The orle is a classic heraldic subordinary, formed as a narrow band following the outline of the shield while leaving space between itself and the edge. It is sometimes described as an inner border, although technically it differs from a bordure because it does not touch the rim of the shield. In symbolic terms, the orle often suggests protection, enclosure, distinction, and honorable separation. It can frame the central charges of a coat of arms, giving them emphasis while also implying that the family, office, or institution represented by the arms is guarded, ordered, and set apart. Because it surrounds without overwhelming, the orle is especially useful for designs that require dignity and structure.

In heraldic practice, the orle may appear plain, charged with small symbols, or combined with other ordinaries and charges. A famous variation is the tressure, particularly the double tressure flory-counter-flory, strongly associated with the royal arms of Scotland. This Scottish form creates a decorative inner frame enriched with fleurs-de-lis, traditionally linked with royal alliance and sovereignty. More generally, an orle can function as a visual boundary, a mark of cadency, or a way to distinguish related branches of a family. Its meaning is therefore both symbolic and practical, since it helps organize a shield and create identity within a heraldic system.

Reliable examples of orle-like forms are especially visible in Scottish heraldry, where the double tressure is one of the most recognized national heraldic features. The royal arms of Scotland display the red lion within a double tressure flory-counter-flory, a design discussed by the Court of the Lord Lyon and illustrated in many official Scottish heraldic contexts. Broader explanations of ordinaries and subordinaries can be found through The Heraldry Society and visual examples through Heraldry of the World.