The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory - SCA Heraldry

The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory:The Rules for Submissionsand entirely on the white part of the field. For example, both Vair, a chief argent or Checky Or and vert,a lozenge vert can be acceptable, if drawn so that the shared tinctures are not against each other.Even if it meets these requirements, a particular depiction may still be unclear as to the identity of thefield and the charge that lies on it, including whether the charge has a complex line of division. Such adepiction will not be registered. In general, any depiction that creates a situation in which predominantlylow contrast sections of a multiply divided field and charge(s) are adjacent is likely to have identifiabilityissues.For example, if the design Vair, a chief argent were drawn so that the vair bells against the chief werenearly completely argent, it would be difficult to identify the charge as a chief, and whether or not it hadea complex line. Therefore, it would not be registerable.Similarly, when a primary charge and an overall charge that overlies it share a tincture or have poorcontrast (which will generally be true), the identity of the primary charge and the overall charge mustremain clear.C. Voiding and Fimbriation: Voiding and fimbriation are terms that describe the situation in which the interiorof the charge is a different color than a strip around the outside of the charge. The term voiding is used forthe case in which the interior part of the charge is the same color as the field. The term fimbriation is used forthe case in which the interior part of the charge is of a different color than the field.Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with ordinaries or simple geometric charges when they are part ofa primary charge group. Peripheral ordinaries may not be voided or fimbriated, nor may other secondary,tertiary, or overall charges. All central ordinaries may be fimbriated, even those with complex lines, as longas there are no breaks in the outline of the ordinary. All central ordinaries with more than two ends, such aspalls, crosses, and saltires, may be voided, even those with complex lines, as long as there are no breaks inthe outline of the ordinary. As central ordinaries with two ends which are voided would give theunmistakable appearance of being multiple ordinaries, they may not be voided.For example, both a cross and a cross engrailed may be either voided or fimbriated. However, a fess mayonly be fimbriated; a design that appears to be a fess voided must be blazoned as two bars. For example, apale rayonny and a fess dancetty may be fimbriated, while a chevron rompu or a bend bevilled may not befimbriated, as the latter are broken in their outlines.A simple geometric charge is a charge that, when drawn at a smaller scale, will continue to match the outlineof the larger charge closely. Simple geometric charges include lozenges, roundels, delfs, and mullets.However, as counter examples, estoiles and suns are not simple.Voiding and fimbriation is generally used with a single central charge. For this reason, using voiding orfimbriation with charge groups that contain more than three charges will only be registered withdocumentation of such a pattern. Additionally, voided charges may not be registered in fieldless designs, asthey do not have a field that can show through the voided portion of the charge.For example, a design such as Azure, three delfs voided Or would be registered, but Azure semy of delfsvoided Or would not be. Also, while Azure, a mullet voided argent is registerable, (Fieldless) A mullet voidedargent is not, as the voided area would not have a defined tincture.Charges which are voided as part of their type, such as mascles or mullets voided and interlaced, are notaffected by these restrictions. They may even be tertiary charges or maintained charges, and may be used infieldless designs.Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory – April 29, 2012 - Page 44 of 73