Licensing Art to the Flag Industry

There are many companies that manufacturer flags but most of them are for niche markets such as flags for individual US states, landmarks, national and state parks, museums, sports, and colleges. I have found only a few manufacturers that license art and those are for the decorative and garden flag industry. A decorative flag is usually large (28 by 40 inches) and hangs from a pole that is attached to a building. A garden flag is ususally small (12 by 18 inches or smaller) that hangs from a metal stand that is inserted into the ground.

Manufacturers license various art styles from traditional to illustrative. Art themes are for everyday such as garden, floral, animal, and inspirational or for specific holidays. Some of the manufacturers also license basic motif/icon art for their applique stitched flags. Just with every industry, decorative and garden flag manufacturers are looking for certain things in art.

Flag manufacturers normally want art that is:

1. unique,

2. that "pops,"*

3. has saturated colors, and

4. is in a vertical format.**

* For flags, image(s) must be easily discernible five or more feet away. That means that the background cannot be so busy that the main/central image blends into it.

** The design ratio for flags is normally 7/10. That ratio is approximately the same ratio of the standard size of greeting cards (5 by 7 inch). As a result, greeting card art needs only to be slightly adjusted to fit decorative and garden flags. Caution: If your original art is only 5 by 7 inches, that art enlarged to fit a 28 by 40 inch flag would have VERY poor resolution. Thus, it is better to create larger designs if you plan to license them to flag manufacturers.

Hint: Keep in mind that you should create other formats for your art besides vertical. Some flag manufacturers also produce additional products such as floor mats and mailbox covers so you could potentially license the same art for other products if you also format your art horizontally.

It is a good idea to see what kind of art on flags is selling at retail before approaching a manufacturer. Check out Garden House Flags (internet store) to see decorative flags from various manufacturers. Then look up the websites of following manufacturers and call them for their art submission guidelines if they are not listed.

Carson Home Décor

Custom Décor

Evergreen Enterprises, Inc

Magnet Works

Toland Home Garden - (submission guidelines)

Note: There are more manufacturers that license art for flags than the ones listed above. If you are willing to share that information, please email me the information at joan@joanbeiriger.com and I will add that information to the above list.

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