English: A proposed redesign for the flag of Pennsylvania, also known as the "Keystone Flag." The design maintains all of the symbolism of the flag authorized by the state in 1798 and legislated in 1907, but rather than utilizing a complicated Coat of Arms, is designed simply to work best as a flag. A detailed construction sheet is available at File:Keystone Flag Construction Sheet.svg.
Date
(modified to current proportions 25 June 2019, color specs defined 26 October 2022)[1])
(Care should be taken to display the flag as detailed below in "Display" to help communicate the symbolism of the flag.)
The symbolic meaning of the elements of the flag:
A keystone (Pennsylvania is known as the "Keystone State") tying opposite sides of the flag together, as Pennsylvania was the center tying together the 13 original colonies of the United States and continues to be at the center of national thought
Green, gold, and blue for Virtue, Liberty, and Independence (the state motto)
When displayed vertically by the hoist (blue at the top), recalls the shield in the state Coat of Arms, and all the symbolism therein
Green for fertile fields and Pennsylvania’s wealth of human thought and action
Gold for Pennsylvania’s rich natural resources
Blue for state commerce being carried worldwide
The shade and position of blue matches that of the Union on the flag of the United States, symbolizing Pennsylvania's role in the nation's past and ongoing history
Roughly resembles the geography of western forests/mountains, farmland in the midstate, and the Delaware River making up the eastern border
The Keystone Flag is composed of a bicolor divided midway along the breadth, green at the fly, and blue at the hoist; charged with a gold Keystone spanning the entire breadth of the flag.
The Keystone shall be composed of two vertically stacked isosceles trapezoids, the smaller above with a height of 1/4 the flag’s breadth, with an upper base of 1/3 and lower base of 1/4 the flag’s length, the larger below with a height of 3/4 the flag’s breadth and upper base of 1/2 and lower base of 1/4 the flag’s length.
The proportions of the flag must ensure the Keystone is still identifiably a keystone and constitutes approximately one third of the flag, thus, the total length of the flag may be no less than one and one half the breadth, and no more than twice the breadth.
In the interest of best maintaining symbolism, those who manufacture, create, or reproduce the flag in a manner where the obverse and reverse (front and back) sides of a flag can be discerned (via stitching techniques, orientation of grommets, the bleed of dye, or otherwise) should make every attempt to place the hoist at the right-hand side of the obverse (front) of the flag.
Fringe may be added to the sides of the flag for ceremonial use.
Colors
The three colors of the Keystone Flag are blue, gold, and green. The shade of blue matches the blue on the Flag of the United States, the shade of gold is "bright and vibrant," the shade of green should "both complement the blue and contrast the gold." The color specifications as defined by Keystone Flag designer Tara Stark are:
In most cases, on-screen or digital reproductions of the flag should use the RGB colors as in the table above. When displaying in physical fabric formats, it is much preferred to use the Pantone specifications. When printing on paper, the CMYK colours are superior.
Display
To best preserve the symbolism of the flag when displayed, it is recommended to observe the following:
When affixed to a pole, the top of the Keystone should be oriented closest to the top of the pole.
When displayed or depicted horizontally (whether draped, hanging, flying in a breeze, or otherwise), green should appear to the observer’s left and blue should appear to the observer's right, wherever feasible.
Displaying the flag vertically without a flagpole (draped, hanging, or otherwise) is discouraged, but when deemed appropriate or necessary:
the hoist should appear above the flag, with the top of the Keystone oriented away from the center of the display, as would appear a stone in an arch;
if there is no clear center of display, the top of the Keystone should face away from the nearest portal (doorway, window, passageway, etc);
if no center or portal can be determined or the flag is the center of display, the front of the flag should be visible to the most observers;
if it will be observed from multiple sides, the top of the keystone should orient to the north or the east (as would the Union of the Flag of the United States).
If displayed in conjunction with the flag of the United States, where following the above would cause a violation United States Flag Code, accommodations are permissible, but should be made as minimally as able.
Licensing
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The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.
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This flag is fictitious, proposed, or locally used unofficially. It has not been adopted in an official capacity, and although it may be named as if it was an official flag of a geographical or other entity and have some visual elements that are similar to official logos or flags of that entity, it does not have any official recognition. A flag of this type should not be added to any articles or pages unless it is officially proposed by a government agency, covered by the media, or sees notable local use.
Moved hoist to left to follow flag design conventions and reduce confusion about the location of hoist on the design. Proper display is still clarified in the section on "Display" on the file page.
Moved hoist to left side to clarify common misconceptions about the flag design (the design itself has not changed, simply how it is being presented) - Tara Stark, original designer