Sail Flags: Sizes, Bases and Which One to Choose

A sail flag is the one people point at. Among a row of feather flags at a show or a market, the curved sail shape is the outline that looks different, and that is the whole reason to choose it. This guide covers what a sail flag is, the three sizes we make, how to pick the right height for where it will stand, which base it needs, and how to lay out the artwork so the flag still reads when it is moving.

What a Sail Flag Is

A sail flag is a printed fabric flag on a flexible pole. The top edge curves forward like the sail of a yacht and the fabric is held under tension, so the flag keeps its shape and stays readable even when there is almost no wind. It stands on its own base and goes up in a couple of minutes.

Compared with a straight feather flag, the sail has two things going for it. The shape is more recognisable from a distance, and the tension keeps the print flat in calm conditions, where a feather flag can hang limp. The trade-off is that the curve catches a little more wind, so in sustained strong gusts a feather or curvehead flag is the safer choice.

Sail Flag Sizes

We make the sail flag in three sizes. Prices are for a single-sided print, excluding VAT. Each flag comes with its pole and the printed sleeve; the base is ordered separately.

What Size Sail Flag Do I Need?

Choose the height by how far away the people you want to reach are standing, and by what is above the flag.

• Small, 2.3m. For anything within about 15m: a shopfront, a market stall, a farm shop entrance, a stand at an indoor show. It is also the size that clears most indoor ceilings and venue height limits.
• Medium, 3.1m. The most common choice. It reads from 15m to 40m away, which covers a car park, the edge of a sports pitch, a festival stand or a forecourt. If you are not sure, this is the size to pick.
• Large, 3.5m. For open ground where people approach from a long way off: a showground, a beach event, a golf day, a sponsor zone at a race. It is the tallest sail we make. If you need 4m or 5m, look at the telescopic or curvehead flags, which go higher on a straighter pole.

A few real-world checks before you decide:

• Indoors, measure the ceiling. A 3.1m flag in a 2.8m hall will not go up. Many exhibition halls are fine, hotel function rooms often are not.
• Ask the organiser about height limits. Some outdoor shows and markets cap signage at 2.5m or 3m. A flag that breaks the rule gets taken down.
• Count the other flags. If everyone around you runs 3m feather flags, a large sail stands out by shape as much as height.

Which Base You Need

The base is sold separately, so order one base per flag. There are three options, and the right one depends on the ground, not the flag.

On grass, the spike is all you need. On a hard surface outdoors you need the crossover stand and a water bag together, because the stand alone will tip in the first gust. Indoors, the stand alone is fine.

Single-Sided or Double-Sided

A single-sided sail flag is printed on one side, and the design shows through the fabric on the other side in reverse. Because a flag turns with the wind and people see it from one side at a time, single-sided is right for most jobs and it is the lower price.

Pay for double-sided when the flag will be seen from a fixed direction, for example beside a shop door where everyone walks past the same way, or in a fixed row at a venue entrance. Double-sided prints both sides correctly with a light-blocking layer between them.

Designing a Sail Flag That Reads

The sail shape has a wide top and tapers towards the pole at the bottom. Design for that shape rather than fighting it.

• Put the logo in the top third. That is the widest, highest part of the flag and the part people see first. Keep it large: on the medium size, a logo 600mm wide is not too big.
• One message, not a paragraph. A brand name, a product, an offer or a single line like "Fresh coffee" or "Entrance". Anything longer disappears once the flag moves.
• Run short text down the flag, not across it. Lettering set vertically along the length of the flag stays readable as it narrows. Horizontal lines of text get squeezed near the bottom.
• Use strong contrast. A pale logo on a pale background vanishes against sky. Dark on light or light on dark, with a solid background colour, is what reads at 30m.
• Keep clear of the pole sleeve. The edge along the pole is sewn into a sleeve, so leave a margin there with nothing important in it.
• Think about the set. If you are ordering several flags, print them in the same colours with one message each, rather than the same flag three times. A row of flags that reads "Coffee", "Cakes", "Open" does more than three copies of the logo.

Artwork should be a PDF with vector graphics and outlined fonts, at least 300 dpi at print size, in CMYK with Pantone references for brand colours. If you do not have a designer, request a quote and we will design it for you.

Sail, Feather, Teardrop or Telescopic?

The names cause more confusion than anything else about flags, so here is the short version.

• Sail: curved top edge, holds its shape under tension, the most distinctive outline. Best in calm to moderate wind and where you want to stand out.
• Feather, our Finn: straight pole with a feather-shaped flag that moves freely. The classic choice for seeing from a distance, from £69, with a rotating Smart Finn version for gusty sites.
• Teardrop: we do not sell a flag by this name. The sail covers the same brief, a curved outline that stays readable in low wind, and goes taller.
• Telescopic and curvehead: straight poles that extend from 2m to 5m, so you set the height to the venue on the day. The curvehead adds a curved top on the straight pole and is the one to pick for exposed, windy sites.

For the full range side by side, see our custom flags guide.

Where Sail Flags Earn Their Keep

• Shop and cafe fronts. A small or medium sail outside the door, double-sided if the pavement runs one way. It tells people you are open from the end of the street.
• Car dealers and forecourts. A row of medium sails along the frontage, one message each.
• Farm shops, garden centres and pick-your-own. A large sail at the road entrance, mediums at the car park.
• Markets and food festivals. A medium sail beside the stall so people find you in the crowd. Pair it with a printed gazebo and the flag brings them to the right roof.
• Sports clubs, golf days and races. Large sails on open ground at the entrance and the sponsor areas, with feather flags in numbers along routes.
• Show homes and property. A medium sail at the site entrance, where a sign on a post is easy to miss.
• Beach and coastal events. Sails look right by the water, but on a windy day bring them down early or choose a curvehead.

Wind, Setup and Care

Every flag is a sail in the engineering sense, and a sail flag more than most. Pegged or weighted properly, it will run all day in a normal breeze. In sustained gusts above about 25 mph, take it down. A flag that comes over can hurt someone, and it will damage the pole.

Setup is a few minutes: fit the pole sections, slide the printed sleeve over the pole, fit the base, stand it up. Pack it down dry. Folded wet and left in the bag, the print spots within days. Stored dry and out of direct sun, a printed sail flag runs through seasons of events.

Before You Order

1. Decide where the flag will stand and how far away the people are. That sets the size.
2. Check the ceiling height or the organiser's height limit.
3. Choose the base for the ground: spike for grass, crossover stand indoors, stand plus water bag on hard standing outdoors.
4. Single-sided unless the flag is seen from one fixed direction.
5. Logo in the top third, one message, strong contrast.

Printing and delivery to mainland UK takes 7 to 10 working days from artwork approval. See the sail flag page for current prices and the full set of sizes, or browse the whole flags range.