Adding a flag to my Ai file.

[michael22530247qqui]

Hi there I want add a picture of the red white and blue to my Ai file. Thats the US flag not North Korea, Cuba or Russia thanks.
just a small one.

what format would I use? 

[Mylenium]

Any format AI imports as laid out in the online help?! Anything more specific will require you to actualyl explain what you intend to do with the final product. Printing stuff has different requirements than just sharing a file online...

Mylenium

[michael22530247qqui]

I want to print it. 
Save it as a pdf and print it

[michael22530247qqui]

whats a vector? can I use one of  those?

[Monika Gause]

You will need to check out the requirements first. What kind of file is needed for the print - that depends on the kind of printing you will do and the equipment used.

Then you will need to find a matching file and import it.

A vector file would be the most versatile. And yes, you can use it, provied it has a file format that Illustrator can import.

[michael22530247qqui]

Should I use outlines on it?

[Monika Gause]

Please show how you are using it and what kind of outlines you are referring to.

Also: how will it be printed?

[Jacob Bugge · Accepted solution]

Michael,

I believe the most straightforward and safest way is to create the desired part of the US flag directly in AI, possibly by simply drawing the boundary (path) of the desired part and then hiding (you can use the boundary path as a Clipping/Opacity Mask) or deleting (you can use the boundary path in itself or in different ways including Pathfinder/Shape Builder) the unwanted outlying parts.

Remember to always keep a backup of the original each time you make irreversible changes.

And in this case to make sure that your flag part is sufficiently different to (parts of) other flags.

In this context you can draw on free sources as the ones found here,

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=american+flag+vector+free&t=ffab&atb=v320-1&ia=web

[michael22530247qqui]

Thanks. So if I put an american flag on my product would people assume that my product is made in america?
It mostly is.
I put it there as support for the country.

[Jacob Bugge]

You are welcome, Michael.

The interpretation will depend on the exact positioning and context.

Placed directly on the product, many/most may assume that.

Placed somewhere else, it might be seen as indicating an American website (maybe depending on the URL).

[Monika Gause]

So this is for packaging design of a product that you sell?

Packaging design is highly regulated as for what must or must not be on the packaging, where it is pl,aced, what kind of text in which size needs to accompany it and under which circumstnces it is not allowed to make a certain claim.

So before putting anything on your packaging you might want to research the regulations in order to not get involved in costly lawsuits.