In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification.
Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and pinsels. Specifications governing heraldic flags vary from country to country, and have varied over time.
A banner is a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is a banner of arms. A bar-shaped piece of advertising material sporting a name, slogan, or other marketing message is also a banner. Banners may hang from horizontal or vertical flagpoles, be stretched between two poles, be attached to windows or buildings, or be towed behind aircraft.
Banner-making is an ancient craft. Church banners commonly portray the saint to whom the church is dedicated.