How to draw the Union Jack

accurately
Julian D. A. Wiseman
Contents: The Union Jack in PostScript, Description of correct construction, A
frequently seen error, Areas of the various parts of the flag, Variations on the 2: ratio,
Union Jack or Union !lag"
Publication history: only here# Usual $isclai%er an$ copyright ter%s apply#
The flag of the Unite$ &ing$o%, the Union Jack, is a superposition of the flags of Saint
'eorge (for )nglan$*, Saint An$re+ (for Scotlan$* an$ Saint Patrick (for ,relan$*# This
superposition is quite intricate, an$ often $ra+n incorrectly#
Correct construction
The ne-t $iagra% sho+s the correct construction:
The flag is t+ice as +i$e as it is high# The cross of St 'eorge is re$, an$ has +i$th equal
to one fifth the flag.s height, an$ a +hite /or$er of +i$th one fifteenth the height#
The cross of St An$re+ is interchange$ +ith that of St Patrick# Start /y $ra+ing the
$iagonals of the +hole flag, an$ then the lines parallel to these that are at a $istance of
one tenth an$ one fifteenth the height of the flag# (!or clarity the $iagra% also sho+s the
lines that are apart fro% the $iagonals /y only one thirtieth the height#* 0n the flag1pole
si$e fill re$ the $iagonally orientate$ area of +i$th one fifteenth the height that lies /elo+
the $iagonals, an$ on the non1flag1pole si$e, the $iagonally orientate$ area of +i$th one
fifteenth the height that lies a/ove the $iagonals# !inally, fill /lue every+here that is /oth
%ore than one tenth the height a+ay fro% the $iagonals, an$ %ore than one fifteenth the
height a+ay fro% the re$ of the cross of St 'eorge#
The /lue shoul$ /e Pantone 223, appro-i%ate$ here +ith an 4'5 setting of 3:3:32, an$
the re$ shoul$ /e Pantone 26, appro-i%ate$ here +ith 237:3:3# (Thanks for $ra+ing %y
attention to the colours goes to 'raha% 5artra%, +ho %aintains a site +ith e-cellent
i%ages of U& flags at +++#flags#net8U9&'#ht%#*
A frequently seen error
The Union Jack is often $ra+n incorrectly# The ellipse on the
right sho+s a typical error, in +hich (+rongly* the cross of St
Patrick a/uts at a right1angle to the +hite e$ge of the cross of
St 'eorge#
,n the 2: version of the flag (+hich is +hat you +ant unless
you really kno+ other+ise* the four re$ parts of the cross of St
Patrick shoul$ al+ays /e qua$rilaterals# T+o of the
qua$rilaterals have t+o si$es parallel an$ t+o perpen$icular:
the other t+o have /oth pairs of non1a$;acent si$es parallel#
The four re$ parts of the cross of St Patrick shoul$ not /e
pentagons or he-agons, although are often $ra+n that +ay#
Areas
,f the flag is $ra+n 63 /y <3 as in the top $iagra%, then the various parts have areas as
follo+s# The re$ of the cross of St 'eorge is of area =37 square units# The /lue of the
cross of St An$re+ is in eight pieces, four larger an$ four s%aller# The larger pieces each
have area (<<=>?=@=*82: the s%aller each 77=87><3@=: giving a total /lue area of =>
2?3@= A =#26676 square units, +hich is slightly %ore than #77B larger than the cross
of St 'eorge# The re$ of St Patrick is in four pieces, t+o larger an$ t+o s%aller, these
respectively each having area 23@= an$ 23@=>=: for a total of 23@=>3 A 62#22=7<22
square units# Thus the flag is re$ : +hite : /lue in the proportions
7C7D23@= : CDC3@= : =>2?3@= A <?#<2B : <7#2B : 22#7B#
Other ratios
The 5ritish Ar%y uses a =:< version of the flag, +hich can /e $ra+n /y replacing each of
the horiEontal 2=s in the $iagra% +ith 23 (e-a%ple at flagspot#net8flags8g/#ht%lF<=*#
This Ar%y1only flag has the unhappy property that t+o of the parts of the cross of St
Patrick a/ut at a right1angle to the +hite e$ge of the St 'eorge, /ut only ;ust, the e-tra
vertical line having length only part in (=D@<7*G2=8< A C3#2=?C< of the height of the
flag# This gives the appearance of a %anufacturing error# To avoi$ this a/utting a Union
Jack %ust have a ratio no squarer than 2=D2@76 : 2 A #2<672<?C<7= : A
=C= : <27: achieva/le /y replacing the 2=s +ith (CD@76*G38? A 22#=762=6C# ,t is hope$
that any future )U1+i$e har%onise$ flag ratio, $ou/tless i%pose$ to give flags equal
Hfluttera/ility., +ill not /e squarer than 2=D2@76 : 2# To %ake the vertical line as /ig as
the s%allest %easure%ent on the flag, one thirtieth of the height, the flag +oul$ have to
/e as squat as =D@=? : 6 A #73C<676=22 : # ,f the flag +ere longer than
2=D<@7 : 6 A 2#?6<32=?C7= : , four of the /lue triangles +oul$ colli$e +ith the
+hite e$ge of the St 'eorge# To %ake the area of the re$ of the cross of St 'eorge equal
to the /lue of the cross of St An$re+, the ratio nee$s to /e A #C6=<CC7<< : , this /eing
a root of 3 I 7=3Cr
7
> 3<<<2r
<
D 7?672r
2
> 33C2r D C7C# 5ut, an$ this is repeate$ for
e%phasis, those %aking or printing a Union Jack shoul$ use a ratio of 2:, e-cept on the
clear an$ una%/iguous instruction of Jer Ka;esty.s 'overn%ent#
Union Jack or Union la!
The author is occasionally aske$ +hich of HUnion Jack. an$ HUnion !lag. is the correct
na%e# The !lag ,nstitute ans+ers as follo+s:
,t is often state$ that the Union !lag shoul$ only /e $escri/e$ as the Union Jack +hen flo+n in the /o+s of
a +arship, /ut this is a relatively recent i$ea# !ro% early in its life the A$%iralty itself frequently referre$ to
the flag as the Union Jack, +hatever its use, an$ in C32 an A$%iralty Lircular announce$ that Their
Mor$ships ha$ $eci$e$ that either na%e coul$ /e use$ officially# Such use +as given Parlia%entary
approval in C32 +hen it +as state$ that Nthe Union Jack shoul$ /e regar$e$ as the 9ational flagO#
Jo+ever, the 4oyal 9avy $isagrees:
The national flag of the Unite$ &ing$o% is +orn as a Jack at the /o+ /y all JK ships in co%%ission +hen
alongsi$e or +hen H$resse$ overall.# This is the only occasion +hen it is correctly calle$ the Union Jack,
although it is generally kno+n /y this na%e through co%%on usage# ,t is also flo+n $uring Lourts Kartial
an$ is the Distinguishing !lag of an A$%iral of the !leet#
The author enquire$ of the 4oyal 9avy a/out this apparent $isagree%ent, asking +hich
of the !lag ,nstitute an$ the 4oyal 9avy is right" The 9aval Jistoric 5ranch, of <1= 'reat
Scotlan$ Par$ Mon$on SQA 2JQ, ans+ere$ as follo+s:
5oth an$ neither# A ;ack is a sea flag, a s%all flag, generally rather square in its proportions, flo+n fro% a
flagstaff rigge$ on the /o+sprit or ste% of the vessel# The earliest kno+n reference to a H;ack. of such a
type occurs in 6<<, the first reference to the Union (rather than the H5ritain. or H5ritish. flag* $ating fro%
62= R the Union !lag an$ the naval ;ack are %uch the sa%e age# The ;ack +as initially si%ply a
particular instance of the Union !lag, /ut as the $istinctive flag of +arships it quickly /eca%e an
e-ceptionally +ell1kno+n instance# Technically, all Union Jacks are Union !lags, /ut not vice versa# ,t is a
fine point an$ one that +as %uch argue$ over, /ut it is /eyon$ question that the ha/it of treating the t+o
ter%s as interchangea/le $evelope$ early, an$ it +oul$ not /e $ifficult to %ultiply instances of in$ivi$uals
+ho un$ou/te$ly $i$ un$erstan$ the $istinction nevertheless follo+ing co%%on usage an$ using the ter%
Union Jack +hen Union !lag is clearly %eant#
The 49 +e/site is quite right in that the Union Jack flo+n in the /o+s of co%%issione$ ships is the only
one +hich really is a ;ack (unless you count the +hite1/or$ere$ pilot ;ack*, /ut not quite so on that /eing
the only occasion +hen it is Hcorrectly. so calle$ R /ecause the !lag ,nstitute is right that the use of Union
Jack to %ean any Union !lag has /een sanctione$ /oth /y the A$%iralty an$ /y Parlia%ent# )qually, it is
questiona/le to suggest that the $istinction /et+een Union Jack an$ Union !lag is of particularly recent
origin R the Union !lag +as also e%ploye$ as a co%%an$ flag, an$ there +as (an$ isS* a necessary
$ifferentiation to /e %a$e, so it is possi/le that /oth +e/sites coul$ have chosen their +or$s /etter, /ut it
+oul$ also /e $ifficult to avoi$ questions like this arising +ithout going into quite inor$inate $etail#
Kake of all that +hat you +ill#
Other files" co##ent and fla!s
Also availa/le on this site is a PostScript version of the Union Jack, an$ a plain te-t
version suita/le for converting to e%oticons#
Mearne$ co%%ent on the Union Jack an$ its %any variants can /e foun$ at
flagspot#net8flags8g/#ht%l, +hich in turn links to so%e specifications at
flagspot#net8flags8g/1te%pl#ht%l# !urther infor%ation on its history an$ use can /e foun$
at the official +e/site of the 5ritish Konarchy#
The specification of the geo%etry of the US flag, though not of the colours, can /e foun$
at +++#usflag#org (an$ there is a local copy at +++#;$a+ise%an#co%*, or at
en#+ikipe$ia#org8+iki8!lagTofTtheTUnite$TStates or at
+++#la+#cornell#e$u8usco$e8usco$e378uscTsecT37T333333311113331notes#ht%l# At
+++#;$a+ise%an#co% is an )PS version of the Stars U Stripes, an$ a PD! version#
The specification of the geo%etry of the Australian flag at
+++#itsanhonour#gov#au8p$f8flagTte%plate#p$f (local copy*#