Flag Maker Online
A free flag maker that runs in your browser. Design a flag, save it, and download it as PNG, JPG or SVG.
The editor above is a full flag creator with nothing to install and no account to make. Start from a classic layout, add stars, crescents, animals or your own logo, and change every color until it looks right. It works for a class project, a country in your novel or game, or a banner for a club, a team or a family reunion.
Your designs stay on your device. Nothing you draw or upload is sent to a server, and saved flags live in this browser.
How to make a flag
Six steps take you from an empty canvas to a file you can print or share.
-
Choose a layout
Open the Layouts tab and click a starting pattern: stripes, a cross, a saltire, a canton or a plain field. It fills the whole flag so you are never staring at a blank canvas.
-
Set the proportions
Use the ratio menu in the top bar to pick a shape such as 2:3, 1:2, 3:5 or a square 1:1. Settle this early, because it changes how everything else sits.
-
Add symbols, shapes and text
Drop in a star, a crescent or a shield from Symbols, basic shapes from Shapes, words from Text, or your own logo from Uploads.
-
Recolor everything
Click any stripe or band of the background to change its color. Select an element to change its color, size, rotation, opacity or layer order, or to flip, duplicate or delete it.
-
Save to My flags
Save keeps the design in this browser so you can come back and keep editing. Undo and Redo cover the steps in between.
-
Download it
Export a PNG in the size you need, a smaller JPG, or an SVG that stays sharp at any size and suits printing.
Start from a layout
Most national flags are built on a handful of patterns. The Layouts tab has each of these ready to recolor, so you can try a Nordic cross in red and white, then switch to a green tricolor, in a couple of clicks.
-
Tricolor
-
Bicolor
-
Horizontal bands
-
Nordic cross
-
Centered cross
-
Saltire
-
Canton
-
Triangle at the hoist
-
Diagonal
-
Chevron
-
Quartered
-
Border
Want to see which real flags use each pattern? Browse flag design ideas.
Tips for a good flag
The North American Vexillological Association, a society of flag scholars, sums up good design in five principles in its booklet Good Flag, Bad Flag. NAVA calls them guidelines rather than rules, but the flags people like best tend to follow them.
-
1
Keep it simple
Simple enough that a child could draw it from memory.
-
2
Use meaningful symbolism
The colors, images or pattern should relate to what the flag stands for.
-
3
Use two or three basic colors
Stick to a few colors that contrast well with each other.
-
4
No lettering or seals
Words and detailed seals turn to mush at a distance, so leave them off.
-
5
Be distinctive or be related
Avoid copying another flag, but borrow on purpose to show a connection.
A quick test: shrink your design to the size of a postage stamp. If you can still tell what it is, it will work on a pole. The flag design guide goes through each principle with examples.
Common flag proportions
A flag's ratio is its height to its width. 2:3 is the most common shape among national flags, with 1:2 second, but the official shapes range from square to very long. Match one of these in the editor's ratio menu, or read the flag ratio guide for pixel sizes.
| Country | Ratio | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 1:1 | Square, set in Swiss federal law |
| France | 2:3 | The most common shape for national flags |
| Japan | 2:3 | Fixed by the 1999 Act on National Flag and Anthem |
| Mexico | 4:7 | A little longer than 2:3 |
| United States | 10:19 | Hoist 1.0 to fly 1.9 in Executive Order 10834 |
| Canada | 1:2 | Twice as long as it is wide |
| Qatar | 11:28 | One of the longest national flags |
Flag guides
How to design a flag
The five principles in detail, with examples that follow and break them.
Flag design ideas
Tricolors, crosses, saltires and cantons, with real flags that use each one.
Flags for fictional countries
Designing for a novel, a game or an invented nation.
Flag ratios
Common proportions and the pixel sizes that match them.
What flag colors mean
What countries say their colors stand for, with sources.
Parts of a flag
Hoist, fly, canton, field and the rest of the vocabulary.
Printing your flag
File formats, resolution and sizes to send a print shop.
Flag maker FAQ
Is Flag Maker free?
Yes. Every part of the editor is free to use, including layouts, shapes, symbols, text, your own uploads and all three download formats. There is no paid tier, no watermark on downloads and no limit on how many flags you design. You can make one flag for a school project or fifty for a game world, and it costs the same, which is nothing.
Do I need an account to make a flag?
No. There is no sign-up and no login. Open the page and start designing straight away. The editor runs in your browser, and anything you save goes into that browser on your own device. The trade-off is that your saved flags do not follow you to another computer or phone, so download a copy of any design you want to keep.
How do I download my flag?
Click Download in the top bar and pick a format. PNG is the safe choice for most uses and comes in several sizes. JPG gives a smaller file for sharing in chats or email. SVG is a vector file that stays sharp at any size, which makes it the best choice if you plan to edit the design further or have it printed.
Can I add my own image or logo to a flag?
Yes. Open the Uploads tab, pick an image from your device, and it appears on the canvas. You can move it, resize it, rotate it and change its layer order like any other element. A logo with a transparent background, saved as a PNG, sits most cleanly on a colored field. The image stays in your browser and is never sent to our servers.
Where are my saved flags stored?
When you click Save, the design goes into My flags, which lives in this browser on this device. Nothing is stored on our servers. That means clearing your browsing data or site data for this site removes your saved flags, and a private window may not keep them at all. Download a PNG or SVG of anything you care about as a backup.
Can I make a flag for a fictional country?
Yes. The editor works just as well for an invented nation as a real one, whether it belongs to a novel, a tabletop campaign or a video game. Pick a layout, choose colors that say something about your country, and add a symbol from the library or one you upload. A simple design that someone could sketch from memory usually reads best on a map or a page.
What size or ratio should my flag be?
Pick the ratio first, then worry about pixels. 2:3 is the most common shape for national flags and a safe default. 3:5 matches the common 3 by 5 foot flags sold for printing, and 1:2 gives a longer, wider look. For a print shop, download an SVG or the largest PNG so the file holds up at full size.
Ready to make your own flag?
Back to the editor