Flag Studio FAQs: sizes, costs, turnaround and ordering

Here we give answers on flag sizes, costs, turnaround, shipping, fabrics and ordering from Flag Studio, your UK flag maker. Custom flags made in the UK, shipped worldwide.

What is a standard size flag? 

There is no 'standard size' of flag.....  although a 5x3ft flag is the most requested.  To ensure we all get things right first time, we will always offer advice on what size of flag you need by asking you where it is to be flown - top or side of a building, freestanding or how high the flagpole is - and so on.

So for instance a 20ft pole would happily fly a minimum 5x3ft but a 2 yarder (6x3ft or 6x4ft) would work really well. If on the other hand your flagpole is freestanding in a high wind location you could always consider a larger 8x5ft flag. 

How much does a flag cost? 

There are so many variations to be considered but

PRINTED flags cost the same per size regardless of how much or how little detail there is on the flag.  The price of the flag does not include any artwork for custom flag designs but we don't charge an artwork fee for national and generic flags.

TRADITIONAL STITCHED flags - these are quoted on a design by design basis.  We're happy to give you a no obligation quote.

What is the turnaround time on having a flag made?

For ALL flags, production starts on or soon after receipt of payment of our invoice. Our terms are payment before production.

For PRINTED flags the lead time is up 5 days from point of payment.

For TRADITIONAL STITCHED AND APPLIQUED flags, the lead time is anything between seven and 21 days delivered depending on our production schedule and your timeline - we will always give you a realistic time frame so you're not kept guessing.

If you need a flag urgently, then we will always try and accommodate and this will be reflected in the price to cover overtime and next day delivery costs.

How is the postage/shipping charge calculated?

We use Royal Mail recorded and signed for delivery by default.  Our system is geared towards price of shipping per unit and when you place the order and the postage charged is higher than the cost of the actual charge paid for, we always refund the balance less the cost of the packaging which is averaged at 50p.  

So for instance if you order two flags and you are outside the UK, the default is £25 carriage for Europe and International destinations.  If the postage actually comes to a total of £18, we will refund the balance of £6.50 (including the cost of the packaging).

There is a margin of 10% on this, so if the balance is only £1 or so on a £10 charge, then unless you request a refund, we won't action it, but if you do request the balance differece, we will of course send it.

How do I order and pay for a flag?

Option 1- generic flag

If your choice of flag is generic - and by that we mean a national flag or a signal flag for example - then feel free to use the SEARCH bar at the top of the website and click through to the flag page where you can choose the appropriate size and format of your flag and order direct.

Option 2- custom flag

If you're ordering a custom flag, then once all the artwork and design and details have been signed off (see our section on CUSTOM FLAGS), then we will send you a 'click to pay' PAYPAL link (you absolutely. DO NOT NEED a paypal account to use this facility) through which you can either securely pay by card or use your paypal account (if you have one). 

We don't take card payments over the phone and we don't send out paper invoices, accept cheques or offer terms (exceptional circumstances only - to be agreed prior to placing an order). Working with this system frees up our valuable time otherwise taken up with chasing payments which we don't enjoy (it's incredibly frustrating!) and keeps everything efficient. On occasion, if someone is desperate for an order and payment hasn't cleared we ask for confirmation in writing that the payment will be made (usually public sector or onerous corporate accounting systems) and then we're happy to ship before payment as a gesture of good will but our invoice must be paid within seven days. 

Our standard terms are payment in full before production.

Can you design a flag for me?

Of course we can.  No problem. 

Send us what you have in visual and/or written format and we'll talk you through the process.

Our design fees per design including vectorisation start at £42 no vat (up to 3x drafts) and you keep the digital file for future use across all media.

We're happy to give you a no obligation quote.

I need a replica of an historical flag - can you help?

Again, of course we can. No problem.

Send us what you have in visual and/or written format and we'll talk you through the correct colours that would have been used at the dateline of the flag plus every detail down to the correct type of rope (coir, hemp etc), fabric (linen, wool etc), format and size of flag, finish on flag..... and so on.

We have possibly the largest collection of books on flags and heraldry in private hands in Europe if not the World - there's very little actual real validated evidence available on the internet facts on flags and their historical format - so we turn to history and accredited limited edition books from all over the World to give you the best advice and end product.

What fabric is best for flags?

We don't make 'economy flags' - there are lots of other flagmakers who do! - so it follows that we only use premium fabrics in all our work, however small.

The go to fabric for us is the UK Ministry of Defence woven polyester, made in the UK and used Worldwide on flags of all size - from small dingy pennants to flags flown by armed forces and merchant shipping, flags sized for framing or flags made for display.

We also make flags and banners and pennants of every size and description using eco fabrics including linen and cotton. For more info on all this, click to view our 'fabrics we use' website page HERE.

I don't want canvas rope and toggle on my flag

That's OK - not everyone does. As we make everything we can adapt the finish according to your needs. Some examples include:

Indoor use

TAB TOPS with weighted bottom hem and/or hidden channel to reverse through which to thread a dowelling rod which eliminates fabric curling.

We don't recommend metal EYELETS on any flags. We find that they reduce the strength of the flag finish but we do offer this option at the customer's request. We also offer STITCHED EYELETS sewn to the top and bottom of the canvas, similar in look to button holes and we think they look so much better than shiny brassy circles of metal.

Outdoor use

CLOSED TOP CANVAS SLEEVE to slide over the top of a pole (ie for camping etc) - the diameter of the ceremonial pole is needed before we do this but to be extra sure your flag doesn't fly away, we'd recommend using a butterfly bulldog clip for extra security.

Ceremonial use

VELCRO SLEEVES are ideal if you're not sure of the diameter of the pole to be used when carrying this flag. In plain or covered sleeve format we add a strip of velcro to the corresponding side of the canvas which can be fastened securely to size.

CEREMONIAL SLEEVE with ribbon ties at top of canvas to secure to the ceremonial flagpole - the diameter of the ceremonial pole is needed before we do this.