Art-and-Technology: Mixed Media Missive: Name Cards and Stickers in Japan

A few weeks ago I needed some name cards and used a DIY AVERY kit I had for many years to make up a few. Actually needed them before then, and didn't have any. Not having really gone out much in the previous 3 years had numbed my sense of their significance in Japan.

The only issue is the AVERY cards look DIY. The card thickness, and edges is the big give away.

As this is Japan, which is still the land of the Meishi (Business Card), I needed a proper card. Again. Even if "retired"! When you leave a company, they take your business cards from you. A thing that displayed your position and status. What company you worked for carries more weight than you might think, even if what you achieved isn't up for casual conversation. Dressing appropriately and being polite, not speaking too casually, are also really important, and probably not just Kyoto.😀

A refresher course on the giving of your business card and receiving theirs:

I had so may older unused ones at home though, with different positions (and name spellings!) on them from over the years. Not that they could be used any more.

For my new name cards, I wanted the contact details to be big, as I am at an age where I can't read them on a standard card with the text size they use with my glasses on. An old man problem.

The old question:

Japan has a long tradition of name cards/ calling cards. Senjafuda are those name stickers all over shrines. They had a rather different format than the modern business card, being a sticker.

Since doing the DIY name cards, I came across the online Sticker Japan ( and raksul , mojoprint , oneprint and others ) for having Stickers and Business Cards made in quantities, from artwork you upload. Raksul also does T-SHIRTs, but have no idea of the quality, as their boast of being the cheapest isn't actually a good thing for me. I have yet to find out if one is better than the other.

I am still waiting on the FREE sample pack of sticker samples and business cards from StickerJapan to be able to see the materials. Whois search indicates the dns is registered and owned by someone in the UK , so quality probably isn't their focus. I had expected to get this pack 2 days ago, and it didn't come in the mail today either. This isn't encouraging. One of the 3 reviews on there Facebook page is 粗悪な印刷物を納品して対応なし (Delivered inferior printed materials and no response). Some are printed in Incheon South Korea.

There are many places online, but would I trust the Sponsored, top of the list places? No.

Anyway...

I have designed stickers and business cards for customers at various times, and find the option of designing my own attractive. But as my freelance illustration work is purely online, I have never needed, or made, or used, a Business Card for it. But when you are given a card here, you need to give something back.

Some earlier concepts of a sticker, my Heavy Metal Garage Sticker (I used Sticker Mule in the USA) and reference designs for size and materials:

After considering Name Card and color sticker options and costs, these are my likely designs. Unexpectedly, a customer that wanted things done 2 weeks ago when I was busy, didn't get back to me this week after I emailed I could do their job now, so had plenty of time to consider my own project.

Production files are .AI from Illustrator CS3 in my case:

A Name Card is purely to give out basic contact and name info in the standard 91mm x 55mm Japanese format. Best way for me to remember the persons name for more than 4 seconds after meeting them! Minimum order quantity is 100. Exchanging business Cards is a ritual in Japan 😀.

The Sticker is more an "about me" thing, and I am likely to meet very few people to ever give one away to. But you never know. So far this year I could have given away, maybe a sticker and 7 name cards.

In looking at the options for stickers, materials and quantities I am thinking Outdoor PVC "bumper sticker" material and making only 10 initially. 10 could be a "rest of my life" quantity😐 . I looked at 60mm x 60mm round & square formats but decided that an 80mm x 55 mm design means they can be carried with my name cards and fit in my phone case.

This year, 2024, I have been given more business cards and met more new people than I have in the previous 8 years.

An issue I always had as an employee that rarely met anyone to gave out a business card to, was the few in my Wallette always got bent and did not make a good impression when I gave one to someone unexpectedly. The last 3 places I worked in Australia as an employee didn't give me a company business card at all.

But this being Japan means there are many card carrying case options. And this doesn't include the expensive leather cases a Business man could lust over.

When I go "out" now I always take a shoulder bag or a back pack, depending on where and for how long I will be out, and now keep a business card case containing my cards and stickers in all of them. So no matter which one I grab, I will be prepared. At the moment, just with my DIY Name Cards and the Heavy Metal Garage stickers.

StickerJapan sample pack arrived. All look great. Took 10 days, and comes from South Korea.

I could put my color sticker design on the back of my Name Card. But for most people I give it too, that would be too much information. A plan Name Card means I can stick a few color stickers to the back of some, and achieve a similar result. Gives me options. Way over thinking this 😁.

And 100 cards arrived 9 days after placing order and paying from South Korea. They look good.

We will now wait another 8 days to see how the color stickers come out 😀, but these are more important. Wish I had made them end of 2023. I now have a metal and a Leather card holder. More important than you probably think.

And the stickers arrived. Matte Paper. All look very good. Just as expected. A bad review on the internet may have been done for reasons that have nothing to do with do they do good work or not!

More about the customer didn't prepare their files correctly.