Glossary

  1. Canton: Blue field, white stars. Also known as Field or Jack.
  2. Heading: Heavy fabric used to secure flag to halyard line; usually made of durable cotton or synthetic canvas.
  3. Grommet: Brass ring or eyelet (normally in the heading) for mounting outdoor flags.
  4. Truck: The device at the top of an outdoor pole that houses the pulley wheel.
  5. Finial: A decorative top for a flag pole, often an eagle, spear or ball.
  6. Snap Hooks: Hardware made of either brass or molded nylon to attach the flag to the halyard line.
  7. Cleat: The device used to secure the bottom of the flagpole halyard.
  8. Halyard: Rope used to raise the flag; can be external and tied to cleat, or internal.
  9. Flash collar: The cover for a base of the pole, used for cosmetic and protective purposes.
  10. Foundation tube: Cylinder tube used as a form for the concrete base of an in-ground flag pole.
  11. Hoist end: The part of the flag that attaches to the halyard.
  12. Roped heading: A flag where the hoisted end is reinforced with a rope throughout the heading.
  13. Fly end: The end of the flag that "flies" in the breeze; also the part of the flag that endures the most stress.
  14. SST: A type of heading that uses the base fabric of the flag to construct a sleeve that usually slides over a pole, with a tab to attach near the top.
  15. Fabric sleeve: A type of heading that adds a piece of fabric to an existing flag to construct a sleeve that usually slides over a pole, with a tab to attach near top.
  16. Pole hem: The same heading as fabric sleeve, but with a fabric lining.
  17. Outrigger: A flag pole mounted on a building at an angle other than vertical.
  18. Crown: A flag with pole hem and fringe for indoor display and parade use.
  19. Single reverse: A single-sided (also known as one-ply) flag, printed on only one side. If the flag is screen- or digitally printed, the dye will bleed through to the other side, and the image will be reversed on the 'outside' of the flag. Most flags are printed this way.
  20. Double-sided: A double-sided flag consists of two single-sided flags printed and sewn back-to-back. A third layer of fabric placed between these two layers prevents the design from one side showing through to the other. A double-sided flag weighs up to three times as much as a single-sided version, and therefore needs more wind to make it fly. Because the central layer of blocking fabric is necessarily black, designs with large areas of white may appear somewhat grey.