The Comprehensive Guide To Promotional Flags
When you think of the term Paper flags do you think of the crowds of people standing at the roadside while the Queen goes by waving little flags like crazy? Well believe it or not, today paper flags are big business!
Can you believe our company makes millions of them every year for all sorts of companies such as theatres, building societies, councils, garages, and estate agents not to mention charities and supporters clubs.
Well those people are waving what are commonly called printed flags which are available in a huge range of shapes, sizes and colours and can be tailored specifically for your event.
Paper flags can be printed on one or both sides and are mounted on a plastic stick so they can be held in the hand for waving in a crowd. These paper flags are colourful, attractive, and economical. They have become very popular, particularly over recent years, just try not to wave one as soon as it is given to you!
Some of the great benefits of these hand waving flags as promotional items is that they are environmentally friendly, really cost effective to create, and everyone loves waving them. Compared to other much more costly promotional items, gifts or marketing giveaways they are a real winner.
History of Paper Flags
Paper did not appear in the western world until the early 1300s so it would have been some time later that the earliest know form of small flags were cut out of paper. These were usually religious in character and today, thousands of colourful cut-paper flags which depict various mythological and religious figures are produced in China for annual festivals.
Can you remember when you were a child cutting rows of patterns, sometimes figures of girls or boys from folded paper? This is the handed down tradition of Scherenschnitte which is the German for "scissors" cutting, which is often translated as "silhouette" a practise which became popular in Austria in the seventeenth century.
From this time a whole tradition of cut paper craft has evolved around the world, such as the shadow puppets of Indonesia and the common tissue-paper flags of Mexico known as Paper Picado.
Current Usage
Children particularly enjoy waving flags during festivals, shows or exhibitions. Paper flags however are more commonly used today to advertise and promote sporting events, fund raising projects or special occasions. Promotional printed flags are a wonderful way of catching the eye and can be a profitable way of advertising for any event. Colourful printed flags are attractive, economical to produce and ever popular.
One particularly imaginative use of a paper flag is to print them up with a discount voucher on one side that can be used for special offers.
Whether it's the World Championship, the Premier League, or a local cup final, supporters with their paper flags, show their true team spirit. That is why paper flags for supporters are the top choice of some of the biggest clubs and soccer leagues in the world.
Paper flags are economical to manufacture and can be purchased at unbelievably low give-away prices. A huge range of samples of paper flags are available as printers of paper flags will generally hold back a few items from each run as examples of the kind of products available. These will all relate to real world, fund raising campaigns, promotions, product launches, and sports teams events flags that have previously been commissioned.
There is a huge selection of artwork to choose from for custom made paper flags because the print area is flat and a set size. The only boundaries are an individual's imagination (and the size of the flag too of course).
They can be ordered in various quantities required as they are usually quite easy to get hold of and simple to deliver.
Obviously paper flags are great for other promotional events, such as VIP visits, sales events and advertising. You can get paper flags with your own sales message or custom printed logo on one or both sides and they can also be used as promotional gifts.
One of the values of using small hand held flags for different promotional events, is that they are very easy to produce in both large and small quantities at a very low cost. Because they are digitally printed there will be the best possible quality finish to the flags and reordering is a breeze.
Conclusion
I am sure very few people will have given any consideration to small hand held flags until there is an occasion when they want to make use of them I mean it's not generally the first thought you have when you wake up in the morning!. Then what happens? At one time people would have to go to a specialist shop that stocked such things.
Now they will probably look them up on the internet in Google(other search engines are available!). Such has our world changed. Buyers can even use their own designs. They can choose from a large range of pre designed flags, into which their personal messages can be incorporated.
A recent development in the recycled flag business is to use flag sticks made out of recycled paper which in addition to not being able to snap and create sharp points like the plastic versions, are also made of a diameter that is too large for children to cause damage if they stick them in their ears.
So do not be restricted by the images of small children waving little flags while royalty go by, and see what exciting and differing environmentally friendly flags ideas you can come up with for your next promotional campaign.

