What material are flags made of? We get this question a lot here at Feather Flag Nation, so we put together this handy guide.
To start, we have many types of flags: rectangle flags, standard flags, teardrop flags, garden flags, car flags, feather flags, flutter flags, blade flags, and many more. Each flag is a little different, but they all have something in common: they’re made from a durable polyester blend. The polyester is a 110gm fabric, also referred to as 4-ounce poly knit mesh fabric.
Why is Polyester Better for Flags?
You might be wondering about the difference between nylon vs polyester flag materials. There’s no industry standard for flags, so everyone makes them differently. Some companies do use nylon for their printing, but this has its limits. Nylon cannot be used for colorful printing because it must be dyed using a type of acid. This means that most nylon flags are dipped into the dye or acid and do not absorb vibrant colors as well.
Polyester, on the other hand, almost has no limit because it’s possible to print directly onto the fabric. With polyester, we can print designs such as logos, words in different colors, and even high-resolution images.
If you’re worried about picking polyester over nylon, rest assured that the materials share very similar qualities. However, when comparing them specifically for flag materials, polyester comes out on top! What are flags made of? The best ones are made from polyester.
Both materials are:
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Synthetic
- Wrinkle-Resistant
- Stretch Resistant
- Easy to Maintain
Polyester is also very strong because it’s made with a polymer-based construction. Polymer-based items are made from several smaller units bonded together, which makes it exceptionally strong. If durability is a top priority when comparing nylon vs polyester flag materials, you can depend on polyester to hold up to regular use.
Polyester is also faster drying, easier to dye or print, and abrasion-resistant. And, if you’re concerned that polyester isn’t as soft as nylon, rest assured – polyester has been refined in recent years to feel just like nylon. In fact, it almost resembles the softness of cotton.
Many materials, such as plastics and construction materials, are made this way. Because polyester is strong, it also resists pilling better than nylon. Pilling is when fabric unravels and piles up into small chunks, like on sweaters or wool. Your polyester flag will continue to look nice and neat even after being used frequently.
Our flags are made for the outdoors. Polyester is faster drying than nylon, thus better suited for outdoors, handling rain and other inclement weather. In other words, if you compare nylon vs polyester flag materials, the water on the polyester flag will stay on the flag’s surface and then evaporate rather than soaking into the fabric. What are flags made of to withstand outdoor conditions? Polyester is undoubtedly better suited for rain.
Being hydrophobic also means the colors bond better to the fibers of the polyester material, while nylon absorbs water and results in dyes not bonding well. This is because polyester absorbs the dye while expelling the water in the dye, allowing for brighter colors. This also prevents the flags from fading so fast compared to nylon.
Overall, polyester is better suited for outdoors because of its various properties in durability, printing, colors, and water resistance. And, if you were to compare the lifespans of nylon vs polyester flags, the polyester flag would last longer in the vast majority of cases.
Polyester is also an easy-care fabric. While our flags cannot be machine washed due to the heat and roughness of the machines, they can be spot cleaned.
Are Your Double-Sided Flags the Same Material?
What material are double-sided flags made of? They’re also made with polyester, but there’s one difference. Double-sided flags are two flags sewn together (still polyester), but they have 100% blackout vinyl mesh in the middle.
While many companies do not insert this material, we do. This is to ensure that you and your audience cannot see through the flags or have any bleed-through on either side. This makes it easy to read and gives it a clean look. And the vinyl mesh doesn’t compromise the strength of the flag. What are flags made of? As you can see, there are slight variations, but they’re all polyester.
Nylon vs Polyester Flag: What Can I Print On It?
Our printing method is similar to that of your standard at-home printer. We set a bigger piece of fabric than what you are purchasing and then have the printer print directly on it. This means we can print solid colors, logos, letters, and even high-resolution images. We say a high resolution to ensure that the image, logo, or anything else is printed clearly. In reality, most images, such as those taken from a cell phone, are only a couple of inches in size. Thus, when we print on a large scale, like a 12-foot flag, it doesn’t print clearly. This isn’t related to nylon vs polyester flag materials, but it is because the image is being stretched too much. On that note, if you send your logo, we prefer that it be in the original format the designer made. The preferred format is .ai/ or .eps/. A PDF also sometimes works. If you’re not sure, don’t worry—our design team here can check for you. This is also the same for images. It can be difficult on your own to tell if the image will print okay on a flag. We’re more than happy to check for you. Just send the design team everything you have. If it doesn’t work, we can always try and replace the image with something similar.
Just like there are differences between nylon vs polyester flag materials, there are variations in color. While we can print basically anything on a flag, there is one thing to keep in mind: colors do vary.
This doesn’t mean we cannot print colors, but rather what we see on screen is different. Not only are screen colors different, but colors on textiles appear different from other materials. So, if you’re wondering what flags are made of, it’s important that you consider how the materials will affect your design.
For example, a color printed on paper will not look exactly the same as a color on a nylon vs polyester flag. This is due to the material, but the other factor is how the technology works. Screens are in a format called RGB. This is for screens, TVs, computer monitors, cell phone screens, etc. RGB stands for red, green, and blue. These colors are then mixed together on the screen.
For that reason, we get more colors on RGB that can appear brighter or any different mix. Printers, however, do not work this way. Printers are in a format called CMYK, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These are the colors that are mixed instead. Except in this case, the printer uses a little of each one to mix the colors. The colors also go on a scale of 0-100%. While there is a wide range, there are a few limits. For example, if one color overpowers another too much, it will come out differently than what is seen on screen. If a mix has a lot of magentas rather than cyan, the flag will appear more purple in color.
As always, if you have any questions about colors or nylon vs polyester flag materials, we’re more than happy to help.
If you want to achieve a specific color, we offer FREE color swatches—but shipping must be covered. You can choose up to 10 swatches. If you’re not sure what colors to pick for the swatches, our design team can help you. Just contact us with what color you are aiming for, and we’ll pick an assortment.
I'm Ready to Start My Flag!
Fantastic! You can send our team a free design request here. That page allows you to write instructions on what you would like on your flag. You can be as specific as you want or just give us a rough idea. The design team will then send you a proof of the flag and go from there.
Alternatively, you can design your own flag if you have Photoshop or Illustrator using our templates here. Then you can just email the design team your artwork. We always double-check your artwork to make sure it’s correct.
What are flags made of? If you have any questions about nylon vs polyester flag materials or anything else, contact us! Send us an email at sales@featherflagnation.com or give us a call at 1 (877) 900-5692. We’re open M-F from 8am-4:30pm PST