Creating a coat of arms for your fantasy world can be thrilling—but there’s one fundamental principle that separates eye-catching designs from muddy messes: the Rule of Tincture. Whether you’re designing arms for a noble house in your novel Or crafting symbols for your tabletop RPG campaign, understanding this rule will make your heraldry instantly more readable and authentic.
What Is the Rule of Tincture? #
The Rule of Tincture is beautifully simple: Metal should not be placed on Metal, nor Color on Color. That’s it. This single principle has guided heraldic design for centuries, and it exists for one practical reason: visibility.
Think about it from a medieval knight’s perspective. Charging into battle wearing a closed helmet, you needed your allies to recognize you from a distance—in poor lighting, through dust and chaos, maybe even at dawn Or dusk. A black lion on a blue shield? Nearly invisible. A gold lion on blue? Instantly recognizable.
The same principle applies today. Stop signs use white letters on red backgrounds. Gas station logos follow these contrast rules. Your fantasy coat of arms should too.
Understanding Tinctures: The Heraldic Palette #
Before applying the rule, you need to know what heralds mean by “metals” and “colors.” The metals are your light tinctures, the colors are your dark tinctures. Heraldry divides tinctures into three categories:
The Metals: #
The Colors: #
The Furs: #
Applying the Rule: What Works and What Doesn't #
Good Combinations: #
Bad Combinations: #
The Exceptions: When Rules Were Made to Be Broken #
Like any good design system, the Rule of Tincture has exceptions. Understanding these gives you more creative flexibility.
When something is shown in its natural colors—called “Proper” in heraldic terms—the rule doesn’t apply. A brown bear Proper can sit on a green Field because brown isn’t technically a heraldic Color.Â
However, use this with care as it makes it often difficult to recognize the design. And by many it considered “cheating” to escape the Rule of Tincture.Â
Many elements in the CoaMaker asset library are Proper by default. This makes it easier for you to find it. In most cases, you should give it a standard Tincture.
Furs #
Divided Fields #
If your shield is split into multiple colors—say, half red and half white—you can place either a Metal Or Color Charge across both sections, as long as it contrasts with all parts of the Field. The subdivisions of the Field do not follow the Rule of Tincture, e.g. you can place red next to black.
Special Cases #
Some historical arms deliberately violated the rule to make a statement. The most famous example is the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which used gold crosses on a silver Field. This Metal-on-Metal combination was thought to honor the sacred status of Jerusalem by using both precious metals together.
The coat of arms of Albania puts Color on Color (black double-headed eagle on red). This symbol is older than the strict heraldic rules.
These violations are called armes à enquérir (“arms of enquiry”) because they prompt questions about their special origins.
Why This Matters for Your Fantasy World #
You might be thinking: “But this is fantasy! Can’t I break the rules?”
Absolutely—but break them intentionally, not accidentally. Understanding the Rule of Tincture gives you three major advantages:
Instant Readability #
Authentic Feel #
Meaningful Violations #
Practical Tips for CoaMaker Users #
Start with your Field: Choose whether you want a Metal background (Or/Argent) Or a Color background (Gules/Azure/Vert/Sable/Purpure). This determines everything else.​
Add your main Charge: If you chose a Metal Field, your main Charge (lion, eagle, castle, etc.) should be a Color. If you chose a Color Field, use a Metal.​
Layer with contrast: When adding multiple elements, always ensure each layer contrasts with what’s behind it. A gold lion can have blue claws and tongue on a red Field because blue provides contrast against both gold and red.​
Use Proper wisely: If you need a specific natural Color like brown Or flesh tone, designate elements as “Proper.” This gives you more flexibility while maintaining the spirit of contrast.​
Experiment with furs: Ermine and Vair can solve design problems when you want additional texture without sacrificing contrast.
Make the Rule Work for You #
The Rule of Tincture isn’t a straitjacket—it’s a design principle that’s stood the test of centuries because it works. It ensures your coats of arms are bold, recognizable, and visually striking.​
For your fantasy worldbuilding, think of it as a foundation rather than a limitation. Most of your heraldry should follow the rule because that’s what makes it effective. When you encounter a situation where breaking the rule serves your story Or aesthetic, you’ll know enough to do it thoughtfully.
Remember, whether you’re creating arms for a noble house, a fantasy kingdom, Or a D&D character, the goal is the same as it was for medieval knights: instant recognition. The Rule of Tincture is your best tool for achieving that.​
Ready to create your own heraldry? Open CoaMaker and start experimenting with different Metal and Color combinations. You’ll quickly develop an eye for what works—and you’ll understand why this simple rule has guided heraldic design for over 800 years.​
Further Reading #
- Rule of Tincture, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_tincture
- The Rule of Tinctures, heraldica.org, https://www.heraldica.org/topics/tinctrul.htm
