[GSleader]

How is the American flag made? Can any company produce it? What are the criteria the manufacturer has to follow?

I am looking to share this info. with Girl Scouts.

[american_flag_uk]

are you taling about the flags the average American would buy or the flags the government or armed services would order (that are much higher quality) ?


the G spec flag (government specification) has a very very detailed and set out way it has to be produced - as explained in this 34 page document i found earlier
http://yost.com/USFlagArtwork/DDD416E.pdf

the detail is so high currently only 3 flag manufacturors in the USA make these flags for federal and military use
- Annin and Co
- CF flag Co
- Valley Forge flags

i own 4 of these flags and its gotta be said - the quality doesnt get any better than this! and they look magnificant!

ill take some pics soon demonstrating the difference - theres non on the internet at all!!


regarding the American flag most regular Americans (and indeed anyone) would buy - the manufacturor can make it how they want to
obviousy they want to sell it so they will try and make the best flag they can (or make you think your buying the best flag you can)

here is a couple of pics of errors in flag making that i see

Royalty-free stock Image | US Flag | iStockphoto.com
this one there is too much of a gap between the stars and the seam where the union meets the white stripe beneath

american flag on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
this flags stars are too small



http://www.inkjetart.com/flag/flag_specs.gif



ill com back to this i g2g t bed now bye!

[Peter Ansoff]

Greetings, GSleader!

How is the American flag made? Can any company produce it?

Yes -- anyone can make an American flag, and you don't need any sort of permission to do so.

What are the criteria the manufacturer has to follow?

There are three official documents that deal with the design of the flag. The first is Title 4, Section 1, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the US Code. These two paragraphs codify the law that Congress passed in 1818 to define the design. Here is what they say:

"1. The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.
2. On the admission of a new State into the Union one star shall be added to the union of the flag; and such addition shall take effect on the fourth day of July then next succeeding such admission."

That's all they say. Notice that they don't say that the top and bottom stripes have to be red, or what the proportions should be, or how the stars should be arranged.

The second document is Presidental Executive Order 10834, which you can read here:

Executive Orders

This order was signed by President Eisenhower in 1959, when Hawaii became the 50th state and the final star was added to the flag. The order includes a diagram that shows the exact layout and proportions for the flag. However, this document is not a law, and it only applies to flags made for use by the executive branch of the government (which includes the armed forces). Flags made for other government branches, and for civilian use, don't need to match the diagram exactly, and they often don't. The most common variation is the proportions -- the E.O. says that they should be 10 x 19, but most flags that are sold commerically are 3 x 5 or 2 x 3. Again, there is nothing wrong with this, unless you are making flags for use by the executive branch of the government. The E.O. is a handy guide, but it doesn't need to be followed exactly.

The third document is a procurement specification, DDD-F-416. This is a very detailed description of how flags are supposed to be manufactured for the government. It goes into all kinds of minutia -- the metal composition of the grommets, the breaking strength of the thread, the technical specifications for the colors, etc. There is no reason for anyone but a government procurement activity to worry about this spec.

The bottom line is that if you make a flag that looks more-or-less like the diagram in E.O. 10834, you'll be fine.

I hope this answers your questions.

Peter Ansoff

[beckymooch@verizon.net]

thank you for the information. It will be helpful while completeing the american partiotism ip.