What is on the sheets
Both files in this colour contain the same set: A–Z with Ñ, ¡ and !, an asterisk and digits 1–9 followed by 0. There are 40 flags. The letters are drawn as outlines, so a PDF text search may not find them.
The small format is landscape Letter: 279.4 × 215.9 mm, with two flags per page. The large format is portrait A4: 210 × 297 mm, with one flag per page. These are different scales, not two names for the same layout.
Find your letter without printing everything
Numbers refer to file pages, starting at 1. In the small version, the first letter of each pair is on the left and the second on the right.
| Flag | Small | Large |
|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 1 |
| B | 1 | 2 |
| C | 2 | 3 |
| D | 2 | 4 |
| E | 3 | 5 |
| F | 3 | 6 |
| G | 4 | 7 |
| H | 4 | 8 |
| I | 5 | 9 |
| J | 5 | 10 |
| K | 6 | 11 |
| L | 6 | 12 |
| M | 7 | 13 |
| N | 7 | 14 |
| Ñ | 8 | 15 |
| O | 8 | 16 |
| P | 9 | 17 |
| Q | 9 | 18 |
| R | 10 | 19 |
| S | 10 | 20 |
| T | 11 | 21 |
| U | 11 | 22 |
| V | 12 | 23 |
| W | 12 | 24 |
| X | 13 | 25 |
| Y | 13 | 26 |
| Z | 14 | 27 |
| ¡ | 14 | 28 |
| ! | 15 | 29 |
| * | 15 | 30 |
| 1 | 16 | 31 |
| 2 | 16 | 32 |
| 3 | 17 | 33 |
| 4 | 17 | 34 |
| 5 | 18 | 35 |
| 6 | 18 | 36 |
| 7 | 19 | 37 |
| 8 | 19 | 38 |
| 9 | 20 | 39 |
| 0 | 20 | 40 |
From selection to assembly
Write the message exactly as it should appear. Count repeats and separate words during assembly; a space is not a flag. If an accented vowel is missing from the file, use the maker rather than silently replacing it.
Use the index to find the pages. A small sheet gives two different letters: for two As and one B, print the A/B page twice. Selecting the page once is not enough merely because both letters are on it.
Select single-sided printing, actual size or 100%, and the file's orientation. Avoid booklet, duplex and multiple-pages-per-sheet modes. If your printer cannot use the specified paper, deliberately choose between scaling down and using another printable; do not call a scaled copy original size.
Test one plain sheet. Measure a flag's width and check that its complete outline is within the printable area. These originals have no calibration square. Use a paper weight supported by your printer manufacturer.
Cut the outer outline, leaving the letter shapes intact. Arrange the entire message on the table and check the order before punching. Make two holes near the top corners, leaving enough edge margin to prevent tearing.
Thread the cord consistently through both holes. Set the gaps between flags before adjusting the height. Test the arrangement against its actual background and secure the ends with a method suitable for the surface; keep cords away from small children.
A worked example: AÑO
Small version: page 1 × 1, page 8 × 1. That is 2 sheets for 3 useful letters, leaving 1 flags outside the message. Test sheets are not included.
Large version: pages 1 × 1, 15 × 1, 16 × 1. You need 3 A4 sheets, one per letter. The small version does not always save sheets: it depends on which letters share a page and how often they repeat.
For cord length, measure your printed flag. A calculation example, not a PDF measurement: five flags 120 mm wide, four 20 mm gaps and two 150 mm ends require 980 mm before allowing for the sag.
The infographic compares the layouts. Its silhouettes are original illustrations, not scale templates or copies of the PDF lettering.
Ñ changes the index
Ñ follows N. This places O on page 16 of the large file, not page 15. In the small file, Ñ and O share page 8: the AÑO example uses that pair. Do not replace Ñ with N when doing so changes a name or the message’s meaning.
If something does not match
Clipped edges: check paper size and orientation before scaling down. Missing repeated letters: check the copies of each pair. Twisting cord: use two aligned holes, not one central hole. A shade different from the screen: compare a proof against the background; colour calibration is not guaranteed.
How the original pages are arranged
Documents consulted
New text and infographics: Dulzura de Papel. The index was checked against every document page; source names, contents and dates are retained. Our explanatory graphics are available for personal and classroom use.
- ?ddownload=1813 · 20 pages · capture 2019-09-19.
- ?ddownload=1918 · 40 pages · capture 2019-09-19.
