Glossary

Heraldry contains many specialist terms and also common words that have specific meanings when used in a blazon. Unfortunately these terms are not always used consistently. For the purposes of DrawShield only we define the following terms and their usage quite precisely. They may not agree with other sources but always mean the same thing when you see them used on the DrawShield website or in messages.

Arrangement

   When there is more than one charge, the arrangement describes how the charges are placed in relation to each other.

Blazon

   Shield description, using the language of blazonry.

Charge

   An item that can be located in various locations on the shield, it may appear multiple times and in various orientations and arrangements. Some authorities include ordinaries as charges but it will help you understand and use DrawShield if you agree to consider ordinaries and charges as very separate things!

Field

   The underlying colour or pattern of the shield, typically the first thing described in the blazon.

Feature

   This is a DrawShield specific term which means a part of a charge that can be given a different colour from the main body of the charge. Charges may have multiple features, each of which can be given their own colour. Note the use of the word "colour" here, DrawShield currently restricts features to being plain colours or metals only.

Fur

   A repeating shape that creates patterns with fixed colours. They can be used to colourise any item.

Metal

   This is a heraldic term for the colours or and argent. For most purposes, DrawShield treats metals just like any other plain colour, there are however heraldic guidelines about using colours on metals and metals next to each other. DrawShield does not at present implement these guidelines but in future they may trigger warnings if they are breached.

Modifier

   This is a DrawShield specific term which means additional information that further describes a charge and how it appears. For example, the stance of an animal, how its tail is laid out or whether a cross has a hole in it.

Ordinary

   A shaped item that always occupies the same location on the field of the shield. Some authorities combine charges and ordinaries but DrawShield treats them as different classes of item, with different options available.

Orientation

   Most charges are not symmetrical and have a particular "default" way that they face. The orientation describes this, and how it may be changed to face a different direction, be upside down and so on.

Placement

   This is a DrawShield specific term that sometimes appear in error messages. Based on the number, orientation, arrangement and location of a charge, the program tries to calculate its placement - i.e. a specific "box" on the shield that can contain the charge. Sometimes due to shortcomings in the program code, or due to conflicting information in the blazon it may not be possible to calculate this placement correctly.

Position

   The location of a group of charges, or a single charge on the field of the shield.

Tincture

   The colouration or pattern of an item on the shield. This may a plain colour, a treatment, a fur or a division. In this user guide, I generally use tincture when any of these options are available, and colour when only a plain colour or metal can be used.

Treatment

   Various repeating shapes that create patterns of two colours and can be used to colourise items.