Europe · Nordic cross
How to draw the flag of Denmark
The flag of Denmark is an off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist in red and white. It flies at a ratio of 28:37.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Denmark flies at 28:37 — for every 37 units of width the flag is 28 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Block in the background. Fill the whole flag with red first, then build the rest on top of it. Working from the largest area to the smallest keeps the proportions honest.
- Add the white. An off-centre cross with the upright shifted toward the hoist. Place these shapes by eye against the edges of the flag, not against each other.
- Finish with the off-centre cross. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Denmark flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Red | #C60C30 | rgb(198, 12, 48) |
| White | #FFFFFF | rgb(255, 255, 255) |
What the flag means
The Dannebrog, said to have fallen from the sky in 1219, is the oldest continuously used national flag.
Common mistakes
- Drawing a plain white cross on a centred axis — Denmark is off-centre like every Nordic flag, and there is no extra inner colour.
- Watch out for Norway, Iceland and Switzerland — they are close enough to Denmark that people draw the wrong one from memory.
- The proportions are unusual: 28:37 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
A trick for remembering it
The simplest Nordic flag: red field, white cross, nothing else.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Denmark flag
What colours are on the flag of Denmark?
Denmark uses 2 colours: red (#C60C30), white (#FFFFFF).
What are the proportions of the Denmark flag?
It flies at 28:37 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
What does the Denmark flag mean?
The Dannebrog, said to have fallen from the sky in 1219, is the oldest continuously used national flag.
Which flags look like the Denmark flag?
Norway, Iceland, Switzerland. The proportions are unusual: 28:37 is slightly squarer than the usual 2:3 rectangle.
How hard is the Denmark flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 2 out of 5. Flat colour blocks and no fine detail, so most players score in the eighties or nineties.
