Heraldry
Like other ordinaries, a single saltire is throughout — extending to the edges of the field — as in the coat of Anderson, Canada (Or on a saltire engrailed Azure two quill pens in saltire Argent enfiling a Loyalist military coronet Or); unless it is blazoned as couped (cut off), as in the coat of (Sable a chevron Erminois cotised between three saltires couped Or).
When two or more saltires appear, they are usually blazoned as couped.
A saltorel is a narrow saltire; the term is usually defined as one-half the width of the saltire, and is a relatively recent "innovation" which is really not very different from a fillet saltire (as in the South African coat of National Cultural and Open-air Museum: Or; an ogress charged with a fillet saltire surmounted by an eight spoked wheel or, and ensigned of a billet sable; a chief nowy gabled, Sable).
A field (party) per saltire is divided into four areas by a saltire-shaped 'cut'. If two tinctures are specified, the first refers to the areas above (in chief) and below (in base) the crossing, and the second refers to the ones on either side (in the flanks); an example is the coat of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Per saltire Vert and Or four Fers de Moline counterchanged in fess point a Fountain. Otherwise, each of the four divisions may be blazoned separately.
The phrase in saltire is used in two ways:
- Two long narrow charges in saltire are placed to cross each other, like as the keys in the arms of many entities associated with Saint Peter, crossing each other diagonally. Examples include: Suffolk County Council, England (Gules a Base barry wavy enarched Argent and Azure issuant therefrom a Sunburst in chief two Ancient Crowns enfiled by a pair of Arrows in saltire points downwards all Or); The Corporation of the Municipality of Brighton], Canada (Or two anchors in saltire between two fish hauriant in pale Azure and two apples in fess Gules, a chief enarched embattled Azure).
- When five or more compact charges are in saltire, one is in the center and one or more lie on each arm of an invisible saltire. Examples: Winchester City Council, England, Gules five castles triple towered, in saltire, argent, masoned proper the portcullis of each part-raised, or, and on either side of the castle in fess point a lion passant guardant that to the dexter contourny or; Episcopal Church in the United States of America; Argent; a quarter azure charged with nine cross crosslets in saltire argent, overall a cross gules.
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