by Lisa Cooke | Dec 12, 2014 | 01 What's New, Beginner, Evernote, Source Citation
Recently Karen wrote in to say, “I’m taking the Evernote challenge!” (Good for you!) She has this question about using the web clipper when using Evernote for family history:
Q: How do I get a clip out of Evernote and into my regular file system on my hard drive? I’ve tried the export feature, but it it only gives me a choice of exporting as a .enex or .mht or .html file. I don’t see a way of saving it as a pdf, docx, rtf, xls or jpg.
A: There are multiple options for saving a web clipping. I’m giving you an image for each, so scroll down to see:
1. Right-click on the clipping in your search results list (the center column) and select “Save Attachment.” Select the folder on your hard drive where you want to save it and click OK. The clipping will be saved as a .PNG image file. (.PNG is a “lossless” image file which means it’s not compressed the way a .JPG is. It will be a higher quality and larger image file than a .JPG but still commonly supported by most software programs and photo editors.

2. Pull up an individual note in the right hand pane of your dashboard, and right-click on it. Select “SAVE AS” and save the .PNG file to your hard drive.

3. For non-image (clippings, photos, etc) notes such as text notes, you would have to export as XML and then convert that to .docx which is not the simplest transaction. If it was just a single note, the simplest solution is to highlight the text, copy and paste into Word.

Resources
How to Get Started in Evernote, and the Ultimate Evernote Education
Genealogy Gems Premium Evernote videos like:
Not a Premium member yet? The Evernote video series alone makes Premium membership worth the low annual fee, but you get SO much more! Learn more here.
by Lisa Cooke | Jun 13, 2014 | 01 What's New, Evernote, Organization, Research Skills, Source Citation
Are you using Evernote for Genealogy? You’re not alone! The company announced recently that over 100 MILLION people now use Evernote to keep track of what they know and how they know it.
“When we launched the Evernote service in 2008,…there were many note takers and productivity tools around at the time but they all felt out of date; they were becoming less and less relevant to people’s lives,” explains a company press release. “We set out to redefine the meaning of productivity for modern busy people. We want Evernote to become your workspace; the place where you do all of the everyday things that keep your life moving forward.”
Evernote has sure taken the genealogy community by storm. I attend conferences around the world and it seems every single one has at least one class devoted to using Evernote for genealogy!
3 Reasons Why Evernote is Ideal for Genealogy Research:
1. You can store your research information with the source citation and any additional notes you take about the item. It’s easy to transfer online finds into Evernote and easy to copy them into your family history writing projects or websites.
2. You can sort and retrieve data easily: When I search “Burkett” Evernote instantly and thoroughly sifts all of my notes. It locates all 33 of my notes where the surname BURKETT appears in a note, even when the name appears in an image such as this scan of my Grandfather’s Railroad examination certificate from 1936. That is thanks to the fact that Evernote applies Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to all images in your notes!

3. Your desktop version syncs with whatever you do through the Evernote app. With Evernote on your mobile device, you have constant access to your genealogy research, photos and more. Think how easy that makes your next trip to an archive or family reunion!
And here’s a tip for all of you iPhone and iPad users:
Stop searching for the Evernote app on your mobile devices desktop. Just press and hold the Home button and tell Siri “Open Evernote App!”
Free Download: If you haven’t tried the FREE version of Evernote note-taking and data-organization software yet, download it here.
Then cut your learning curve and start using Evernote effectively RIGHT AWAY by purchasing our Evernote for Genealogists guide! The guide is available as a digital download or laminated print format, for the Mac or PC.
More Free Resources:
How to Get Started in Evernote, and the Ultimate Evernote Education
How to Add Text to a Web Clipping in Evernote
Should Evernote be my Digital Archive?
by Lisa Cooke | Jul 13, 2016 | 01 What's New, FamilySearch, MyHeritage

Family tree charts come in all shapes and sizes. Fan charts, bowtie charts, and the popular portrait charts are just a few of the many options. Many of our favorite genealogy software and apps allow us to create a printed version of our family tree. Creating and printing a beautiful family tree chart can bring a little sunshine into your own family tree!
Free Family Tree Charts at FamilySearch
FamilySearch Family Tree is free and available to everyone. When you have created your free account and add your family tree data, you are given four family tree viewing options. These options include the landscape, the fan, the portrait, and the descendancy views. Each of these viewing options are available to download or print in chart form.
I really like the portrait chart. If you have many pictures of your ancestors, I think you will love this option. To see the portrait view, click on the second icon at the top left of the family tree screen.

Landscape view of family tree at FamilySearch
At the new screen, you will see the look of your family tree has changed. This is the portrait view. If you would like to print or download the chart, simply click the print icon at the right of the screen. This will open a default screen where you have the option to rotate, print, and download the chart.

Portrait view of family tree at FamilySearch
Some of my friends have downloaded their charts to a thumb drive and then taken them to Staples or Office Depot to print them in poster size. Isn’t that neat? What a great way to share the family history at your next family reunion!
Family Tree Charts at MyHeritage
MyHeritage has always had a nice assortment of family tree chart options. One of my favorites is the “bowtie chart.” This bowtie chart shows the main person in the center next to their spouse. Ancestors are on either side, and their children are below. With eighteen style options, you can be sure to find one that is perfect for you.

Bowtie Chart by MyHeritage
MyHeritage offers some free access and some things that require a subscription. Creating a free account allows you to create a family tree with 250 people. By upgrading to the PremiumPlus subscription level for $9.95, you are unlimited in the number of people in your family tree. To read more about the pricing and subscription level differences and access our digital MyHeritage Cheat Sheet, click here.
Recently, MyHeritage added a beautiful Sun Chart option. Like in all cases, you must first upload a GEDCOM or create a family tree file. A Sun Chart is a type of descendant fan chart, however, unlike other’s it supports photos. The main person or couple is displayed in the center and the descendants are shown in the outer rings.
To create your own Sun Chart, click Family Tree at the top and choose Print charts & books from the pull-down menu. At the new screen, choose whichever chart you are interested in printing. In this case, I chose the Sun Chart.

By scrolling down, you can customize your Sun Chart with a title, specific facts for each individual, photo size, and number of generations.
I customized my settings to large pictures size and included only three generations.

Sun Chart by MyHeritage
It may take several minutes for your chart to be generated. I had to wait about twenty minutues. MyHeritage also allows you to download, print, and even order a poster size of your chart directly from their website.
Create a Family Chart Today!
Whether you decide to share your family tree chart creation via email or printed poster, it will be sure to be a big hit. We would love to hear about your own favorite family tree chart creations and how you have shared them. Please let us know about them in the comments below.
More Gems on Family Tree Charts
Family Tree Builder for Mac Users
Alternate Family Trees Offer Unique Perspective to Family History
3 Ways to Talk About DNA at Your Next Family Reunion
by Lisa Cooke | Aug 25, 2021 | 01 What's New, Elevenses with Lisa, Productivity |
Video and Show Notes We all need reminders now and then to work smart and stay focused. This week we’re going to revisit two early episodes of Elevenses with Lisa that will help you do just that. I’m bringing them out from behind the Premium Membership...
by Lisa Cooke | Nov 28, 2016 | 01 What's New, Video
It’s a common phenomenon for the genealogist: the eye roll!
Relatives who have never had a desire to delve into genealogy often roll their eyes when an enthusiastic genealogist in the family shares a newly discovered census or other genealogical record. And who can blame either party? The genealogist is giddy having won a long fought battle to unearth another piece of the family tree puzzle, and the non-genealogist hasn’t a clue what difference it all makes.
Creating a short story slideshow video about your family history is an ideal way to bridge that gap. Here at Genealogy Gems (on my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel) I’ve shared not only examples of professional-quality videos, but also the step-by-step instructions for creating them with one of my favorite website tools called Animoto. It’s an online video creation tool that requires no special skills or software. You just drag and drop your content (digital images and even video files) and select from Animoto’s cache of professional video styles and music tracks. Within minutes you can whip together a video that generates not eye rolls, but instead, ooos and ahhhs!
(Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Thank you for supporting the Genealogy Gems blog!)
Simple slideshow videos aren’t the only eye-rolling defense weapon in Animoto’s arsenal. You can take your video creation to the next level with Animoto’s Marketing Video Builder
. Don’t let the name fool you, because it’s rich with features that any genealogist can sink their teeth into.
One of the key features you get with the Marketing Video Builder, available with Professional and Business subscriptions, is the ability to add voice narration to your video. Your voice (or the voice of relatives that you interview) will bring an intimacy and personalization to your video project that will tug on your viewer’s heart strings.

Raymond age 13 (4th from left) and his father Harry Cooke (2nd from right), Tunbridge Wells, England circa 1909
Recently I took the Marketing Video Builder for a whirl on a project that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time: the story of my husband’s great grandfather. My husband’s grandfather, Raymond Cooke, wrote up a short autobiography just before his death in 1987. It’s a wonderful glimpse into the world of his youth and his memories of his father, Harry Cooke.
I used the portion of the autobiography that was focused on Raymond’s father Harry to create an outline for my video. I then set up a project folder on my hard drive, selected images that represented the story, and copied them into the folder. In the image below you can see how I laid out my plan in a simple Word document. This created a script that indicated which portion of the autobiography would be read for each image.

The video script indicates the image and the narration that accompanies it.
The next step was to head to Animoto.com, sign in to my account, click the “Create” button and select “Marketing Video.”. I selected a pre-built storyboard called Portfolio because I really liked the design, but changed the music to a lilting melody called A Thousand Years that I found in the vast music collection. It had just the right for the feel of the story!
The beauty of a marketing video is that you can personalize the storyboard with your choice of font and colors, and you can add and delete sections as you see fit. Animoto always gives you the ability to customize your storyboard so that it fits your imagery perfectly.
With my storyboard set up, I proceeded to upload all the content I had gathered in my project folder. It’s super simple to drag and drop them into the right order.

Bill recording his Grandfather’s words for the video
Next, I recruited Raymond’s grandson, my husband Bill, to narrate the video, using Animoto’s voice-over feature. He was a little hesitant at first, but once he saw my outline and script, his enthusiasm for the project grew and he agreed.
I kept the dialogue brief for each image, because the length of the narration dictates how long the image appears on the screen. I found that 2-3 sentences per image was plenty, and the recordings averaged about 14 seconds each. You will be able to see in the bottom left corner of the tile how many seconds you recorded. And rest assured, you can record as many takes as you like and play them back to ensure you love the final result!
The Preview button is your friend, and I encourage you to preview your project several times throughout the creation process. When you are happy with the final video, click the Produce button that appears in the Preview window. This part of the process is just like Animoto’s Slideshow Video Builder. Click here to read my blog post and watch my step-by-step tutorial video.
With a bit of planning out your story, collecting your content, and production time on the Animoto website, you can get results like this:
I love that Raymond’s grandsons voice shares his words with the viewer!
Videos like these are so simple to create, and will bring your family history to life in a way that every member of your family will enjoy. And the holidays are just around the corner. Why not share your family history video when your family gathers togethers? Then, get ready for the ooos and ahhhs!