We offer a wide range of publications in print and/or PDF.
Subscribe, view or download – see individual titles for details.
Flagmaster
Flagmaster (1971 to date) is our twice-yearly full-colour journal, available exclusively to members.
Published in print or PDF (No.117 to date).
New, expanded 48-page format (No.160 to date).
For more details, please click here.
Flagmaster Archive
The full Flagmaster Archive (No.1 to date) is available to view or download exclusively to members.
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Identify articles using the full Flagmaster Index.
Research Notes / Presentations
Occasional papers and presentations available to view or download exclusively to members.
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British Flags & Emblems
British Flags & Emblems (Flag Institute, 2004) is the definitive guide, compiled by Chief Vexillologist Graham Bartram.
Foreword by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
This title is now out of print.
Flying Flags in the United Kingdom
What is correct UK flag protocol?
What rules apply when flying flags in the UK?
Flying Flags in the United Kingdom (Flag Institute/UK Parliamentary Flags & Heraldry Committee; 2010, revised 2024) is the authoritative guide.
Find a few simple rules to follow when flying the UK’s national flags in different situations:
- UK Parliamentary approval
- includes the Union Flag (or Union Jack) and the flags of England, Scotland and Wales
- practical, easy to use
- clear illustrations and diagrams
- distributed to every UK government department and local authority
- for anyone with a flagpole
Read online or browse/download in PDF format here.
Union Jack or Union Flag?
Union Jack or Union Flag?
Either name is valid.
Read on to find out why …
Free to view or download here.
Flags for Churches
Flags for Churches (Flag Institute; 2020, revised 2024) offers a simple guide to frequently asked questions on this popular topic.
Originally published as a poster, it has now been updated and released as a six-page booklet.
Free to view or download here.
Colours of the Fleet / Badges of the British Commonwealth
Colours of the Fleet (Malcolm Farrow, 2020) provides a brief history and catalogue of all the defaced ensigns ever granted. It currently contains over 700 flags. Initially compiled by Malcolm Farrow in the early 1990s. Edited and updated by Malcolm Farrow and David Prothero to 2015.
Note: Malcolm Farrow asserts his rights as author of this work. The information contained therein is free to reuse subject to an appropriate acknowledgement.
Free to view or download in PDF format here.
Badges of the British Commonwealth (Rudi Longueville, 2020) is a magisterial work, current to 2011. It comprises detailed images of the defacing badges of British ensigns, each with an explanatory text, plus comprehensive indexes.
Free to view or download in PDF format here.
Note: Rudi Longueville asserts his rights as author of this work. The information contained therein is free to reuse subject to an appropriate acknowledgement.
Can you help? These two publications offer complementary perspectives on the history, background and astonishing global reach of British and British-derived ensigns. The authors would love to combine them in a single grand encyclopedia but lack the time and resources to do so. If you can help, please the Flag Institute.
The Guiding Principles of Flag Design
The Guiding Principles of Flag Design (Flag Institute/NAVA, 2014) offers authoritative, in-depth design advice.
Free to view or download here.
Flying Flags: a Plain English Guide
Up-to-date guidance from the UK Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This guide provides a brief summary of the new liberalised controls over flag flying introduced on 12 October 2012.
Free to view or download. from the UK Government website.
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: a Visual Guide to the Flags Used
Compiled by Chief Vexillologist Graham Bartram, Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: a Visual Guide to the Flags Used (Flag Institute, 2012) is a profusely illustrated companion to this historic royal occasion.
Free to view or download here.
