News!

6 September 2011: Use decorative edge lines for some ordinaries. Bend, Pale, Fess, Chief and a few other common ordinaries can now be Raguly, Nebuly, Dovetailed, Embattled, etc. Currently there are a couple hundred combinations. We plan to add more in the coming months and add this concept to division lines as well. No specific ETA, unfortunately. (This is a "pro" version feature.)

3 August 2011: Now load and save your designs in a native format for updating and re-editing your designs. Go to the File menu and choose Load or Save.

3 Feb 2011: The new version of the Coat of Arms Studio has been released! It includes about 50 new charges (a couple creatures but mostly other things such as leaves, a key, staffs, bells, weapons) and several other revised charges. The new charges are those without thumbnail pictures in the software, which will be added shortly. (Screenshot also coming later today.)

For those with the pro version, you can now add Helms, Mantling, Supporters, and other parts of a full achievement! Simply click the green box in the software and choose "Add a Supporter" for supporter or "Add Mantling" for mantling, a torse and helms. The new version is .83 (go to the Help menu and choose "About" to check the version) and pro users should get it automatically. If you don't get it automatically, simply visit the same download page where you installed it before or email support: support at inkwellideas dot com.

Overview

The Coat of Arms Design Studio is a graphics software program that lets you create a coat of arms using many built in graphics. It includes over 120 creature charges, over 50 symbol charges, a bunch of ordinaries and the most common divisions. (Supporters and decorative partition lines are features that should be coming later in the year.) The free version runs in your web browser using Java technology.

The free and pro versions differ in only three ways:

• In the Pro version, you can add any .png image as a charge.
• The pro version installs on your computer so you don't need to be connected to the internet, while the free version must be run in your web browser.
• The pro version allows you design the images at a larger size and you may enlarge the size of the design even more when you save. The free version saves an image that matches the size in the small design area on your screen.

The graphics used are all public domain in almost all jurisdictions. Each image's source is noted so you can confirm the legal status yourself. In many cases they come from a classic heraldry book where the authors passed many years ago. In some cases they were created specifically for the Coat of Arms Design Studio and placed in the public domain (or where that is not possible, all rights were released) and in some cases the images came from other public domain or "open" sources.

See the list of features below the cropped sample images. See also the quotes and reviews toward the bottom of the left sidebar for others' thoughts on the software.

Lions placed on a bend.	Crosses in chief with an eagle.
Saltire ordinary on a lozenge. (Used by Ladies.)	Dragon countercharged.
Simple dragon.	Per Quarter.

Note: I have not signed the software with an official certificate because those cost money and this project is "in the red." Therefore, when you go to the free version's page the first time you will most likely see a prompt noting that "The software can't be trusted." You must click "OK" or "Trust" or whatever the affirmative button says to fully use the software. Otherwise, you will not be able to save or export your maps. (You will see an error regarding permissions if you try.)