View source for Ordinary

An '''ordinary''' is an area of [[tincture]] that covers a large part of the shield. Ordinaries drawn with thinner lines are referred to as diminutives. As a rule of thumb, an ordinary should cover 1/3 of the area of the shield. Smaller geometric shapes are often called [[subordinary|subordinaries]].

==Types of Ordinaries==
===One-Edged Ordinaries===
*[[base]]
*[[chief]]
*[[pile]]
*[[tierce]]
*[[bordure]]

===Two-Edged Ordinaries===
*[[bend]]
**[[bendlet]]
**[[baton]]
*[[bend sinister]]
*[[chevron]]
**[[chevronnel]]
*[[fess]]
**[[bar]]
*[[pale]]
**[[pallet]]
*[[orle]]
**[[tressure]]

===Three-Edged Ordinaries===
*[[pall]]
*[[pall reversed]]

===Four-Edged Ordinaries===
*[[cross]]
*[[saltire]]

==Cotising and Fimbriation==

As ordinaries and sub-ordinaries are simple charges they may be [[cotised]], [[fimbriated]] or [[voided]], so long as they are not peripheral ordinaries (such as a [[bordure]] or [[chief]]).

[[Category:Device heraldry]]