ArmsandBadges.com is the only site providing single coats of arms and badges in WMF vector format, by instant download, and at an affordable rate and the only site licensed to provide individual downloads of this high quality art. The WMF file format is an internationally accepted vector format, that can be opened and edited in hundreds of software programs on Windows and Mac platforms.

NEW:

• Choose your own spelling for the name in the image and the updated image will be emailed to you one it is completed by the art department.
• Alternate image formats are available:
• PDF - Adobe Acrobat Reader format a great vector format use on Macs
• AI - Adobe Illustrator a widely supported vector format
• CDR - CorelDraw vector format
• PSD - Adobe Photoshop a widely supported bitmap format
• JPEG - A Bitmap format supported by most programs
PNG - Portable Network Graphic format, an open standard bitmap format supported by many programs, a particularly good choice on Linux systems

SURNAME VARIANTS:

We do our best not to use name variants or Anglicized versions of a surname; rather, we uses the exact spelling as originally registered. Genealogical experts suggest that each name can have 6-8 spelling variants, with many having 20 or more; some online databases use this assumption to bolster their number of arms featured, and display the same arms for all of them. This practice is not recommended as many of the spelling variants they assign the same arms to, actually had distinct coats of arms registered. Please keep in mind that coats of arms were granted to individuals not surnames.

You can easily change the spelling of a surname by deleting it in your software and replacing it with the spelling you want, or you can select your spelling when you place your order and the Arms and Badges team will do it for you.

Find your name listed by its original spelling, click View Details and enter your desired spelling in the Alternate Spelling field on the Item Details page. An updated file with your spelling will be emailed to you.

MY COAT OF ARMS IS NOT THERE

Can You Help?

Email us your Surname, Country of Origin (Very Important), and any surname variants that you know of. Once we have your information we’ll search our library and get back to you.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD

Search the coat of arms and badges database to find what you are looking for. When you find what you need, click on View Details.  The next page displays details about your image and allows you to enter your preferred spelling and select any alternate image file formats. Click on Buy Now. This then takes you to Paypal where by using the prompts you can complete the transaction. When paid, click on “Return to Arms and Badges”. This takes you to the Arms and Badges completion page. Click on “account/login”, then select “download”. We then suggest you select the “save” option to begin your download. Be very sure you remember were you are saving your image so that you will remember where to retrieve it. Also, make sure you are saving the image as a wmf file.

If you requested an alternate spelling or alternate image format those will be emailed to you as soon as they are ready.

REFUNDS

As the art is 100% digital, there can be no refunds, except in the case of an acidentally duplicated transaction.

RULES OF USE

You are welcome to put your image purchased on your personal or family website. Should you wish to use the art for commercial purposes, this should provide you with some guidelines.

You can print, imprint, silk-screen, embroider, sublimate, etch, engrave, emboss, carve and more, on any material, using Arms and Badges art, and sell the finished product.

Here are just a few money-making ideas:

• Silk Screening projects,
• Greeting Cards,
• Newsletter Projects,
• Embroidery,
• Glass Etching,
• Vinyl Signs,
• Rubber Stamps,
• Decals and Stickers,
• Decorative Plates,
• Engraving (awards, trophies etc),
• Glassware, Calendars, Note Cards, Bookmarks,
• Custom Clocks, Wood Carvings, Tattoos, Sublimation

OTHER FILE TYPES.

The WMF file format is an Internationally accepted vector format that can be opened and edited in hundreds of software programs on Windows and Mac platforms. Other file formats are available on request and will be emailed to you. Contact support for more information.

DESIGN OF COATS OF ARMS AND BADGES

Heraldry is not an exact science. In the periods of early heraldry, blazons (descriptions) were recorded by hand and accordingly the written records were subject to interpretation. Heraldic writers often differed in their descriptions because of this but also, because arms granted by heraldic authorities were based on, in many cases, the “spoken” word of the registrant.

Many surnames do not have a coat of arms; some have one, others have hundreds. A&B attempts to determine the oldest on record. If this is not immediately known, usually the first in a blazon manuscript is chosen; this does not mean it’s the oldest, as suggested by some heralds.

A&B does its best not to use name variants or Anglicized versions of a surname; rather, it uses the exact spelling as originally registered. Genealogical experts suggest that each name can have 6-8 spelling variants, with many having 20 or more; some online databases use this assumption to bolster their number of arms featured, and display the same arms for all of them. This practice is not recommended as many of the spelling variants they assign the same arms to, actually had distinct coats of arms registered. Please keep in mind that coats of arms were granted to individuals not surnames.

CONTACT INFO

Under Special License
Issued by the copyright holder