Coat of arms maker
Build a heraldic shield the way heralds describe one: field, ordinary, charges. The blazon writes itself, and a checker flags anything that breaks the rule of tincture.
BlazonAzure, a chevron Or, three mullets Argent
✓ Follows the rule of tincture
The rule of tincture, in one experiment
Heraldry has two groups of tinctures. Metals are Or (gold) and Argent (silver). Colours are Gules, Azure, Vert, Purpure and Sable. The rule: don’t put metal on metal or colour on colour. Pick a field and a charge and see why.
Field
Charge
Or on Azure: metal on colour. Allowed, and the star still reads from across a field (right).
How to read and write a blazon
A blazon always follows the same order, which is why the one above updates as you change the shield:
- The field: one tincture (“Azure”), or a division and two tinctures (“Per pale Or and Gules”).
- The ordinary: a bold geometric band such as a chevron, fess or cross, with its tincture.
- The charges: how many, what they are, and their tincture. Three charges default to two above and one below.
Some charges change name with their colour. A roundel is a bezant when gold, a plate when silver and a torteau when red; the builder uses these terms automatically. Heraldry’s terms come from Anglo-Norman French, which is why tinctures are “Gules” rather than red.
Designing a whole faction? Put these arms on a medieval banner, or give the nation a modern flag with the flag maker.
Questions
How do I make my own coat of arms?
Choose a field (one tincture, or two with a division such as per pale), add an ordinary like a chevron or chief, then place one to three charges. The blazon updates as you go, and the tincture checker warns if colours break the traditional contrast rule. Download the shield as PNG or SVG.
What is the rule of tincture?
The main rule of heraldry: never put a metal (Or, Argent) on a metal, or a colour (Gules, Azure, Vert, Purpure, Sable) on a colour. A gold charge on blue works; a red charge on blue does not. It exists because contrast made arms recognisable on a battlefield.
What is a blazon?
A blazon is the formal written description of a coat of arms, from which any artist can draw it. It names the field first, then the main ordinary, then the charges, each followed by its tincture: “Azure, a chevron Or between three mullets Argent”.
Is a coat of arms I make here official?
No. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, legal grants of arms come from the College of Arms; Scotland has the Court of the Lord Lyon, and many other countries have no heraldic authority at all. Designs made here are for fiction, games, clubs and personal use.
Can I turn my arms into a banner?
Yes. “Download as banner” renders the same design as a square banner of arms, the way medieval lords flew their heraldry. You can also open the banner maker for swallowtails and hanging gonfalons.