Printing the Farkas Family Tree Book

 
Remember that gigantic pdf file I created for my newly-updated Farkas Family Tree book? I wanted to print a master copy for myself and a second copy for my twin sis. 

Unsure of whether the print shop could manipulate a pdf of nearly 700 MB, I included pdfs of Parts 1, 2, and 3 plus the big file when I brought my flash drive to the printer.

They strongly advised against printing one giant book with spiral binding. Instead, they recommended I pick a suitable place to break the book into two parts, and create two separate pdf files. The shop would then create two spiral-bound volumes (Part 1 and Part 2), each with a clear cover and a sturdy backing.

A good place to split the big pdf file, I decided, would be after the end of World War II. Now Part 1 contains minutes and reports from 1933 to 1945, and Part 2 runs from 1946 to 1964. This meant redoing the title page for Part 1 to indicate it was 1 of 2.

Also I created a new title page for Part 2, as shown at top. For an illustration, I chose a photograph of the Ellis Island Memorial Wall inscription for my maternal grandparents. Grandma Hermina was a charter member of the Farkas Family Tree and her husband, Grandpa Theodore, was one of the early officers. This is a way to honor them as big movers and shakers within the family tree association. Grandpa Theodore carefully checked over the finances and insisted on receipts for expenditures!

Note: Only men were allowed to serve as President or Vice-President or Treasurer, while women were allowed to serve only as Secretary. This was codified in the family tree constitution 😆 

The result: two digitally-printed, spiral bound books, Parts 1 and 2, a total of 300 sheets/600 pages, with a clear cover and a heavy back cover. One for me, one for Sis. Easy to browse, very legible pages, and easy to pass down to next generation.

Lessons learned

• Ask the expert (print shop people).
• Consider what makes sense for your project (I split the file so Part 2 begins at the start of a new year, after the war was over)
• Communicate clearly (label part 1 and part 2 clearly)
• Use every opportunity to add some tidbit if room allows (my photo of the Ellis Island plaque)
• Consider this a worthwhile investment in perpetuating family history for years to come.