sandbox version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1 (1947): “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.” 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Executive Order 10834 (1959) specifies a 50-star design for use after Hawaii was added as a state, and Federal Specification DDD-F-416F (2005) provides additional details about the production of physical flags for use by federal agencies. [1]
Strictly speaking, the executive order establishing these specifications governs only flags made for or by the federal government. [3] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [4] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
Federal Standard DDD-F-416F specifies the exact red, white, and blue colors to be used for physical flags procured by federal agencies with reference to the Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of dyed silk fabric samples produced by the The Color Association of the United States. The colors are "White", No. 70001; "Old Glory Red", No. 70180; and "Old Glory Blue", No. 70075.
CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Reference were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [5] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | |||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | ||||||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | |||||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | |||||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [7]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) alternatives to the dyed fabric colors are recommended by US government agencies for use in websites or printed documents. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1996; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [8] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [9] The current internal style guide of the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs specifies PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, and gives RGB and CMYK conversions generated by Adobe InDesign. [10]
Pantone Identifier | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | ||
White | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | #FFFFFF
|
0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
PMS 193C | 0.72 | 0.10 | 0.26 | #B31942
|
0 | 1.00 | 0.66 | 0.13 | |
PMS 282C | 0.04 | 0.19 | 0.38 | #0A3161
|
1.00 | 0.68 | 0.00 | 0.54 |
current version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1; 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Specifications for federal government use adhere to the following values: [10]
These specifications are contained in an executive order which, strictly speaking, governs only flags made for or by the U.S. federal government. [12] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [13] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
The colors of the flag are "Old Glory Red", "White", and "Old Glory Blue".
RGB, CMYK, and Pantone color specifications for the flag are provided by the Department of State in a design guide created by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. [10] Cable colors are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of reference color samples made of dyed silk fabric. [14]
Color Name | RGB | CMYK | PMS | Cable | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hex [15] | R | G | B | C | M | Y | K | |||
Old Glory Red | #B31942 | 179 | 25 | 66 | 0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | 193 C | 70180 |
White | #FFFFFF | 255 | 255 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Safe | 70001 |
Old Glory Blue | #0A3161 | 10 | 49 | 97 | 100 | 68 | 0 | 54 | 282 C | 70075 |
The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [16] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [18]
previous version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1; 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Specifications for federal government use adhere to the following values: [10]
These specifications are contained in an executive order which, strictly speaking, governs only flags made for or by the U.S. federal government. [20] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [21] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
The exact red, white, and blue colors to be used in the flag are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition. Specifically, the colors are "White", "Old Glory Red", and "Old Glory Blue". [22] The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were formally specified in JOSA in 1946. [23] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [25]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) approximations to the flag colors are used. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1998; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [26] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [27] The 2012 Identity and Marking Standards published by the Department of State specify PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, along with the corresponding RGB and CMYK values from Adobe InDesign 6. [10]
Name | PMS | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 255 | 255 | 255 | #FFFFFF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Old Glory Red | 193 C | 179 | 25 | 66 | #B31942
|
0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | |
Old Glory Blue | 282 C | 10 | 49 | 97 | #0A3161
|
100 | 68 | 0 | 54 |
Slightly less old version
The exact red, white, and blue colors to be used in the flag are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of reference color samples made of dyed silk fabric. Specifically, the colors are "White", "Old Glory Red", and "Old Glory Blue". [28] The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [29] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [31]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) approximations to the flag colors are used. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1998; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [32] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [33] The 2012 Identity and Marking Standards published by the Department of State specify PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, along with the corresponding RGB and CMYK values from Adobe InDesign 6. [10]
Name | PMS | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 255 | 255 | 255 | #FFFFFF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Old Glory Red | 193 C | 179 | 25 | 66 | #B31942
|
0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | |
Old Glory Blue | 282 C | 10 | 49 | 97 | #0A3161
|
100 | 68 | 0 | 54 |
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cite web}}
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help page).
sandbox version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1 (1947): “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen horizontal stripes, alternate red and white; and the union of the flag shall be forty-eight stars, white in a blue field.” 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Executive Order 10834 (1959) specifies a 50-star design for use after Hawaii was added as a state, and Federal Specification DDD-F-416F (2005) provides additional details about the production of physical flags for use by federal agencies. [1]
Strictly speaking, the executive order establishing these specifications governs only flags made for or by the federal government. [3] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [4] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
Federal Standard DDD-F-416F specifies the exact red, white, and blue colors to be used for physical flags procured by federal agencies with reference to the Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of dyed silk fabric samples produced by the The Color Association of the United States. The colors are "White", No. 70001; "Old Glory Red", No. 70180; and "Old Glory Blue", No. 70075.
CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Reference were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [5] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | |||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | ||||||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | |||||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | |||||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [7]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) alternatives to the dyed fabric colors are recommended by US government agencies for use in websites or printed documents. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1996; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [8] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [9] The current internal style guide of the State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs specifies PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, and gives RGB and CMYK conversions generated by Adobe InDesign. [10]
Pantone Identifier | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | ||
White | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | #FFFFFF
|
0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
PMS 193C | 0.72 | 0.10 | 0.26 | #B31942
|
0 | 1.00 | 0.66 | 0.13 | |
PMS 282C | 0.04 | 0.19 | 0.38 | #0A3161
|
1.00 | 0.68 | 0.00 | 0.54 |
current version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1; 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Specifications for federal government use adhere to the following values: [10]
These specifications are contained in an executive order which, strictly speaking, governs only flags made for or by the U.S. federal government. [12] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [13] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
The colors of the flag are "Old Glory Red", "White", and "Old Glory Blue".
RGB, CMYK, and Pantone color specifications for the flag are provided by the Department of State in a design guide created by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. [10] Cable colors are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of reference color samples made of dyed silk fabric. [14]
Color Name | RGB | CMYK | PMS | Cable | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hex [15] | R | G | B | C | M | Y | K | |||
Old Glory Red | #B31942 | 179 | 25 | 66 | 0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | 193 C | 70180 |
White | #FFFFFF | 255 | 255 | 255 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Safe | 70001 |
Old Glory Blue | #0A3161 | 10 | 49 | 97 | 100 | 68 | 0 | 54 | 282 C | 70075 |
The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [16] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [18]
previous version:
The basic design of the current flag is specified by 4 U.S.C. § 1; 4 U.S.C. § 2 outlines the addition of new stars to represent new states, with no distinction made for the shape, size, or arrangement of the stars. Specifications for federal government use adhere to the following values: [10]
These specifications are contained in an executive order which, strictly speaking, governs only flags made for or by the U.S. federal government. [20] In practice, most U.S. national flags available for sale to the public follow the federal star arrangement, but have a different width-to-height ratio; common sizes are 2 × 3 ft. or 4 × 6 ft. (flag ratio 1.5), 2.5 × 4 ft. or 5 × 8 ft. (1.6), or 3 × 5 ft. or 6 × 10 ft. (1.667). Even flags flown over the U.S. Capitol for sale to the public through Representatives or Senators are provided in these sizes. [21] Flags that are made to the prescribed 1.9 ratio are often referred to as "G-spec" (for "government specification") flags.
The exact red, white, and blue colors to be used in the flag are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition. Specifically, the colors are "White", "Old Glory Red", and "Old Glory Blue". [22] The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were formally specified in JOSA in 1946. [23] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [25]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) approximations to the flag colors are used. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1998; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [26] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [27] The 2012 Identity and Marking Standards published by the Department of State specify PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, along with the corresponding RGB and CMYK values from Adobe InDesign 6. [10]
Name | PMS | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 255 | 255 | 255 | #FFFFFF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Old Glory Red | 193 C | 179 | 25 | 66 | #B31942
|
0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | |
Old Glory Blue | 282 C | 10 | 49 | 97 | #0A3161
|
100 | 68 | 0 | 54 |
Slightly less old version
The exact red, white, and blue colors to be used in the flag are specified with reference to the CAUS Standard Color Reference of America, 10th edition, a set of reference color samples made of dyed silk fabric. Specifically, the colors are "White", "Old Glory Red", and "Old Glory Blue". [28] The CIE coordinates for the colors of the 9th edition of the Standard Color Card were carefully measured and cross-checked by color scientists from the National Bureau of Standards in 1946, with the resulting coordinates adopted as a formal specification. [29] These colors form the standard for cloth, and there is no perfect way to convert them to RGB for display on screen or CMYK for printing. The "relative" coordinates in the following table were found by scaling the luminous reflectance relative to the flag's white.
Name | Absolute | Relative | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CIELAB D65 | Munsell | CIELAB D50 | sRGB | GRACoL 2006 | ||||||||||||||
L* | a* | b* | H | V/C | L* | a* | b* | R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 88.7 | −0.2 | 5.4 | 2.5Y | 8.8/0.7 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | #FFFFFF
|
.000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
Old Glory Red | 33.9 | 51.2 | 24.7 | 5.5R | 3.3/11.1 | 39.9 | 57.3 | 28.7 | .698 | .132 | .203 | #B22234
|
.196 | 1.000 | .757 | .118 | ||
Old Glory Blue | 23.2 | 13.1 | −26.4 | 8.2PB | 2.3/6.1 | 26.9 | 11.5 | −30.3 | .234 | .233 | .430 | #3C3B6E
|
.886 | .851 | .243 | .122 |
As with the design, the official colors are only officially required for flags produced for the U.S. federal government, and other colors are often used for mass-market flags, printed reproductions, and other products intended to evoke flag colors. The practice of using more saturated colors than the official cloth is not new. As Taylor, Knoche, and Granville wrote in 1950: "The color of the official wool bunting [of the blue field] is a very dark blue, but printed reproductions of the flag, as well as merchandise supposed to match the flag, present the color as a deep blue much brighter than the official wool." [31]
Sometimes, Pantone Matching System (PMS) approximations to the flag colors are used. One set was given on the website of the U.S. embassy in London as early as 1998; the website of the U.S. embassy in Stockholm claimed in 2001 that those had been suggested by Pantone, and that the U.S. Government Printing Office preferred a different set. A third red was suggested by a California Military Department document in 2002. [32] In 2001, the Texas legislature specified that the colors of the Texas flag should be "(1) the same colors used in the United States flag; and (2) defined as numbers 193 (red) and 281 (dark blue) of the Pantone Matching System." [33] The 2012 Identity and Marking Standards published by the Department of State specify PMS 282C blue and PMS 193C red, along with the corresponding RGB and CMYK values from Adobe InDesign 6. [10]
Name | PMS | RGB | CMYK | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R | G | B | 8-bit hex | C | M | Y | K | |||
White | 255 | 255 | 255 | #FFFFFF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Old Glory Red | 193 C | 179 | 25 | 66 | #B31942
|
0 | 100 | 66 | 13 | |
Old Glory Blue | 282 C | 10 | 49 | 97 | #0A3161
|
100 | 68 | 0 | 54 |
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