Flag Templates: 31 Free Printable Blanks and Layouts
Blank flags and proportion grids in 5 ratios, 19 layouts from two bands to a Nordic cross, and two worksheets, each on a landscape Letter page. Print one, download it as a PDF, PNG or SVG, or open the same layout in the maker and color it on screen.
Blank flags (5)
Blank flag, 2:3
2:3 (most common)
Color it in the makerBlank flag, 3:5
3:5
Color it in the makerBlank flag, 1:2
1:2
Color it in the makerBlank flag, 10:19
10:19 (US flag)
Color it in the makerBlank flag, 1:1
1:1 (square)
Color it in the maker
Ratio grids (5)
Proportion grid, 2:3
2:3 (most common), grid squares a tenth of the height
Proportion grid, 3:5
3:5, grid squares a tenth of the height
Proportion grid, 1:2
1:2, grid squares a tenth of the height
Proportion grid, 10:19
10:19 (US flag), grid squares a tenth of the height
Proportion grid, 1:1
1:1 (square), grid squares a tenth of the height
Layouts (19, 2:3)
Two bands, 2:3
Top band, Bottom band
Color it in the makerTwo vertical bands, 2:3
Hoist band, Fly band
Color it in the makerThree bands, 2:3
Top band, Middle band, Bottom band
Color it in the makerVertical tricolor, 2:3
Hoist band, Center band, Fly band
Color it in the makerWide center band, 2:3
Outer bands, Center band
Color it in the makerStripes, 2:3
Stripe A, Stripe B
Color it in the makerNordic cross, 2:3
Field, Cross
Color it in the makerNordic cross, bordered, 2:3
Field, Border, Cross
Color it in the makerCentered cross, 2:3
Field, Cross
Color it in the makerSaltire, 2:3
Field, Saltire
Color it in the makerCanton, 2:3
Field, Canton
Color it in the makerCanton and stripes, 2:3
Stripe A, Stripe B, Canton
Color it in the makerHoist triangle, 2:3
Top band, Bottom band, Triangle
Color it in the makerTriangle and three bands, 2:3
Top band, Middle band, Bottom band, Triangle
Color it in the makerHoist band, 2:3
Hoist band, Top band, Middle band, Bottom band
Color it in the makerDiagonal split, 2:3
Upper hoist, Lower fly
Color it in the makerDiagonal band, 2:3
Upper hoist, Band, Lower fly
Color it in the makerQuartered, 2:3
Quarters A, Quarters B
Color it in the makerBorder, 2:3
Border, Field
Color it in the maker
Worksheets (2, 2:3)
Design your own flag worksheet, 2:3
A blank flag with lines for what the colors and symbol mean
Three colors worksheet, 2:3
A vertical tricolor with a line for each color
Pick the ratio first
Most flags are plain rectangles, and the main decision is how long the rectangle is. Flag laws write the ratio as height to width, so 2:3 is the most common national proportion, 1:2 is the longer United Kingdom shape, 3:5 is Germany's and 10:19 is the United States flag. Switzerland and Vatican City fly square flags. Choose before you draw, since moving a finished design from 2:3 to 1:2 stretches every stripe and circle. Flag ratios and pixel sizes lists the proportions world flags use.
Layouts: bands, crosses and cantons
Most flags in the world are built from a short list of layouts, and starting from one is what a template really buys you. Two or three bands, horizontal or vertical, cover a large share of national flags; the three band layout is the most common of all. A Nordic cross pushes the crossing point toward the hoist, a saltire runs corner to corner, and a canton sits in the upper hoist corner, often over stripes. Print the same colors on two or three layouts before you commit: each takes a minute and tells you more than staring at one version.
Drawing by hand
Paper still beats a screen for first drafts. Keep pencils down to about three colors, and give the flag one symbol simple enough that someone could draw it from memory. Then hold the sheet at arm's length: anything you cannot make out there will disappear on a real flag. The worksheets ask what each color and the symbol stand for, which turns a coloring page into a design lesson; flag design for kids has a classroom version with the steps in order.
From paper to a finished flag
"Color it in the maker" on any layout opens Flag Maker with that layout and ratio ready, so you can try colors, add a symbol and export it at the size your printer asks for. It is free to use, and when the design is done you can print the flag you designed.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free flag template I can print?
Yes. Every template on this page is free to print or download as a PDF, PNG or SVG, with no sign-up: blank flags and proportion grids in 5 ratios, 19 layouts such as bands, crosses and cantons, and two worksheets.
What ratio should a blank flag template use?
Use 2:3 (height to width, often written 3:2) unless you have a reason not to, since it is the most widely used proportion among national flags. Other common options are 1:2, used by the United Kingdom, 3:5, used by Germany, and 10:19 for the United States flag. Switzerland and Vatican City fly square flags. Pick before you draw, because stretching a design later distorts every shape on it.
How do I use the proportion grid?
Each grid square is one tenth of the flag's height, with darker lines at the halves. Thirds, quarters and fifths land on or close to a line, so stripes come out even and a central symbol sits in the middle. Draw lightly in pencil over the grid, then ink the lines you keep.
What size do the flag templates print?
Every sheet is US Letter in landscape, with the flag as large as the page allows: a 2:3 flag prints about 9 inches wide. On A4 it comes out slightly smaller. PNG downloads are 3300 by 2550 pixels, which is 300 dots per inch at Letter size, and SVG scales to any size.