The Swiss flag is one of only two square national flags in the world — the other belongs to the Vatican. Since the revised Coat of Arms Protection Act came into force on 1 January 2017, the square format has been prescribed by law: the Swiss flag shows a Swiss cross on a square field. The rectangular 2:3 version is used as an ensign on ships and in international settings.

The official red

Swiss red is precisely defined. We print and dye to these values, so a flag from our manufactory matches every other one — even years later.

The geometry of the cross

The Federal Decree of 12 December 1889 laid down the form still valid today: the four arms of the cross are equal, and each is one sixth longer than it is wide — a ratio of 6 to 7. The distance from the cross to the edge of the flag equals exactly one arm width on every side. Divide the side of the flag into 32 parts and you get the whole construction: 6 parts margin, 20 parts cross, 6 parts margin — the cross therefore spans five eighths of the side.

A little history

The white cross as a field sign is first documented at the Battle of Laupen in 1339, when Bernese troops sewed white strips of cloth onto their clothing to tell friend from foe. Over the centuries it became the common sign of the confederates, and in 1889 the Federal Assembly gave it the shape we know today.

Our range

We supply Swiss flags in sizes from 80 × 80 to 400 × 400 cm from stock, larger formats on request — printed on robust Starflag, in the flamed version, or with the cross appliquéd and sewn in by hand in our sewing atelier in Neudorf LU. Recommended sizes: 120 cm for a 6 m flagpole, 150 cm for 7–8 m, 200 cm for 10 m, 250 cm for 12 m.