Flag ratios: proportions of world flags and pixel sizes

A flag ratio, or flag proportion, is the relationship between a flag’s height and its length. Flag laws usually write it height first, so a 2:3 flag is 2 units tall and 3 units long. The height is called the hoist and the length the fly, which is why you’ll also see ratios written as “hoist to fly.”

Most national flags use one of a handful of ratios, but there are outliers: a square, a flag more than twice as long as it is tall, and one that isn’t a rectangle at all. This guide covers the common ratios, real examples with their official sources, and the pixel sizes to use for each.

The common flag ratios

2:3 is the most common ratio among national flags, with 1:2 second. The rest of the shapes in this table are much less common.

Ratio	Length is	Feels like	Examples
2:3	1.5 times the height	The standard flag shape	India, Japan
3:5	1.67 times the height	Slightly longer	Germany, UK on land
1:2	2 times the height	Long and banner-like	Canada, Ireland, UK at sea
10:19	1.9 times the height	Long	United States (official)
1:1	Same as the height	Square	Switzerland

The North American Vexillological Association’s design guide, “Good Flag, Bad Flag”, recommends keeping a new flag’s proportions between 1:1.5 and 1:2, which covers every rectangular ratio in the table above.

Official ratios of some well-known flags

These are taken from each country’s own law or government page wherever possible.

Country	Official ratio	Source
United States	10:19 (hoist 1.0, fly 1.9)	Executive Order 10834
Canada	1:2	Government of Canada
Ireland	1:2	Department of the Taoiseach
Germany	3:5	Anordnung über die deutschen Flaggen
United Kingdom	3:5 on land, 1:2 at sea	College of Arms
India	2:3	National Portal of India
Japan	2:3	Flags of the World
Switzerland	1:1	Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Qatar	11:28	Flags of the World

A few notes on the table:

• The US ratio comes from the attachment to Executive Order 10834, which sets the hoist at 1.0 and the fly at 1.9. The order’s list of authorized sizes for executive agencies follows the same shape, with flags of 10 by 19 feet and 20 by 38 feet among them.
• Canada’s government describes its flag as twice as long as it is wide: 64 units long and 32 units high, with a white square in the middle the full height of the flag.
• The UK’s 1801 proclamation never set proportions. The College of Arms has approved two versions: 5:3 (length to height), commonly flown on land, and 2:1, commonly flown at sea.
• Japan’s 1999 flag law set the ratio at 2:3, with the red disc centered and three fifths of the flag’s height across.
• Qatar’s 11:28 makes it far longer than most flags. Flags of the World notes that Qatar’s Law No. 14 of 2012 still uses 11:28, though 2:3 and 3:5 versions are common in practice.

The odd shapes

Square flags are rare. The Swiss government’s own page says the square shape is one of the flag’s distinctive characteristics and that, apart from the Vatican’s flag, it is the only national flag in that shape. The square came from military coats of arms, which were square at the time. The FAQ has more on which countries have square flags.

Nepal goes further. Its flag is two stacked pennants, and its constitution doesn’t give a ratio at all. Instead, Schedule 1 sets out a step-by-step geometric construction for drawing it.

Why the US flag you buy is a different shape

Many American flags sold to the public are 3 by 5 feet, not 10 by 19. Executive Order 10834’s list of sizes is for flags used by executive agencies. The NAVA guide notes that US flags are usually 1:1.5 or 1:1.67 in practice, and 3 by 5 feet is a 3:5 (1:1.67) shape.

So if you’re designing something to be printed as a standard 3x5 flag, use 3:5, not 10:19. The custom flag printing guide covers print sizes in more detail.

Flag ratio pixel sizes

To get a flag’s height in pixels, divide the width by the second number of the ratio and multiply by the first. Here are clean sizes for each common ratio:

Ratio	Small	Medium	Large
2:3	600 x 400	1200 x 800	3000 x 2000
3:5	600 x 360	1200 x 720	3000 x 1800
1:2	600 x 300	1200 x 600	3000 x 1500
10:19	950 x 500	1900 x 1000	3800 x 2000
1:1	400 x 400	1000 x 1000	2000 x 2000

Sizes are width x height. For screens, the medium size is plenty for a website or slide. For print, size depends on how big the physical flag will be. A 3 by 5 foot flag is 36 by 60 inches, so at 150 pixels per inch it needs 5400 x 9000 pixels. That’s why an SVG, which has no fixed pixel size, is usually the better file for printing. The FAQ has a short answer on what size a 3x5 flag is in pixels.

Choosing a ratio for your own flag

• For a national or fictional country flag, 2:3 is the safest choice because it’s the most familiar shape.
• For something you’ll print as a standard 3x5 flag, use 3:5 so nothing gets cropped or stretched.
• For a flag that should feel long and formal, try 1:2.
• For a US-style design that follows the official spec, use 10:19.
• For a square avatar, patch or social media icon, use 1:1.

Setting the ratio in Flag Maker

In the flag maker, the proportions menu in the top bar offers 2:3, 3:5, 1:2, 10:19 (the US flag) and 1:1 (square). Pick one before you start, or switch later. Your layout redraws to fit the new shape, so it’s worth checking symbol positions after a change.

When you download, PNG comes in several sizes and SVG scales to any size, so you can make one design and export it for screen and print. If you’re new to the terms used here, parts of a flag explains hoist, fly, canton and the rest, and the glossary has a short entry on flag proportion.