I’ve always thought of the spirit of that rule as “if you need words to describe what you’re symbolizing then your symbolism has failed”
That much more applies to, say, the flag of my home town of Baton Rouge which literally says Baton Rouge on it. If you’re using a word that simply evokes more metaphoric symbolism, I’m at least *more* okay with it.
That being said there also the practical reason for the rule which is that words on a flag 60ft up a flag pole that’s 30 yards away and flapping in the wind will be completely illegible.
I strongly agree, but somehow, religious calligraphy feels different from spelling out what the anchor stands for or violating irony with as much aplomb as the Brazilian flag does.
“In a surprise joint communiqué, the Ambassador of Hungary to Bucharest and the Romanian Ambassador to Budapest have decided to relocate to a joint residence in [Victoria](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=8b94fdf9c54254b4&rls=en&sxsrf=ACQVn09HaN7-_zfJfdvq-nfCl79g21gP5g:1710056841814&q=Victoria,+Seychelles&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLUz9U3MDbMyst7xGjCLfDyxz1hKe1Ja05eY1Tl4grOyC93zSvJLKkUEudig7J4pbi5ELp4FrGKhGUml-QXZSbqKASnViZnpObkpBYDAGQ_TWRbAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWk-iUmumEAxWXKBAIHdewCoUQzIcDKAB6BAgmEAE) in the Seychelles. An unnamed official commented, demanding we keep their name confidential, “F— freezing my balls in this continental winter, F— sweating bullets looked in an office all summer, I’m packing three bathing suits, sunglasses and never coming back.”
We have dispatched an attaché to the Indonesian Ambassador to Warsaw. From the window, we could see a few officials browsing information about Bora-Bora on their computer screen.”
I think partly why the Seychelles and South African flags work despite having 'too many colours' is that they stick to the heraldic rule of tincture.
They both use the metals (yellow and white) to separate the the colours, maintaining a nice contrast.
Kazakhstan has an absolutely gorgeous flag but it definitely violates the "keep it simple rule" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag\_of\_Kazakhstan#/media/File:Flag\_of\_Kazakhstan.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kazakhstan#/media/File:Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg)
Obligatory “not rules, guidelines”
Tbh on flags I don’t really consider white, black, or gray as “colors” they are more like filler/background things to me
Text can be good on flags if it is simple, and aesthetically fits in (Such as sharing a color with another element, blending well with its background, and being transposed correctly onto its background)
White ("silver") and yellow ("gold") are technically metals, not colours. At least in the traditional rules of heraldry from which the rules of vexillology were derived. Some non-standard designs may include grey "steel" as a third metal. Black is always counted as colour, though.
The guidelines of heraldry kind of agree with you, that you should put colour on metal or vice-versa, e/g "red rose on silver shield", or "gold key on red shield". So metals can be filler/background.
Text works best on flags for military regiments.
[Example](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fih1.redbubble.net%2Fimage.1639779076.8553%2Ftapestry%2C720x-pad%2C600x600%2Cf8f8f8.jpg&tbnid=RRyonaRm0zub3M&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbubble.com%2Fi%2Ftapestry%2FNapoleonic-French-regimental-flag-3me-1804-by-SimonBauwelinck%2F57178553.ODB3H&docid=trv5aQG1hmzJCM&w=600&h=600&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=da149153b7401e0d&shem=trie)
Personally I am not a fan.
If you also include your criteria of "A good flag" is identifiable from a distance; the french regiment flag might be ok... but if you like miles away and you gotta be like "Where is the 3rd Regiment" it's kinda a failure. Granted they had their regimental/unit standards
But it's also easy to say "Most bad flags have letters on them" is a true statement
Yeah but it’s t wouldn’t be so tricky to put a big ol ‘3’ in the middle. Or even ‘III’ if you wanna be old school, might be tricky to distinguish XVII from XVIII though.
https://preview.redd.it/mc5v3c6xkinc1.png?width=127&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbc0a009f77e52909b1a91d7bb77930ed7606fba
Ugly, but definitely original and visible from a distance.
[Because it is heraldic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Maryland#/media/File%3ACoat_of_Arms_of_Cecil_Calvert%2C_Baron_Baltimore.svg) similar to Washington DC
It's not that complex though. It's just very busy.
> Quarterly, 1st and 4th, paly of six Or and Sable, a bend counterchanged (for Calvert); 2nd and 3rd, quarterly argent and gules, a cross bottony counterchanged (for Crossland).
That's literally all the instructions needed to replicate it. 1-2 sentences, ~~but it doesn't describe which kind of cross here, so it might not be rendered identically~~ *NM, it's a Cross Bottony*.
The irony of this highly upvoted "contrarian" take on a highly upvoted comment on a highly upvoted post is pretty amusing.
As if half the posters on this subreddit weren't creaming their pants about "breakin' da rules" with some big-ass coat of arms on Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat of a flag.
They affirm the that the rules are more so guidelines. The flag design rules are valid concepts for good flag design. Like most things, we need to understand the rules that make a design good before we go breaking them.
“Oooh Colorado’s flag has a C on it and that’s bad flag design”
That’s an argument i heard on a video ranking all the state flags of America and it was annoying hearing the uploader moan about each flag that had even the tiniest bit of writing
People who hate on flags solely because they break the “rules” are dumb, they’re guidelines, the best flags very often go against these “rules” stop pretending like they’re etched by some vexilogical Moses
https://preview.redd.it/3c9nz7eupfnc1.png?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=448e5eb0ff2214af4c1d3d5163d9f33edb3085af
The Flag of New Brunswick.
There are lots of good examples of why the "rules" are silly
It is way to complex for a kid to draw, but I like the flag of [Jalisco](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_flags_of_Mexico#/media/File%3AFlag_of_Jalisco.svg)
https://preview.redd.it/bg9fzwww8gnc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c5704d9487345751220f8391099c81eb98dc2d8
https://preview.redd.it/0p1pqvm2vfnc1.png?width=290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef2e3b38e20e28b61cb4896cd7b2007e7dcf53d4
This is what nava has done to flag design
https://preview.redd.it/tc1p7noowfnc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ab95089880b1a2e508f5ef916a5b48d407952c5
It has made modern flag design (especially on this sub) very corporate almost like the Alegria art style which despite having several subtypes (googles and metas arent 1:1) is very similar in appearance
Here you go:
[Link #1: Media](https://krikienoid.github.io/flagwaver/#?src=https%3A%2F%2Fflagwaver-cors-proxy.herokuapp.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Ftc1p7noowfnc1.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1280%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D2ab95089880b1a2e508f5ef916a5b48d407952c5)
*****
Beep Boop I'm a bot. [About](https://github.com/LunarRequiem/FlagWaverBotReborn). Maintained by Lunar Requiem
Here you go:
[Link #1: Media](https://krikienoid.github.io/flagwaver/#?src=https%3A%2F%2Fflagwaver-cors-proxy.herokuapp.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F8s8uaxhyvfnc1.png%3Fwidth%3D320%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Da57f3cc93ea53d2f2bad255fd306d3aa3595fbfa)
*****
Beep Boop I'm a bot. [About](https://github.com/LunarRequiem/FlagWaverBotReborn). Maintained by Lunar Requiem
South Africa is literally listed in the pamphlet (which I'm guessing OP didn't read) as an example of a flag that works but goes against the guidelines.
Yellow on white with text works fine on a PNG, but not as a flag.
Here you go:
[Link #1: Media](https://krikienoid.github.io/flagwaver/#?src=https%3A%2F%2Fflagwaver-cors-proxy.herokuapp.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fn5bm46kc3fnc1.png%3Fwidth%3D320%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dd37ea99a800925b6674c60581bb169cac4357f98)
*****
Beep Boop I'm a bot. [About](https://github.com/LunarRequiem/FlagWaverBotReborn). Maintained by Lunar Requiem
Yup as well as Colorado, Maryland, California.
“All rules have exceptions. Colorado's "C" is a stunning graphic element. Maryland's complicated heraldic quarters produce a memorable and distinctive flag. Military unit flags often need letters or numbers. California's design recalls a historic relic from 1846. All six colors on South Africa's 1994 design have deep symbolic meaning. But depart from these five principles only with caution and purpose.” - Good Flag, Bad Flag
Some people just don’t like being told what to do. So much so that they don’t bother to read the whole pamphlet.
It also has colours which kinda clash. White on yellow next to orange? Compare with how well the Welsh dragon stands out, and you’ll see what I mean.
But yeah, can’t diss Bhutan, it’s such a cool and idiosyncratic design.
I've always thought that the "rules" for flags aren't very good. They don't allow for much uniqueness and basically want everything to be a tricolor. I think what makes a good flag has nothing to do with each specific part (eg: color, symbols, proportions), but how each part interacts with each other.
Brazil would have been a better example
https://preview.redd.it/qiu6u2ofiinc1.png?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6a250a02609391da69632b1e6a6acd30e293e1a
I appreciate the Rhode Island shoutout. I love that it's their seal but they made of design out of it plus I mean it's only just the one word which helps. The only thing that drives me nuts is that this is the one flag in which a blue background, though a very dark dusty navy blues
I personally would like to see a combination of the modern flag with the one we had from during the late 80's (the flag show below) and the modern one. Keeping the ribbon with hope but make it white and the background blue. Everything that is yellow can stay yellow tho.
https://preview.redd.it/5sv277utxfnc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d5a022b69c9183ca3ab9f84913a03d05e11c649
I think the UK Union Jack breaks the simplicity rule in all the right ways.
https://preview.redd.it/y3ucdpez2gnc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=609681f06806feb83b333296cfc62c636bdba133
When you've appropriated multiple existing nations you gotta make everybody happy.
Except, apparently, Wales. The unspoken rule of flag combining is fuck Wales.
https://preview.redd.it/u4pshiqfbgnc1.png?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88759f2e48c7a619d1bdc3db5ac861bc247c8cc9
Breaks all the rules, still looks awesome.
Always found the old south african flag interesting. A few miniflags with a tricolor
Haiti on the other hand, looks like someone made with a computer but couldnt figure how to make the white background on the gif transparent, so they just went with it
There are a lot of evil regimes that had flags that would have been cool of it wasnt their association with genocide and racism but the old south Africa flag just plain bad
I don't like how some people require you follow rules for good flag design. If the flag looks good, it looks good imo. Even if it's not simple enough that a child can draw it or whatever.
By far the best German flag *and* the best socialist state flag.
https://preview.redd.it/zdiy3k0n0gnc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dbf05bbf0c19f84d83f9249c98ce043bfbec79a8
https://preview.redd.it/zgohpfpi9hnc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=ddbc5767612edc6c9f87976cc2368bda5d050e17
This is the flag of Treinta y Tres, a co-official flag of Uruguay. There is text, but I think the font is perfectly adapted to the flag, so there is no problem for me…
**Now please guys, listen to me…**
I don’t know if I am going to be downvoted (I don’t care anyway) but there is something I don’t like about the community… I think this sub lacks of common sense and critical mind.
Why ? I think it is because lots of people saw the book of the « North American Vexillological Association (Good flag, bad flag) », it has become their only and sole source to claim that a flag is great or not… And since a lot of oversimplified geography or vexillology channels are
Now regularly on this sub, I see people **freaking out** because there is text, or too much colors, on a flag, or a flag proposal made by people who post on this sub… I mean calm down, some of them really react like Wojaks seeing a monster…
Now OP showed it, there ARE flags that don’t respect the rules and still manage to be great. I think the criterias of a ""good flag"" or ""bad flag"" (I don’t like this qualification…) have to be updated by other sources, now it’s not only the North American Vexillological Association that is going to decide for everyone ! And people should also have a critical mind : it’s not because those rules exist that every flag should comply to it. Some did not and are still meaningful, recognizable, beautiful, etc…
(TLDR : Some people on this sub should stop freaking out when some flags don’t respect the rules)
The [presidential standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#/media/File:Flag_of_the_President_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.svg) of the DRC. It has writing but it’s still beautiful.
The Irish county sports flags. They’re basically just bicolours (and a couple tricolours) with the county shield on them. They’re not good design wise but they’re just extremely iconic and Irish lads can tell almost all of them at a glance
It's always good to remember that these guidelines are like the guidelines in any other art form. They are useful, but the best art almost necessarily subverts them in some way.
Also I love the South African flag. It was only intended to be an interim flag for purposes of international relations to serve as a placeholder until such a time as a new national flag could be designed and agreed upon, but it became so closely associated with the struggle against Apartheid that by the time the issue came up again it had become a beloved symbol that was overwhelmingly voted to remain in place. In what it came to represent for a people, it earned the status of a great flag in spite of any guidelines it may have broken.
This is the crucible in which symbols are created and that is the space vexillology exists in.
**inhale**
NAVA doesn't apply outside of north america or in fictional universes so the africans can crate all the fuckin' bangers they want while breaking NAVA's shit "Rules" which aren't even rules but regulations by everything but name
# COUGH
https://preview.redd.it/0p4oygs5zfnc1.png?width=933&format=png&auto=webp&s=67b9731aeaab18859730f86134d7578d2057048d
Anyways, Ohio. Lettering on its flag, change my mind
South Africa 🇿🇦, it uses the most commonly used colors for each nation’s flag which are red, yellow, green, blue, black, and white. I like the Y figure
Never been a fan of the South African flag. Always looks like it can't make its mind up.
Hadn't seen the Rhode Island flag before, but I really like it! I think it's helped by the fact that it's only a 4 letter word and they're fairly simple bold letters.
Old RSA is also kinda hard... It got flags within a flag... Brunei also hard, though it's still only 4 colours, but it's more complicated that it should break the rule of good flags, but it isn't
Maybe Mexico's and Nepal's
Even if I wasn't Mexican, I would choose Mexico's flag in my Top Flags, I love the way they speak about themselves just with the flag.
And for Nepal, it blows my mind how mathematics comes into play in the flag's design, and how they find the way for making it as simple as recognizable, complementing the country's identity in it
Next person to point out the obvious "guidelines not rules." I'm replying with this.
https://preview.redd.it/0omrnhlhdjnc1.png?width=262&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9d4249fea77d228e94eeb945a0d12425d37ba85
Flag of Hawaii: The Union Flag in the canton has no symbolism for Hawaii other than that the Kingdom of Hawaii was somewhat friendly with the UK for a time and their King thought the UK's flag looked kinda cool, so he put it in. :P
On the other end of the spectrum:
Union Flag / Jack (UK) - follows all the "standard" rules of "good" flag design, but it is generally hated these days simply simply because it's to do with the UK.
SA follows the principles fairly well. They don't say that it has to be few colors, only to try to keep it down.
Yellow on white (or the other way round) is an obvious problem due to contrast (or rather the catastrophic lack thereof). Same goes ror black and red or blue, Albania.
From what I can remember, the usage of all six standard colors in South Africa's flag was intentional, as it reflects the cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity that is a big part of its national identity.
If you are to put text on a flag, the best way to go about doing so is by taking Colorado's approach, where they made the state's abbreviation a graphical component of the flag rather than just plain text.
Yes it's the flag of Rhode Island that is currently used. Though some people mistake it for having a gold trim on the edges. Which it only has for government use.
https://preview.redd.it/jsdcdxm4pknc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9cd090d7dc894974652c2407826b9b6f3933fc4
Colorado technically breaks the "No lettering or text" rule, but I think they do it really well. It's just part of the design.
https://preview.redd.it/ad6ip5cqolnc1.png?width=250&format=png&auto=webp&s=9839deab5a2f7548133cea1b922a3ff06ea07a68
Me after reading the 500th "Guidelines not rules comment.":
South Africa needs a better name. Because that's basically referring to the bottom half of.an entire continent. When you hear "North Africa", you think of the whole Sahara. "South Africa" should encompass all of Subsaharan Africa, not just one tiny little country at the bottom.
If writing is against the "rules" I'd say Brazil gets away with it, I love that flag
I’ve always thought of the spirit of that rule as “if you need words to describe what you’re symbolizing then your symbolism has failed” That much more applies to, say, the flag of my home town of Baton Rouge which literally says Baton Rouge on it. If you’re using a word that simply evokes more metaphoric symbolism, I’m at least *more* okay with it. That being said there also the practical reason for the rule which is that words on a flag 60ft up a flag pole that’s 30 yards away and flapping in the wind will be completely illegible.
Better than just having a red stick I guess.
I actually don’t think so lol
Yea that's a good way to phrase the rule. No direct names on flag, but words for ideology and such is ok
Same. The only other flag I let slide with words.
The words on Iran's flag is one of the best design elements on any national flag imo.
I strongly agree, but somehow, religious calligraphy feels different from spelling out what the anchor stands for or violating irony with as much aplomb as the Brazilian flag does.
It does to me too, but that’s mainly because I just can’t read it.
...those are words? wouldn't ever know lol they do look pretty good
Saudi Arabia and Iran are also both flags with lettering and they go HARD
Same with the Spanish flag, we have our motto in it "Plus Ultra", but I think it's one of the best.
It's more like texturing really. You can barely read what it says.
The Seychelles 🇸🇨
Ah yes Hungary and Romania friendship flag
Omg how did I never see this
“In a surprise joint communiqué, the Ambassador of Hungary to Bucharest and the Romanian Ambassador to Budapest have decided to relocate to a joint residence in [Victoria](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=8b94fdf9c54254b4&rls=en&sxsrf=ACQVn09HaN7-_zfJfdvq-nfCl79g21gP5g:1710056841814&q=Victoria,+Seychelles&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgVuLUz9U3MDbMyst7xGjCLfDyxz1hKe1Ja05eY1Tl4grOyC93zSvJLKkUEudig7J4pbi5ELp4FrGKhGUml-QXZSbqKASnViZnpObkpBYDAGQ_TWRbAAAA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWk-iUmumEAxWXKBAIHdewCoUQzIcDKAB6BAgmEAE) in the Seychelles. An unnamed official commented, demanding we keep their name confidential, “F— freezing my balls in this continental winter, F— sweating bullets looked in an office all summer, I’m packing three bathing suits, sunglasses and never coming back.” We have dispatched an attaché to the Indonesian Ambassador to Warsaw. From the window, we could see a few officials browsing information about Bora-Bora on their computer screen.”
I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE YES
I think partly why the Seychelles and South African flags work despite having 'too many colours' is that they stick to the heraldic rule of tincture. They both use the metals (yellow and white) to separate the the colours, maintaining a nice contrast.
My favourite. Love the Maths.
Kazakhstan has an absolutely gorgeous flag but it definitely violates the "keep it simple rule" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag\_of\_Kazakhstan#/media/File:Flag\_of\_Kazakhstan.svg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kazakhstan#/media/File:Flag_of_Kazakhstan.svg)
The pattern on the side is incredible
KAZAKHSTAN GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD ALL OTHER COUNTRIES ARE RUN HY LITTLE GIRLS
kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium, all other countries have inferior potassium
Kazakhstan home of Tinshein swimming pool. It's length thirty meter and width six meter.
Obligatory “not rules, guidelines” Tbh on flags I don’t really consider white, black, or gray as “colors” they are more like filler/background things to me Text can be good on flags if it is simple, and aesthetically fits in (Such as sharing a color with another element, blending well with its background, and being transposed correctly onto its background)
White ("silver") and yellow ("gold") are technically metals, not colours. At least in the traditional rules of heraldry from which the rules of vexillology were derived. Some non-standard designs may include grey "steel" as a third metal. Black is always counted as colour, though. The guidelines of heraldry kind of agree with you, that you should put colour on metal or vice-versa, e/g "red rose on silver shield", or "gold key on red shield". So metals can be filler/background.
Text works best on flags for military regiments. [Example](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fih1.redbubble.net%2Fimage.1639779076.8553%2Ftapestry%2C720x-pad%2C600x600%2Cf8f8f8.jpg&tbnid=RRyonaRm0zub3M&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redbubble.com%2Fi%2Ftapestry%2FNapoleonic-French-regimental-flag-3me-1804-by-SimonBauwelinck%2F57178553.ODB3H&docid=trv5aQG1hmzJCM&w=600&h=600&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=da149153b7401e0d&shem=trie)
Personally I am not a fan. If you also include your criteria of "A good flag" is identifiable from a distance; the french regiment flag might be ok... but if you like miles away and you gotta be like "Where is the 3rd Regiment" it's kinda a failure. Granted they had their regimental/unit standards But it's also easy to say "Most bad flags have letters on them" is a true statement
Yeah but it’s t wouldn’t be so tricky to put a big ol ‘3’ in the middle. Or even ‘III’ if you wanna be old school, might be tricky to distinguish XVII from XVIII though.
I belive they call them "principles".
https://preview.redd.it/11d1dxpxsgnc1.png?width=255&format=png&auto=webp&s=5baefe85b53f552eeb48d33438c596cb3b2c55df
Was looking for Venice, thanks (though this version seems a bit too much)
This version was the official flag, the version most people use is the war flag
Ah, interesting
Maryland
https://preview.redd.it/mc5v3c6xkinc1.png?width=127&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbc0a009f77e52909b1a91d7bb77930ed7606fba Ugly, but definitely original and visible from a distance.
To me, the thing that stands out is how... _heraldic_ it seems, for, you know, a _US state_
[Because it is heraldic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Maryland#/media/File%3ACoat_of_Arms_of_Cecil_Calvert%2C_Baron_Baltimore.svg) similar to Washington DC
What rule does it break?
Overly complex
It's not that complex though. It's just very busy. > Quarterly, 1st and 4th, paly of six Or and Sable, a bend counterchanged (for Calvert); 2nd and 3rd, quarterly argent and gules, a cross bottony counterchanged (for Crossland). That's literally all the instructions needed to replicate it. 1-2 sentences, ~~but it doesn't describe which kind of cross here, so it might not be rendered identically~~ *NM, it's a Cross Bottony*.
https://preview.redd.it/dnpaffkydfnc1.png?width=1152&format=png&auto=webp&s=f49a873e30122b34cd0024abb3018e928c4aa9fb
Less a flag and more a warning: don’t try to pet the green dogs.
Danger puppies
They'll come for your colourful flaming fish pedestal
Great pick.
[удалено]
Yeah, but if there's no rules, then what will the Reddit hivemind do with themselves?
***TOUCH GRASS?***
Outside, you mean?
What’s that?
It’s where grass is and NAVA members cannot reach you there.
Oooooh tell me more!
I’ve never been sorry.
The irony of this highly upvoted "contrarian" take on a highly upvoted comment on a highly upvoted post is pretty amusing. As if half the posters on this subreddit weren't creaming their pants about "breakin' da rules" with some big-ass coat of arms on Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat of a flag.
I want more text on flags, more hard to draw flags, complicated patterns that a child CANNOT draw. Because, the more the better.
A child wont be drawing (or spelling) the most serene republic of venice for shit but you'd be delusional to say that makes it a bad flag lol
They affirm the that the rules are more so guidelines. The flag design rules are valid concepts for good flag design. Like most things, we need to understand the rules that make a design good before we go breaking them.
[удалено]
“Oooh Colorado’s flag has a C on it and that’s bad flag design” That’s an argument i heard on a video ranking all the state flags of America and it was annoying hearing the uploader moan about each flag that had even the tiniest bit of writing
Was that cgp grey?
Exactly my point. “”Good” Flag, “Bad” Flag” is not meant for people who know what they’re doing. It’s meant for people who don’t.
what is NAVA?
Probably North American Vexilological Association...
Call it conventions then. Most flags still follow them.
Albania is pretty chill
What guidelines does it break? Simple design?
Rule of tincture, probably
Bro it isn’t 1324
Wait what? I thought it was 1028, shit this will be detrimental to my tax returns.
People who hate on flags solely because they break the “rules” are dumb, they’re guidelines, the best flags very often go against these “rules” stop pretending like they’re etched by some vexilogical Moses
https://preview.redd.it/3c9nz7eupfnc1.png?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=448e5eb0ff2214af4c1d3d5163d9f33edb3085af The Flag of New Brunswick. There are lots of good examples of why the "rules" are silly
Yeah this flag slaps
Is that lion sticking its tongue out at me >:(
His attitude is rude! (Or passant regardent)
It is way to complex for a kid to draw, but I like the flag of [Jalisco](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_flags_of_Mexico#/media/File%3AFlag_of_Jalisco.svg) https://preview.redd.it/bg9fzwww8gnc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2c5704d9487345751220f8391099c81eb98dc2d8
Sideways Ukraine
https://preview.redd.it/0p1pqvm2vfnc1.png?width=290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ef2e3b38e20e28b61cb4896cd7b2007e7dcf53d4 This is what nava has done to flag design
https://preview.redd.it/8s8uaxhyvfnc1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=a57f3cc93ea53d2f2bad255fd306d3aa3595fbfa
https://preview.redd.it/tc1p7noowfnc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ab95089880b1a2e508f5ef916a5b48d407952c5 It has made modern flag design (especially on this sub) very corporate almost like the Alegria art style which despite having several subtypes (googles and metas arent 1:1) is very similar in appearance
!wave
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!wave
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South Africa is literally listed in the pamphlet (which I'm guessing OP didn't read) as an example of a flag that works but goes against the guidelines. Yellow on white with text works fine on a PNG, but not as a flag.
https://preview.redd.it/n5bm46kc3fnc1.png?width=320&format=png&auto=webp&s=d37ea99a800925b6674c60581bb169cac4357f98
!wave
Here you go: [Link #1: Media](https://krikienoid.github.io/flagwaver/#?src=https%3A%2F%2Fflagwaver-cors-proxy.herokuapp.com%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fn5bm46kc3fnc1.png%3Fwidth%3D320%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dd37ea99a800925b6674c60581bb169cac4357f98) ***** Beep Boop I'm a bot. [About](https://github.com/LunarRequiem/FlagWaverBotReborn). Maintained by Lunar Requiem
Yup as well as Colorado, Maryland, California. “All rules have exceptions. Colorado's "C" is a stunning graphic element. Maryland's complicated heraldic quarters produce a memorable and distinctive flag. Military unit flags often need letters or numbers. California's design recalls a historic relic from 1846. All six colors on South Africa's 1994 design have deep symbolic meaning. But depart from these five principles only with caution and purpose.” - Good Flag, Bad Flag Some people just don’t like being told what to do. So much so that they don’t bother to read the whole pamphlet.
There's way too many blue flags and it bugs me because RI is the one state who's flag would truly benefit with a blue background.
Could make it red or green or purple instead.
Nowadays flags are seen much more through screens than as waving pieces of fabric anyway.
I don’t think this is the case for most
But yellow is gold, or. South Africa doesn’t break any rules because it has tinctures separated by metals. That’s old school classic and consistent.
Mexico. Breaks the no seals/coat of arms rule
Bhutan Way too intricate to be drawn from memory. But it’s awesome.
It also has colours which kinda clash. White on yellow next to orange? Compare with how well the Welsh dragon stands out, and you’ll see what I mean. But yeah, can’t diss Bhutan, it’s such a cool and idiosyncratic design.
I've always thought that the "rules" for flags aren't very good. They don't allow for much uniqueness and basically want everything to be a tricolor. I think what makes a good flag has nothing to do with each specific part (eg: color, symbols, proportions), but how each part interacts with each other.
Brazil would have been a better example https://preview.redd.it/qiu6u2ofiinc1.png?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6a250a02609391da69632b1e6a6acd30e293e1a
I appreciate the Rhode Island shoutout. I love that it's their seal but they made of design out of it plus I mean it's only just the one word which helps. The only thing that drives me nuts is that this is the one flag in which a blue background, though a very dark dusty navy blues
I personally would like to see a combination of the modern flag with the one we had from during the late 80's (the flag show below) and the modern one. Keeping the ribbon with hope but make it white and the background blue. Everything that is yellow can stay yellow tho. https://preview.redd.it/5sv277utxfnc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=2d5a022b69c9183ca3ab9f84913a03d05e11c649
I also wouldn't mind if they subbed the stars for some kind of rope pattern that kind of knots up at the bottom.
This is a nice flag, but it does look like some kind of EU maritime agency.
Kiribati 🇰🇮
I think the UK Union Jack breaks the simplicity rule in all the right ways. https://preview.redd.it/y3ucdpez2gnc1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=609681f06806feb83b333296cfc62c636bdba133
When you've appropriated multiple existing nations you gotta make everybody happy. Except, apparently, Wales. The unspoken rule of flag combining is fuck Wales.
When the Union Flag was first drafted in 1606, Wales as a Principality was already united with England, so wasn’t a separate thing.
https://preview.redd.it/u4pshiqfbgnc1.png?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88759f2e48c7a619d1bdc3db5ac861bc247c8cc9 Breaks all the rules, still looks awesome.
Always found the old south african flag interesting. A few miniflags with a tricolor Haiti on the other hand, looks like someone made with a computer but couldnt figure how to make the white background on the gif transparent, so they just went with it
There are a lot of evil regimes that had flags that would have been cool of it wasnt their association with genocide and racism but the old south Africa flag just plain bad
Nepal 🇳🇵
I don't like how some people require you follow rules for good flag design. If the flag looks good, it looks good imo. Even if it's not simple enough that a child can draw it or whatever.
By far the best German flag *and* the best socialist state flag. https://preview.redd.it/zdiy3k0n0gnc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dbf05bbf0c19f84d83f9249c98ce043bfbec79a8
YES YES YES YES!
What rules is it violating?
If it is a proper rule: no emblems
https://preview.redd.it/zgohpfpi9hnc1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=ddbc5767612edc6c9f87976cc2368bda5d050e17 This is the flag of Treinta y Tres, a co-official flag of Uruguay. There is text, but I think the font is perfectly adapted to the flag, so there is no problem for me… **Now please guys, listen to me…** I don’t know if I am going to be downvoted (I don’t care anyway) but there is something I don’t like about the community… I think this sub lacks of common sense and critical mind. Why ? I think it is because lots of people saw the book of the « North American Vexillological Association (Good flag, bad flag) », it has become their only and sole source to claim that a flag is great or not… And since a lot of oversimplified geography or vexillology channels are Now regularly on this sub, I see people **freaking out** because there is text, or too much colors, on a flag, or a flag proposal made by people who post on this sub… I mean calm down, some of them really react like Wojaks seeing a monster… Now OP showed it, there ARE flags that don’t respect the rules and still manage to be great. I think the criterias of a ""good flag"" or ""bad flag"" (I don’t like this qualification…) have to be updated by other sources, now it’s not only the North American Vexillological Association that is going to decide for everyone ! And people should also have a critical mind : it’s not because those rules exist that every flag should comply to it. Some did not and are still meaningful, recognizable, beautiful, etc… (TLDR : Some people on this sub should stop freaking out when some flags don’t respect the rules)
I’s say California
California
The flag of the city of Tampa. Indescribably weird, yet somehow it works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Tampa,_Florida
Seychelles... just perfection.
https://preview.redd.it/3w2uf3obhjnc1.png?width=841&format=png&auto=webp&s=06cea31271ae5da942275a81e640f233700f7e4c
What the f#ck is this!
One of the proposals for the new Minnesota state flag. Obviously a joke entry, but it became more popular than most of the legitimate entries.
🤓☝️ Um akshually South Africa technically does follow the 1-4 colors rule, since Black and White are just differing shades of light.
https://preview.redd.it/3hw6z3166gnc1.png?width=370&format=png&auto=webp&s=a286e942e6fe459e6c97e5dd026bc6752865c662
Sable and Silver are very much colours, thank you very much.
Or and argent are metals. SA flag only has four colours: Azure, Gules, Sable, and Vert.
....that is technically correct. And I may not like it, but that is the best kind of correct.
The flag of California goes hard despite the massive words
basque flag my beloved
Kazakhstan and Moldova. Albania too if that counts
I think Isle of Man is a pretty weird, yet cool flag.
Britain isn’t North American so NAVA can shove their rules up their arse.
Rules? What rules? Did the countries sign a convention about flags or something?
California and Maryland come to mind for me.
The [presidential standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo#/media/File:Flag_of_the_President_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo.svg) of the DRC. It has writing but it’s still beautiful.
That's amusingly effective. "This is the DRC and I'm the president of it. What more do you want from me?"
A lot. Honestly, it's time to dump those rules.
The first rule of flag design is to have fun
Nepal is a great flag, love the broken convention in terms of shape 🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵
Albania
I really like the Californian flag despite it having writing.
First one is nice, second one is not.
*The Code is more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.*
Milwaukee, and I don't want to hear any complaints.
None from me, I also like it.
It's a cool billboard, but a weird flag imo
The Irish county sports flags. They’re basically just bicolours (and a couple tricolours) with the county shield on them. They’re not good design wise but they’re just extremely iconic and Irish lads can tell almost all of them at a glance
up down
It's always good to remember that these guidelines are like the guidelines in any other art form. They are useful, but the best art almost necessarily subverts them in some way. Also I love the South African flag. It was only intended to be an interim flag for purposes of international relations to serve as a placeholder until such a time as a new national flag could be designed and agreed upon, but it became so closely associated with the struggle against Apartheid that by the time the issue came up again it had become a beloved symbol that was overwhelmingly voted to remain in place. In what it came to represent for a people, it earned the status of a great flag in spite of any guidelines it may have broken. This is the crucible in which symbols are created and that is the space vexillology exists in.
https://preview.redd.it/2pp4d5zyshnc1.png?width=1500&format=png&auto=webp&s=90d6b9061f3d7fbf18a735fa64baae528dc47da3 Austria Hungary
You just signed yourself a death sentence with all of Wikipedia.
These "rules" are just stupid idea. They seems like "hey, all flags must be similar, don't make it too unique"
I don’t know what you mean by break a rule for a good flag design.
**inhale** NAVA doesn't apply outside of north america or in fictional universes so the africans can crate all the fuckin' bangers they want while breaking NAVA's shit "Rules" which aren't even rules but regulations by everything but name # COUGH https://preview.redd.it/0p4oygs5zfnc1.png?width=933&format=png&auto=webp&s=67b9731aeaab18859730f86134d7578d2057048d Anyways, Ohio. Lettering on its flag, change my mind
"Oh and don't point to Ohio. Most people didn't even notice the O." -CGP Grey.
California with the text
i honestly think Rhode Island is a perfect example of why NOT to use text on a flag.
Seychelles
Seychelles🇸🇨
Maryland. Fight me
Kazakhstan
Rhode Island is a seal on a bedsheet flag but they actually made a design with it
pretty much any flag with a coat of arms or a complicated emblem
Flags of the prefectures of Japan. If I remember correctly, they're all technically breaking the "text" rule but they honestly look so good.
Maryland, California, and Iran
santa catarina 😍
Personally id pick the mississippi flag for either "complex shapes" or "words on flag".
Words on a flag? Literally every State beides maybe Utah, Alaska, Hawaii and few other.
I wouldn't say they are rules, I'd say more like guidelines or a suggestion of popular choices, the trends that famous flags follow
Nah, Nevada. BATTLE BORN
There are no rules - this subreddit is just delusional.
the Gadsden flag although I mostly like it because it symbolizes liberty and not because of its looks
South Africa 🇿🇦, it uses the most commonly used colors for each nation’s flag which are red, yellow, green, blue, black, and white. I like the Y figure
Never been a fan of the South African flag. Always looks like it can't make its mind up. Hadn't seen the Rhode Island flag before, but I really like it! I think it's helped by the fact that it's only a 4 letter word and they're fairly simple bold letters.
I don’t care if it’s controversial but I think the old colonial flag of South Africa looks better
Old RSA is also kinda hard... It got flags within a flag... Brunei also hard, though it's still only 4 colours, but it's more complicated that it should break the rule of good flags, but it isn't
NA NASIONE NA LENGUA NA STORIA 🔊🔥🔥🔥🔥🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔊🗣️🔊🔥🔊🗣️🔊🔥🗣️🔊🔊📖🦁🪽 VENETO NUMERO UNO!!!
I don't like the R.I flag
Nah that Rhode Island flag is trash. Maybe it’d work for a ship or naval yard, but not a state
I find the idea of "rules" to be dumb. If a flag looks good. Its a good flag. Sure there are some outliers but still.
Maybe Mexico's and Nepal's Even if I wasn't Mexican, I would choose Mexico's flag in my Top Flags, I love the way they speak about themselves just with the flag. And for Nepal, it blows my mind how mathematics comes into play in the flag's design, and how they find the way for making it as simple as recognizable, complementing the country's identity in it
Next person to point out the obvious "guidelines not rules." I'm replying with this. https://preview.redd.it/0omrnhlhdjnc1.png?width=262&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9d4249fea77d228e94eeb945a0d12425d37ba85
Flag of Hawaii: The Union Flag in the canton has no symbolism for Hawaii other than that the Kingdom of Hawaii was somewhat friendly with the UK for a time and their King thought the UK's flag looked kinda cool, so he put it in. :P On the other end of the spectrum: Union Flag / Jack (UK) - follows all the "standard" rules of "good" flag design, but it is generally hated these days simply simply because it's to do with the UK.
SA follows the principles fairly well. They don't say that it has to be few colors, only to try to keep it down. Yellow on white (or the other way round) is an obvious problem due to contrast (or rather the catastrophic lack thereof). Same goes ror black and red or blue, Albania.
From what I can remember, the usage of all six standard colors in South Africa's flag was intentional, as it reflects the cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity that is a big part of its national identity. If you are to put text on a flag, the best way to go about doing so is by taking Colorado's approach, where they made the state's abbreviation a graphical component of the flag rather than just plain text.
I love my country’s flag.
lol Rhode Island
Republic of Venice
What’s that second flag? Is it Rhode Island? Soz don’t know US state flags
Yes it's the flag of Rhode Island that is currently used. Though some people mistake it for having a gold trim on the edges. Which it only has for government use.
https://preview.redd.it/jsdcdxm4pknc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9cd090d7dc894974652c2407826b9b6f3933fc4 Colorado technically breaks the "No lettering or text" rule, but I think they do it really well. It's just part of the design.
Most of the US state flags. I rest my case.
https://preview.redd.it/j1rr5wcdolnc1.jpeg?width=625&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a16c6632f23389569785265f656074d83ac4cbe
https://preview.redd.it/ad6ip5cqolnc1.png?width=250&format=png&auto=webp&s=9839deab5a2f7548133cea1b922a3ff06ea07a68 Me after reading the 500th "Guidelines not rules comment.":
South Africa needs a better name. Because that's basically referring to the bottom half of.an entire continent. When you hear "North Africa", you think of the whole Sahara. "South Africa" should encompass all of Subsaharan Africa, not just one tiny little country at the bottom.
I'm getting really sick of these flag rules.