Short answer: the hoist is the half of a flag nearest the pole and the fly is the far half. The field is the background, the canton is the upper corner next to the pole, and a charge is any symbol placed on the flag. Vexillology – the study of flags – has a small vocabulary of such terms, and knowing them makes it much easier to describe, discuss and design flags.
The parts of a flag
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hoist | The edge or half of the flag closest to the flagpole. Also used for the flag's height. |
| Fly | The edge or half farthest from the pole – the part that flaps. Also used for the flag's length. |
| Field | The background color or pattern of the flag. |
| Canton | The upper hoist-side quarter (or rectangle). The US stars and Australia's Union Jack sit in the canton. |
| Charge | Any symbol placed on the field: a star, sun, crescent, animal or emblem. |
| Obverse / reverse | The front (pole on the viewer's left) and back of the flag. |
| Sleeve / header | The fabric strip at the hoist that attaches the flag to the pole or rope. |
| Finial | The ornament on top of the flagpole – part of the pole, not the flag. |
Layouts (divisions of the field)
- Bicolor – two equal bands, horizontal (Poland, Indonesia, Ukraine) or vertical.
- Tricolor – three equal bands. Vertical tricolors include France, Italy and Ireland; horizontal ones include Germany, the Netherlands and Russia.
- Triband – three bands where the middle can differ in width or carry a charge.
- Nordic (Scandinavian) cross – a cross with its center shifted toward the hoist, used by Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.
- Saltire – a diagonal cross in the shape of an X, as on Scotland's flag.
- Greek or symmetric cross – a centered cross with equal arms, as on Switzerland's flag.
- Chevron or hoist triangle – a triangle extending from the hoist, as on the Czech flag or the Philippines.
- Bordure – a border around the field.
- Quartered – the field divided into four sections.
- Per bend (diagonal) – the field divided diagonally, as on the flags of Tanzania or the Republic of the Congo.
Most of these are available as one-click layouts in the flag maker; the thumbnails in the Layout panel show each one in your current colors.
Details and decorations
- Fimbriation – a thin line of a contrasting color separating two areas, such as the white edging around the red cross on the UK's flag. It is a classic trick for keeping dark colors apart.
- Disc – a circle charge, as on Japan and Bangladesh. Bangladesh's disc is shifted slightly toward the hoist so it looks centered when the flag flies.
- Emblem, seal or coat of arms – a detailed charge. Designers usually advise against seals because detail is lost at a distance.
- Swallowtail – a fly end cut into a V shape, common on maritime and military flags.
- Pennant – a long tapering flag, often triangular.
Flag-related words worth knowing
- Vexillology – the study of flags; a vexillologist studies them, and a vexillographer designs them.
- Ensign – a flag flown by ships to show nationality; some countries have separate civil, state and naval ensigns.
- Jack – a small flag flown at a ship's bow.
- Half-mast / half-staff – lowering a flag partway as a sign of mourning.
- Vexillum – the Roman military standard from which vexillology takes its name.
Why the vocabulary helps when designing
Knowing the hoist and fly explains many design rules. The fly flaps and folds, so details there are often hidden – that is why most flags place their key symbol at the hoist or center. The canton is a natural place for a symbol when stripes fill the rest of the flag. Fimbriation solves the problem of two dark colors touching. And describing your design in these terms ("a blue field with a white Nordic cross and a gold star in the canton") makes it easy to share with others, or to recreate later.
Practice: describe a flag in one sentence
Try describing a few flags using the terms above, then build them in the editor:
- "A white field with a red disc in the center" – Japan.
- "A red field with a white Nordic cross" – Denmark.
- "A blue field with a white saltire" – Scotland.
- "A vertical tricolor of green, white and orange" – Ireland.
All four are presets in the country flag maker. Then invent your own and describe it the same way – a good flag can be described in a single sentence. For more on what makes a design work, read the flag design principles, and to put your new vocabulary to use, try the fictional country flag generator.