A flying banner is a printed fabric sail sleeved onto a flexible pole and held up by a spike, a cross base or a water base. The teardrop is the rounded shape that holds its form in still air, and the feather is the tall tapered shape that moves far more. Both are read as a shape and a colour first, so the artwork has to be simple.
Flags suit outdoor frontage and roadshows because they read at a distance and in motion. They are poor carriers of detail, which shapes every decision below: the cloth, the base and the artwork. This guide sets out what EZ Print specifies for flag fabric and pole sets, and what to settle before ordering.
What is the difference between a teardrop flag and a feather flag?
A teardrop flag is the rounded sail that holds its shape in still air. A feather flag is the tall, tapered sail that moves far more. Both sleeve onto the pole down the leading edge, so the sail flies from the mast rather than hanging from a rope, and both stay legible in no wind at all.
The practical choice is about movement and message. A teardrop holds its shape in still air, while a feather moves far more, so a flag should be designed as a shape and a colour rather than a detailed image. On either shape the flag holds a mark, a colour and about three words, so a long tagline belongs on a different display.
| Teardrop flag | Feather flag | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Rounded | Tall and tapered |
| In still air | Holds its shape | Moves far more |
| Pole | Flexible sectional pole | Flexible sectional pole |
| Best content | A mark, a colour, about three words | A mark, a colour, about three words |
Flag height on EZ Print’s exhibition graphics page is about 2.5 m to 4.5 m, on a flexible pole, with a base chosen for the ground.
What are flying banners printed on?
Flag cloth is knitted or woven polyester, printed by dye sublimation. On a light knitted cloth the colour strikes through, so the reverse reads as a soft mirror image. That is the single-sided flag. A double-sided flag is two printed panels sewn either side of an opaque blockout layer, which removes the show-through.
Hold a single layer of the knit up and you can see daylight through it. The sewn sleeve down the leading edge is the stiff part and the only part under real load. A double-sided flag is noticeably heavier and hangs straighter when the air is still, but it roughly doubles the load the pole and base have to carry. That is why the choice between single-sided and double-sided belongs in the quote request rather than being left to default.
Which base suits which ground?
The base is chosen for the ground. A spike suits grass, and a cross base or a water base suits a hard floor. A double-sided flag asks more of the base because it roughly doubles the load the pole and base carry.
| Where the flag stands | Base to specify |
|---|---|
| Grass | Ground spike |
| Hard floor | Cross base or water base |
| Double-sided flag | Say so when quoting, because the load roughly doubles |
Describe the site when you request a quote, in a line or two, and the pole set can be matched to it. Flags suit roadshows, pavement frontage, launches, sports and community events, showflat approaches and any site where a queue forms outdoors. They do not suit an indoor hall with a low ceiling.
How should artwork be prepared for a flag?
Design for the shape and the colour, not the detail. The leading edge disappears into the pole sleeve, the trailing edge curls away from the viewer when air is moving, and the foot of the sail sits behind the base. Keep the mark in the upper middle of the sail, well clear of both edges.
The reverse of a single-layer flag reads mirrored unless a blockout layer is specified, so do not put anything on a single-sided flag that must read correctly from behind, such as a web address. On type size, EZ Print’s exhibition guidance asks for a 40 mm cap height for anything read across an aisle and larger on a flag, which moves.
Supply a PDF/X-4 at final size in CMYK, with Pantone references where colours must match another item. Exhibition graphics are supplied at 100 dpi at final size. Tell us which flag shape and height you want, and the exact printed size and pole-sleeve allowance come back as figures to build to.
How long does flag printing take?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days. A flag is printed, then hemmed and sleeved onto the pole, so the time is spent on fabrication as well as printing. Express is quoted per job, with the quantity, the shape and the date on the enquiry.
Plan around the event date from the artwork approval, not from the day the files are first sent. If the flag must be ready for a launch or roadshow, send the date, the shape, the height, whether it is single- or double-sided and the ground it will stand on in the first message.
Worked example: a roadshow feather flag
Specifying a flag starts with the site and the message. This planning example shows the details a quote request needs for a single feather flag at an outdoor roadshow entrance: the shape, the sail size, the base for the ground, the artwork placement and the date.
Hypothetical planning example. Actual production timing, paper availability, and logistics are confirmed individually upon artwork and specification review.
A regional services firm plans a roadshow on a grass field and wants one feather flag at the entrance. The marketing coordinator sends this specification:
- Shape: feather flag, single-sided, so the reverse reads as a mirror image.
- Sail size: 1000 × 2800 mm, the dimensions of the flag specimen on EZ Print’s teardrop and feather flags page, with a 250 mm allowance for the pole pocket.
- Fabric: polyester flag cloth, printed by dye sublimation.
- Base: a ground spike, because the event is on grass.
- Artwork: the logo and one line of three words in the upper middle of the sail, clear of both edges, supplied as PDF/X-4.
- Timing: standard 7–14 working days from artwork approval. If the event date is tighter, the request asks for an express quotation.
Related printing solutions
Flags usually sit alongside other event graphics. See exhibition displays, large format signage, event standees and the teardrop and feather flags specification. For the detail, request a quote with the shape, height, number of sides and ground.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a teardrop flag and a feather flag?
The teardrop is the rounded flag and holds its shape in still air. The feather is the tall tapered one and moves far more. Both are printed sails sleeved onto a flexible pole, so both stay legible when there is no wind.
Do flying banners read correctly on both sides?
A single-layer flag reads as a mirror image on the reverse. Where both sides must read correctly, a blockout layer is specified between two printed faces, which makes the flag heavier.
What base does a flying banner need?
The base is chosen for the ground. A spike suits grass, and a cross base or a water base suits a hard floor. A double-sided flag roughly doubles the load the pole and base carry.
How long does flag printing take?
Standard turnaround is 7–14 working days, because every flag is printed, then hemmed and sleeved onto its pole. Express is quoted per job.
Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.