<p>Most <a href="http://www.usflags.com/flagmaterials.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">commercial flags</a> are made out of nylon. It's lightweight, durable, and dyes well. Specifically, the flags on many sites are made from DuPont SolarMax™, which is supposed to be nicely color safe in the sun. For inside use, you should probably be fine with a ripstop style nylon.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>This heavyweight DuPont SolarMax™ nylon is the most popular and versatile flag fabric available. Nylon's combination of strength and brilliant display, along with its quick drying ability, make it suitable for a wide range of applications. Great in rainy areas, its light weight and close weave enable it to fly in the slightest of breeze, giving the fullest visual effect. Nearly every flag we sell is available in nylon material.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Other options include various types of polyester, which is unlikely to stretch the way the cotton you've been using has,rayon (which is a cellulosic fiber like cotton, but does not have the strength of cotton), and the right type of cotton, which is apparently a "2x2-ply mercerized cotton", which is specially prepared in such a way that it absorbs more dyes, is more lustrous, and stronger, so it is less likely to stretch or deform.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T15:18:44.520Z
Don't forget silk. For use in flags, it has many of the properties of nylon.
Martha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T16:34:10.250Z
Silk is also much more expensive and **significantly** more difficult to buy. The average craft/fabric store will stock nylon, polyester and cotton. Most do not stock silk.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-07T10:04:29.570Z
If they do stock silk, it's often in a more limited range of colors.
Erica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-21T22:22:09.360Z
@abbie Are you responding to Martha? I don't have anything about silk in my answer.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-23T01:14:56.047Z
@abbie that's fine! The edit history actually saves all of the changes so if anyone wants to see what it used to say or roll it back, it's easy to do. As a note, if you want to direct a comment at someone (and have them be notified of it) you can tag them in the comment the way I've tagged you here. This helps keep it clear (or more so, at least) how the conversation flows. :D Welcome and thanks for the help. If you're curious why I didn't direct my first comment at Martha, it's because if there's only one commenter, it goes to that person automatically and the poster is always notified.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T04:30:32.777Z
2017-03-20T17:36:41.827Z
2017-03-20T17:36:41.827Z
Catija
<p>I want to sew together a flag and I was wondering what type of fabric would be best to use. I'm looking for something opaque, thin, non-stretchy, and available in various colors. I initially thought cotton or fleece would be good, but cotton is too stretchy and fleece is too thick.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T03:04:39.763Z
Do you intend to keep this outside? What design are you considering? That might influence your answers.
Matt
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-06T03:08:57.327Z
@Matt The flag will  just be indoors. The design is similar to Thailand's flag.
Ryan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-02T17:07:37.407Z
Also, how big - something you might hang next to a door, color guard style, something else? The appropriate fabric weight to be "thin" might depend on that.
user812786
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-08-06T15:26:43.087Z
@whrrgarbl the size should be about 3'x5'
Ryan
<sewing><material-selection><fabric>
What fabric would work well for a flag?
Ryan
# What fabric would work well for a flag?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-05)

I want to sew together a flag and I was wondering what type of fabric would be best to use. I'm looking for something opaque, thin, non-stretchy, and available in various colors. I initially thought cotton or fleece would be good, but cotton is too stretchy and fleece is too thick.

**Tags:** sewing, material-selection, fabric

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you intend to keep this outside? What design are you considering? That might influence your answers.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 The flag will  just be indoors. The design is similar to Thailand's flag.  
> **username_2**: Also, how big - something you might hang next to a door, color guard style, something else? The appropriate fabric weight to be "thin" might depend on that.  
> **username_0**: @whrrgarbl the size should be about 3'x5'  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-06. Score: 10

Most [commercial flags](http://www.usflags.com/flagmaterials.aspx) are made out of nylon. It's lightweight, durable, and dyes well. Specifically, the flags on many sites are made from DuPont SolarMax™, which is supposed to be nicely color safe in the sun. For inside use, you should probably be fine with a ripstop style nylon.

> This heavyweight DuPont SolarMax™ nylon is the most popular and versatile flag fabric available. Nylon's combination of strength and brilliant display, along with its quick drying ability, make it suitable for a wide range of applications. Great in rainy areas, its light weight and close weave enable it to fly in the slightest of breeze, giving the fullest visual effect. Nearly every flag we sell is available in nylon material.

Other options include various types of polyester, which is unlikely to stretch the way the cotton you've been using has,rayon (which is a cellulosic fiber like cotton, but does not have the strength of cotton), and the right type of cotton, which is apparently a "2x2-ply mercerized cotton", which is specially prepared in such a way that it absorbs more dyes, is more lustrous, and stronger, so it is less likely to stretch or deform.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Don't forget silk. For use in flags, it has many of the properties of nylon.  
> **username_3**: Silk is also much more expensive and **significantly** more difficult to buy. The average craft/fabric store will stock nylon, polyester and cotton. Most do not stock silk.  
> **username_5**: If they do stock silk, it's often in a more limited range of colors.  
> **username_3**: @abbie Are you responding to username_4? I don't have anything about silk in my answer.  
> **username_3**: @abbie that's fine! The edit history actually saves all of the changes so if anyone wants to see what it used to say or roll it back, it's easy to do. As a note, if you want to direct a comment at someone (and have them be notified of it) you can tag them in the comment the way I've tagged you here. This helps keep it clear (or more so, at least) how the conversation flows. :D Welcome and thanks for the help. If you're curious why I didn't direct my first comment at username_4, it's because if there's only one commenter, it goes to that person automatically and the poster is always notified.  

---

