Custom Feather Flags
Made to Be Seen
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8ft to 17ft Kits
Sized for sidewalks, lots, and highways
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Single or Double Sided
Blockout liner so both sides read
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Base for Any Surface
Spike, cross, water, wall, vehicle
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Pole, Base & Bag Included
Complete kit, no extras to buy
Custom Feather Flags and Teardrop Flags in Vancouver
A flag does one thing a sign cannot. It moves. Peripheral vision is built to catch movement, which is why a feather flag outside a shop gets noticed by people who walked past the window display for a month without seeing it.
Firebird Prints prints custom feather flags, teardrop flags, and custom shaped flags in Vancouver for storefronts, open houses, markets, trade shows, and events. Every order is a complete kit, flag, pole, base, and carry bag, matched to where the flag is actually going.
Feather, Teardrop, and Custom Flag Shapes
Feather flags. Tall, narrow, curved along the top edge. The tail is free, so the flag ripples and catches wind easily. The most visible option at distance and the standard choice for sidewalks, parking lots, and roadside advertising.
Teardrop flags. The fabric is held taut along a curved pole on both edges, so the shape stays fixed instead of flapping. Less movement, but the artwork stays readable at all times. Better for logos, indoor use, and anywhere a controlled look matters more than motion.
Rectangular and custom shapes. Straight blade flags for a more formal look, or a shape cut to your brand. Useful for venue entrances, sponsor rows, and anything that needs to match existing signage.
Sizes, and How to Pick One
Kits run from about 6.5ft up to 17ft in total height. The most common mistake is going too small, because a flag that looks tall standing next to it in the shop disappears completely across a parking lot.
- 6.5ft and 8ft. Indoor use, trade show booths, narrow entrances, and anywhere with a ceiling or a low awning.
- 10ft. The general purpose size. Storefronts, open houses, market stalls, and foot traffic.
- 13.5ft. The most popular size for retail and real estate, and the point at which the flag starts working on drivers rather than just pedestrians.
- 17ft. Large sites, highway frontage, car lots, and sports fields where you need to be seen from a long way off.
If you are targeting passing traffic rather than people on foot, start at 13.5ft. If it is going in a booth or a doorway, measure the height first.
Single Sided or Double Sided
This is the decision that catches people out, and it is worth two minutes.
Single sided prints on one layer of fabric. The ink bleeds through, so the reverse shows a mirrored version of your design at roughly 50 to 70 percent strength. The colours read, the logo reads, but any text is backwards. Lighter, cheaper, and completely fine when the flag sits against a wall or a hedge and only one side is ever seen.
Double sided is two printed layers with a grey blockout liner sewn between them. Nothing shows through, both faces read correctly, and you can even run two different designs. Heavier, and worth it whenever the flag stands in the open with traffic passing both ways.
Simple rule. Flag against something, single sided. Flag in the open, double sided. Teardrops are almost always better double sided because the fabric stays still and people have time to read it.
Bases, Which Matter More Than People Expect
The base is what decides whether the flag is still standing at the end of the day. Choose it for the surface, not for the price.
- Ground spike. Screws into grass, soil, or mulch. The most stable option there is, and the standard for open houses and field events.
- Cross base. A flat X for concrete, pavement, and indoor floors. Take the weight plate with it for anything outdoors.
- Water or sand bag base. Fills on site, empties for transport. The practical answer for sidewalk use and events where you move between locations.
- Wall mount. Fixed bracket for a building face or a post, where floor space is not available.
- Vehicle base. Sits under a tire, for lots and roadside sites with no soft ground.
Ask for a rotating base. It lets the flag swing around with the wind instead of fighting it. The flag lasts longer, the pole takes less stress, and the fabric stops wrapping itself around the pole every time the wind shifts. On a windy site it is the difference between a flag that lasts a season and one that does not.
Fabric and Print
Flags are dye sublimated onto 110gsm knitted polyester, which is the proper standard for this product. Lighter 85gsm material shows up on the cheap end of the market and it tears at the pole sleeve within a season.
Heavier 130gsm is available where the flag stays out permanently and colour retention matters. For exposed or coastal sites, mesh polyester with an open weave lets wind pass through and cuts the load on the pole considerably. If your site is genuinely windy, that or a set of mesh banners is the better answer than a heavier solid flag.
Be realistic about lifespan. A flag left outdoors year round has roughly a year in it before the colour starts going and the trailing edge frays. Indoors or brought in between uses, three years or more is normal. Nobody selling flags likes saying that, but it is how the product behaves and it should inform whether you buy one or three.
What Comes in the Kit
- Printed flag in your chosen shape, size, and print option
- Telescoping pole set in fibreglass and composite, packing down to a carryable length
- Base selected for your surface
- Padded carry bag
Assembly is a couple of minutes. Slide the sleeve over the pole sections, join them, drop the pole into the base. No tools.
Where You Can Put Them in Vancouver
Worth knowing before you order. Portable advertising signs on city property, meaning the public sidewalk and the boulevard, are restricted in Vancouver. In practice a feather flag belongs on your own property, inside your lot line, or on private land where you have permission.
Rules differ between municipalities across Metro Vancouver, so if the flag is going somewhere permanent and street facing, check with the city first. The same applies to sandwich boards, which face the same bylaws.
For events, markets, and trade shows, the organiser sets the rules and flags are usually welcome inside your allocated space.
Designing Artwork for a Tall Narrow Flag
A flag is a tall, narrow, moving surface. It is not a poster.
- Logo at the top. That is the part above head height and the part people see first
- Three or four words maximum. Nobody reads a sentence on a moving flag
- High contrast beats detail. Thin lines and fine text disappear in motion
- Keep artwork clear of the pole sleeve edge and the tail, which curls
- Running several flags? Vary the message, keep the colours identical. A row of matching flags with different words reads as one campaign
Send vector where possible. We check placement and resolution and send a proof before printing, and our designers can build the layout if you only have a logo.
Washing Flags and Ordering Replacements
Machine wash cold, hang to dry. No ironing and no tumble drying, both will damage the print and the knit.
When the flag fades or the campaign changes, you do not need a new kit. Poles and bases outlast fabric by years, so send us the size and we will print a replacement flag to fit the hardware you already have. That applies to poles bought elsewhere too.
Who Uses Custom Feather Flags
- Retail storefronts, grand openings, and sales
- Real estate open houses and development sites
- Farmers markets, festivals, and community events
- Trade shows and expo booths
- Gyms, studios, clinics, and service businesses
- Sports tournaments, race courses, and team areas
- Car lots, dealerships, and roadside businesses
Building the Rest of the Setup
Flags rarely go out alone. Outdoors they pair with custom canopy tents and printed table throws. Indoors, retractable banners do a similar job in a space with a ceiling.
For a full booth, see custom trade show booths and the rest of our trade show displays, or browse banners and signage for permanent options.
Custom Flag FAQ
What is the difference between single sided and double sided?
Single sided prints on one layer and the reverse shows a mirrored image at 50 to 70 percent strength, so text reads backwards. Double sided uses two layers with a blockout liner between them, so both faces read correctly and can even carry different artwork.
What size feather flag should I get?
10ft for foot traffic and storefronts, 13.5ft once you are trying to reach drivers, and 17ft for large sites or highway frontage. Under 8ft is for indoor and booth use.
Feather or teardrop?
Feather flags move more and get noticed at distance. Teardrops hold their shape so the artwork stays readable. Motion for attention, teardrop for clarity.
Which base do I need?
Ground spike for grass and soil, cross base with a weight for concrete, water bag for sidewalks and portable use. Ask for a rotating base if the site is exposed.
How long will a flag last outdoors?
Around a year with constant exposure before colour and edges start to go. Bring it in between uses and you will get several years out of it.
Can I put a flag on the sidewalk outside my shop?
Usually not. Portable advertising signs on city property are restricted in Vancouver, so flags generally need to sit on private property. Rules vary across Metro Vancouver, so check with your municipality for anything permanent.
Can I reprint the flag and keep the pole?
Yes. Hardware outlasts fabric, so send us the size and we will print a replacement to fit, including for poles bought from another supplier.
Are the flags washable?
Machine wash cold and hang to dry. Do not iron and do not put them in a dryer.
Do you do small quantities?
Yes, single flags are fine. Volume pricing applies for multiple locations, franchise rollouts, and event teams running several at once.
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info@firebirdprints.com
+1 778 368 0288
Order Custom Flags
Tell us the shape, the height, whether the flag stands in the open or against something, and what surface it is going on. That is enough for us to spec the right kit and get your artwork ready.
No minimums, and volume pricing for multiple locations or campaigns.
