Print Your Timeline
To print your timeline, click the Share button above it, then click PDF.
Select the content to include and your paper orientation (landscape or portrait). The first time you open the dialog it starts on Landscape, with Timeline, Event List and Page Number all checked. Paper Size and Magnification sit under More Options. That section is collapsed every time you open the dialog, so click it to expand them.
When you're ready, click Download Now to generate and download the PDF. If you included both the timeline and the event list, the event list starts on a new page after the timeline. You can then open the file on your computer and print it.
Preceden remembers the settings you picked and opens the dialog on them the next time you export a PDF in the same browser.
If the export fails or reports an error instead, Troubleshooting PDF Export Issues works through the usual causes.
FAQs
What paper sizes can I choose?
Letter (8½" by 11"), A3, A4, Legal (8½" by 14") and Tabloid (11" by 17"), plus a "Stretch across multiple sheets of paper" option covered below. Letter is the default.
My timeline runs onto an extra page. Can I fit it onto one?
Often, yes. Lower the Magnification setting, which shrinks the timeline in the PDF so more of it fits on a page. It runs from 100% down to 30% in ten-point steps. Start at 100% and work down: if only a small part spills over, try 90%, then 80%.
Can I print only some of my events?
Yes. Type a word into the Search box above your timeline before you click Share. The PDF then includes only the events whose name or notes contain that word, along with every event in a layer whose name or notes contain it, in both the timeline and the event list. Image and PowerPoint exports work the same way, but a spreadsheet export always includes every event.
Clear the Search box when you want the whole timeline back. To leave out entire layers instead, you can hide them, though that hides them from anyone you've shared the timeline with too.
Can I print the timeline across multiple pages?
Yes, though it takes a few steps. The instructions are here: Multipage Printing.
Can I print the timeline on a plotter?
Yes, some people have had success printing to a plotter: Print Timeline on a Plotter.
Can I save the timeline as an image instead of a PDF?
Yes. Click Share above your timeline and click Image rather than PDF. The Download Image dialog has two settings, and Preceden remembers both for the next image you export in the same browser:
- Width sets how wide the file is: "Same width as in your browser" (the default), 720px, 960px, 1200px, 1440px or 1920px.
- Zoom sets the resolution it's rendered at, either 200% (High resolution, the default) or 400% (Very high resolution).
Click Download Now to generate the PNG file. The image holds the timeline visualization on its own, without the event list below it, so pick the PDF when you want both. For a large-format print, see Print Timelines on a Plotter.
Can I put my timeline in a Word or Google Docs document?
Yes, as an image. Download it as a PNG using the steps above, then in Word click Insert > Pictures and choose the file. In Google Docs, click Insert > Image > Upload from computer instead. The picture is a snapshot, so download and insert it again after you change the timeline.
If you would rather build the timeline in the document itself, How to Create a Timeline in Word and How to Create a Timeline in Google Docs walk through it step by step.
Can I export my events to a spreadsheet?
Yes. Click Share above your timeline and click Spreadsheet. Set File Type to Excel (.xlsx), the default, or Comma Separated Values (.csv), then click Download Now. Preceden remembers the file type for the next spreadsheet you export in the same browser.
The file holds one row per event, layer by layer, with a column each for the layer name, the event's ID, its name, its notes, its start and end dates, its icon and its color. Unlike the PDF, image and PowerPoint exports, a spreadsheet always contains every event, whatever the Search box is filtering on.
You can edit the file and bring it back into the timeline afterwards: see Import a CSV or Excel File. If a CSV looks wrong when Excel opens it, Loading a CSV in Excel covers why and what to do instead.
Can I put my own header or footer on the PDF?
There is no header or footer setting, but timeline notes are included in the PDF above the timeline itself, which is the closest thing to a header: Add a Timeline Header and Footer.
Why does my PDF say "Created with Preceden" at the bottom?
Exports from the free plan carry Preceden branding: a Created with Preceden line and logo in the PDF footer, and the same line beneath your timeline if you export it as an image instead. The Preceden Logo checkbox in the Download PDF dialog reflects that branding, which is why it is checked and cannot be unchecked.
The branding is removed automatically on any paid plan, so there is no setting to change once you upgrade.