How to Design Your Flag

There are more to flags than your country’s national flag.

Flags are also today a popular form of advertisement, and for various reasons. Teardrop flags are cost-effective, cheap, attractive, easy to install, and can be used for promotional and directional reasons.

They are perfect for drawing attention to trade show booths, events, and outdoor facilities. And is a great tool to reach customers while commuting to work, going shopping, walking around, or generally completing their daily routines.

The best thing is that creating teardrop flags isn’t as difficult as you think.

The designing process is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is consider some vital design and follow these easy steps for a final practical project.

1.     Decide what size and shaped flag you need

The best way to decide on the type of flag you will be using is to determine based on how you will be using it for your outdoor advertisement. While there are various flags in the market like street, beach, and banner flags, teardrop and feather flags add a touch of drama.

They come in multiple sizes, usually spanning 8 to 16 feet tall. The flags slope downward at an extreme angle. It’s this feature of the flag that helps it capture the attention of people. With the right colors and message printed on it, they can effectively garner attention to your brand or business.

As the name implies, it looks like a feather, which is how and why it got its name.

They come in two popular types-convex and concave feather flags.

• The convex bottom feather flags have a round tapering bottom that gives them a soft shape. It also provides the added benefit of additional surface area for you to use for printing your message.

Feather flags are of a tough, high-quality material that ensures the banner lasts for a long time to come.

• Concave feather flags come with a distinctive inward curve on the bottom that changes their overall shape. It is the process that generates more attention to the banner. They are perfect for both small and large businesses to use for their branding and advertising purposes.

2.     Select the ideal flag design template

Don’t worry. You don’t need to know any computer language or design software to create your flags. There are various online design tools to use to design your banner.

These online flag makers come with different templates to use for customizing your banner. There are free tools, complete with a choice of fonts, images, and colors. And the best thing about using these template tools is that they are perfect for printing. Just select the right template and you are ready to go.

3.     Start customizing your design

When you set about customizing design, you must bear in mind that you are creating an outdoor banner. So look for a design that can communicate a design in just a few seconds. There are a few tips that will help in coming up with the perfect flag.

·         Keep everything simple:

Remember, the purpose of the feather flag is to advertise both near and far. This means that any text printed on it should be easily visible from a distance. The clarity of your message improves if you keep the design simple. Banners with too many details and graphics only make the flag confusing.

·         Use only relevant images

Choose your images wisely for the banner. Use more graphics that support or are related to the brand or product you are advertising about. There’s no point in including other irrelevant graphics.

Though they may ‘spice’ up the looks of the flag, they only end up confusing the reader. It’s always one attention-grabbing image that creates more impact on banners than several confusing images.

That eye-catching image should effectively capture the attention of prospective customers and not pass by without even noticing it. All it takes is a well-designed flag to do wonders for your company’s exposure and create a lasting impression on a potential customer.

·         Restrict the use of colors

According to some studies, the right colors can effectively improve your brand recognition by up to 80%. That’s why it’s better to customize your feather flag design than opting for a stock design.

It offers the added benefit of choosing specific colors to use on the flags, which match your brand colors and help build recognition.

There’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to the flag colors.

Stick to using about 2 to 3 attention-grabbing colors only as it ensures better visibility and legibility. Too many colors can only make things confusing and difficult to decipher.

The message you want to convey may end up hidden in the colors. If you need to use more colors, do it only after ensuring that passer-by can read the text even from afar.

Visibility plays a vital role while choosing your feather flag color.

Black and white can grab a person’s attention for a third of a second. However, bright colors are even more effective. They can capture the viewer’s attention for two whole seconds.

So the best way to maximize the feather flag’s attention-grabbing ability is by using vibrant colors easily seen from a distance. Examples are yellow, blue, or red.

It’s always better to use single-colored text on a single-colored background. They offer better clarity, legibility, and visibility. Just make sure that the chosen colors are contrasting so that the text stands out.

It means that it’s better to use red text on a yellow background than red text on an orange background. Red and orange are non-contrasting and complimentary colors.

·         Add only the required details

Always restrict the amount of text printed on the feather flag. Of course, you have to include information the reader needs to know, like address, dates, product rates, and website links. Just strive not to add irrelevant information on the banner.

Remember, the feather flag has to grab attention by quickly delivering a message. There’s no space here for a large block of text so use no more than seven words. It is generally better to add the text vertically onto the banner as viewers tend to read from top to bottom.

When it comes to selecting the correct text, there are two important aspects to remember and consider.

They are the font type and letter size.

a)     Font type

There are so many font types for you to choose from for your feather flag. But choose remembering that you have only three to five seconds to grab the drivers’ attention. You must select a font that’s easy to read, lest prospective customers end up overlooking it.

The best fonts for outdoor feather flags are Sans Serif fonts and not Serif fonts. It’s because they do not have any angular lines extending from the top and bottom of the font.

So if you are looking for something readable and bold, the popular options are Helvetica, Futura, and Arial. As thick letters are always easier to read, use a bold variation.

Avoid novelty, cursive, and script typefaces as they can get confusing and difficult to read. Also, restrict your use of Serifs and text-style fonts like Times New Roman or Garamond for legibility reasons.

b)    Letter-size

In addition to the right font, you also have to use the right-sized letters. The smaller your text will be, the more critical it is that you select some readable font.

You can, however, take the chance of choosing more stylized fonts if you are working with giant letters. The large size of the text will compensate for any legibility issues.

In advertisements, the general text size rule is that letters should be at least one inch tall per 10ft of viewing distance. It means that while you can see a 15-inch text from further away, they give the best impact within 150 ft.

Other essential factors to remember while designing your flag’s letter size are making the proper use of white space and kerning. If you wonder what they are, white space is the open area found around the text.

As long as you use white space effectively, you can make your letters stand out for better contrast with the background. Designs with 40% text and 60% white space offer optimal flag readability and give your words space to ‘breath.’

About kerning, it’s the spacing you keep in between the letters. It’s always better to avoid spacing letters too closely. Even placing large letters close together ends up in reduced text readability.

4.     Specify your printing preferences

Now that you have your banner design, it’s time to think of its finishing touches. Before you send your design to online flag manufacturers like vancke.com, decide and explain how you want your flag printed. Decide on the banner material type and thickness and the purpose of printing the flags.

Most companies print their feather flags using digital printing.

It offers the advantage of a wide range of colors and shades to choose from. Besides, the manufacturer can print any design ranging from photographic images to vibrant designs with bold colors.

5.     Select your preferred accessories

You also have to decide on the accessories you need, depending on where you will be displaying the teardrop flag. You can choose between a ground stake, x-base, or water base, and of course, a pole.

a) X or cross bases

These are lightweight and portable bases, better suited for indoor use. You can always secure them down using water bags for added protection.

b) Water bases

These are bases filled with water to securely hold the feather flag down even in the windiest circumstances. As they are to be used only as a weight, drain them after use. They are lighter and easier to transport wherever you want.

c)  Ground stakes

These stakes offer a quick and straightforward solution for securing your feather flag into the ground. They are a popular option while using your feather flags outdoors, on soft soil. Being portable, they are easy to set up even on your own, and to carry around.

Most companies send you all accessories with the flag in a convenient carrying bag.

6.     Single or double-sided feather flags

Feather flags let you choose between single or double-sided banners. You generally select based on how much information you intend to print onto the flags.

If you have a bit more graphics and text to print, then a double-sided flag may be the ideal choice. You can place a part of the message on one side and the remaining content on the reverse side.

Don’t worry about any leaching of colors. These are durable polyester flags, with a black cloth in between to prevent the leaching of colors. They make a better choice if you expect people to read content on both sides of the flag.

If you have minimal text and graphics to print, then a single-sided flag may be a better choice. You only have to print the design and text on one side, and everyone sees the message.

They make a better choice if you expect people to read only one side of the flag. You just have to set them up so that the printed side faces the viewer.

7.     Placing your final order

Once you have selected everything, it’s time to place your order. Here’s when you have to make the final selection. You need to determine how many flags you want, when you want the flags, and submit your artwork.

Make sure you place your order so that you receive your flags in time for your event/opening. As long as this is clarified, you have to wait to receive your perfectly designed feather flags.

You see, designing your flag isn’t so difficult.

You need to select the right contrasting and vibrant colors and select the right font and text size for optimal readability and legibility. With the right printing preferences and accessories, you end up with feather flags that serve your advertisement purposes for a rather long time.