Glossary — flag printing terms

54 terms explained — from A to Z

Technical terms around flags, banners and printing — clearly explained. For questions in detail: to the contact form.

B

Banner

Large-format advertising medium in fabric, PVC or mesh — for facades, fences, trade fairs. Standard rectangular format.

Banner system

Complete system with frame and tensioning device for permanent outdoor banners. Print fabric replaceable.

Beach flag

Vertical advertising flag on flexible carbon fibre pole. Shapes: Drop, Feather, Sail. Heights 1.5–5 m.

Bleed

The image extension beyond the final cut line — standard 3 mm on all sides. Prevents white edges from cut tolerances.

Boom flag

Flag stretched cross-spar — always visible regardless of wind direction.

C

Canton flag

Flag with cantonal coat of arms. We produce all 26 Swiss cantons wappen-accurate.

Carabiner

Hook for fastening flags to mast rope. Standard accessory for hoist flags.

Carbon fibre pole

Flexible pole material for beach flags. Bends without breaking even in strong winds.

CHE number

Swiss VAT identification number. Required for invoice payment B2B.

CMYK

Print colour space (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black). Standard for all print products. RGB files are converted to CMYK.

Coat of arms

Heraldic emblem of a country, canton, city or family. We reproduce coats of arms wappen-accurate after official directives.

ComfortFlag

Wind-permeable polyester (120 g/m²). Reduces wind sail at very windy locations.

Customs clearance

Import procedure for goods crossing the Swiss border. We handle clearance — VAT is collected by the parcel service.

D

DDP

Delivered Duty Paid — Incoterm. We bear all transport and clearance costs except the Swiss import VAT.

Digital printing

Standard print method. Direct printing onto fabric without films or screens. Photorealistic, from 1 piece.

Diplomatic flag

Premium quality flag for embassies, consulates, official residences. UN-conformant, possibly embroidered.

dpi

Dots per inch — print resolution. Standard 150 dpi at final format, 200 dpi for sharp details.

Drop

Beach flag shape — drop-shaped silhouette. Compact, classic shape.

E

Embroidered standard

Hand-embroidered flag with metallic threads. For traditional associations, military, diplomatic occasions. Decades of lifetime.

Express printing

Accelerated production for short-notice events. Typically 3–5 business days delivery.

Eyelets

Metal-reinforced holes for fastening flags. Standard every 50 cm.

F

FAGG

Austrian Distance Selling Act. Regulates right of withdrawal — custom productions excluded.

Feather

Beach flag shape — feather-shaped, dynamic appearance.

Flagpole

Aluminium pole for hoist flags. We offer three quality classes: Hobby, Robust, Premium.

H

Half-mast

Hoisting position at half height — international sign of mourning.

Hand-waving flag

Small flag on stick for waving. Paper or polyester. From 10 pieces minimum order.

Hoist flag

Classic rectangular flag for flagpole. With hollow seam or eyelets.

Hollow seam

Folded edge that creates a tube for spar or rope. Alternative to eyelets.

L

LED frame

Backlit aluminium frame with silicone-edge fabric. Photo quality, energy-efficient LEDs.

M

Marine flag fabric

Highest quality polyester for extreme outdoor exposure. Originally for maritime use, UV- and salt-resistant.

Mesh

Wind-permeable PVC — for fence locations. No wind sail in storms.

N

National flag

State flag of a country. We produce over 200 nations UN-conformant.

National holiday

Swiss federal holiday on 1 August. Traditional pavoising of buildings with Swiss flag.

P

Pantone

Colour reference system for exact colour reproduction. Important for corporate-design colours.

Pavoisement

Comprehensive flag installation — typically for festive occasions, national days, ceremonies.

PDF/X

ISO standard for print-ready PDF files. Recommended for delivery of print data.

Polyester

Standard fabric for flags. 115 g/m² standard, 155 g/m² premium for permanent outdoor.

Pop-up wall

Foldable trade fair wall — accordion-like assembly, ready in 3 minutes.

Premium polyester

155 g/m² polyester for permanent outdoor display. Higher density = more wind-stable, longer-lasting.

Pride flag

Symbol of LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow, Trans, Bi, NB, Asexual, Intersex, Pan variants available.

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride — robust banner material for outdoor permanent use. 2–5 years lifetime.

R

Right of withdrawal

14 days return right for non-custom products. Custom productions excluded per § 18 FAGG.

Roll-up

Display system with cassette base and pulled-out print fabric. Standard 85×200 cm.

S

Safety zone

Inner zone of the print template (5 mm from edge) — no important elements (logos, text). Prevents cut-offs from cut tolerances.

Sail

Beach flag shape — sail-shaped, largest advertising space.

Screen printing

Print method for monochrome motifs in large quantities. Pantone-accurate, durable.

Standard size

Predefined common sizes — for which we offer free templates. Custom sizes possible on request.

Sublimation printing

Print method where ink penetrates into the fibre. Permanent colours, no fading.

Swivel flag

Flag that turns freely around the mast in the wind. For swivel masts, dynamic visual effect.

T

Table flag

Small flag 15×24 or 20×30 cm with stand. For conferences, official meetings, award ceremonies.

Trade fair wall

Backdrop wall for trade fair stands. Pop-up, Backwall or modular variants.

U

UV-stable

Colour-fast under UV radiation. Standard for all our outdoor inks. No rapid fading in sun.

V

Vector format

Scalable file format (PDF, AI, SVG, EPS) — no loss of quality with enlargement. Recommended for print files.

W

Wappen-accurate

Exactly according to official heraldic directives. We reproduce all canton and national flag coats of arms wappen-accurate.

Term missing?

Send us suggestions for additions to kontakt@allesfahnen.at. We continuously expand the glossary.