDFs, MuPDF can render each page to PNG:

mutool draw -r 300 -o family-tree-%d.png family-tree.pdf

Then convert each rendered page:

magick family-tree-1.png -quality 92 family-tree-1.jpg

If software installation is not practical, CloudConvert is a reputable online option for converting an already-rendered .svg or .pdf file to JPG. Do not expect a generic online converter to turn a raw GEDCOM file into a correctly designed tree, and review the service's retention and privacy terms before uploading family data.

Quality and compatibility limits

Export at 300 DPI for print output or use enough pixels for the intended display size. A 10-inch-wide chart printed at 300 DPI needs at least 3,000 pixels across; a wide multi-generation tree may need far more. Raising JPEG quality cannot restore text detail missing from a low-resolution render.

JPG does not support transparency, so export with a white or other deliberate background. Keep the original .ged file and the PDF or SVG chart: JPG is flattened, cannot be edited as genealogy data, and is unsuitable as the only archival copy.

A multi-page PDF becomes multiple JPG files, one per page. If one continuous image is required, configure the chart software for a single large page or export SVG before converting.