IB Designs USA

What products are listed for this advertiser?

Made in America Bravo Zulu Flags, Made in America Custom Flags, Made in America Flag Valances, American Made Flags, Made in the USA Nautical Flags, Made in America Rope Banners, Made in America Signal Flags, and Made in the USA Vertical Ladders.

Back before wireless radio and telegraph, ships at sea needed a way to communicate from a distance. With their probable beginnings in the 18th century, code flags have evolved into the patterns accepted today. Our flags use the same patterns as those of the US Navy.

International signal flags continue to be useful today. Ships moving in and out of port fly their radio call sign so that they can be quickly identified by harbor masters. Additionally, with modern electronic surveillance tools, naval battle groups use signal flags to maintain radio silence.

sailboat with nautical signal flagsThere are 26 naval signal flags corresponding to the letters of the English alphabet. Then there are 10 numeric pennants, from 0-9. Additionally, certain repeater flags are used to pass information about the message itself. For example, a code that indicates a previous flag is repeated. Finally, there are a few special code flags, such as Diver Down, meaning there's an underwater diver in the vicinity (so drive carefully).

Probably because of their colorful designs, a fully dressed ship flies all the flags for special occasions. In fact, the Navy Department specifies the order in which the flags are hung (hoisted).

How We Make our Flags

Most signal flag kits you'll find contain only one of each flag, including the code flags. They come in standard sizes, with Size 0 usually being around 9 x 15. You'll also find inexpensive items where the entire alphabet is a single, non-separable (very long) plastic banner.

We sell separate, individual flags, and you can buy more than one of each letter or number pennant.

Our flags are square, 8 x 8, and are designed to hang indoors from a rope, the rung of a ladder, or a typical curtain rod (3/4 or less). Rope, curtain rods or ladder rungs pass through a cloth casing, not the typical grommets used in other flags. This makes it easier to hang them without additional knots, buckles, clips, or loops and toggles. (Click here to see our flag alphabet.)

By making our signal flags smaller, they don't take up as much room. A one-word horizontal banner might be only 4 feet long, but it just as easily could be 15-20 feet long (or longer). It all depends on what it says and how many letters or words: It's your option.

We hand craft each flag at the time of your order, using high-quality cotton and broadcloth. Many companies offer only screened patterns printed directly on lightweight synthetics. That's helpful when using the flags at sea, where waterproofing is important. Our flags, although they can be washed (in cold water), aren't designed for salt-water or ocean duty. They're designed as nautical decorations with the pattern on only one side and a white lining on the back.

Our flags are 1-sided, with a white cotton back lining. They're not nylon and are designed only to be hung indoors: not from a halyard.

Flag Details and Images

Below, you can see the basic ways we offer our banners. Click any thumbnail to see a larger image and get additional details.


New York City US Navy ships with signal flags
Decorated ships in New York City harbor
signal flag stitched liningAll our flags have a white cotton back lining (e.g., the letters b and z to the left). The backing makes the colors nice and bright, but it also means the pattern can only be seen from one side ? the front. As we've said, our banners aren't designed to be hoisted up a mast on a sailboat.

Message Orientation

You can choose two different orientations in the banners ? the direction they're read. In all situations, each flag's casing is at the top, not at the left, as seen in most Web representations. The flags are the same pattern, just rotated 90-degrees. However, you can get a banner that reads from left to right (horizontal), or from top to bottom (vertical ladder).

Horizontal banners (rope or valance) allow for more flags, as they're usually hung across a wall or window, between trees, on a porch or other places where there's lots of room. Vertical (ladder) banners hang from a picture hook on a wall, or you can use an over-the-door hanger for your front door or a bedroom door. The ladders are about 1 foot per flag, so keep that in mind in terms of height limits you may have. Order as many flags as you'd like. For vertical ladders, 3 ? 6 flags look great when hung from a typical door or wall.

See our Products Page for more on our types of banners.

The following is a reply from IB Designs USA to our question – "Are your products Made in the USA?"

How do you know the products you have listed are Made in the USA?
Before including products in our database we review the advertiser’s website and/or contact them to ascertain the origin of their products. Some advertisers sell both Made in USA products and foreign ones. Therefore we highly recommend you review FAQ 2.

We immediately investigate any complaints regarding deceptive Country of Origin claims. If we determine an advertiser's claim is not truthful we will immediately remove the product/s from our database and suspend our relationship with the Company making the claim.

To document your complaint, email us by using our Contact Us page. We can only respond to complaints that have been submitted in writing.

What does Made in USA mean?
There is no law requiring most products to be labeled Made In USA, or have any other disclosure about the amount of U.S. content. However, for job creation purposes (see our Big Secret tab), if you have a choice between an imported product and one with no country of origin on its label, choose the product without a country of origin over the imported one. This is true because the product without the country origin on its label has at least some American labor in its content and the imported one most likely does not.

Note: Imported products are required by law to country of origin on their label and products partially Made In USA do not. To answer this question completely reviewing our Labeling Tips 1, 2 & 3. These tips are accessible from scrolling to the bottom of our home page clicking Browse All Tips button.