Passion for Attractive Business Cards

To me, business cards are small canvases that express the identity of an individual or a company.
I have always been particularly drawn to attractive business cards, and in my pursuit of them, I have explored various designs and printing technologies. Recently, I ran out of business cards, and I took this opportunity to create a new design.
After much deliberation about what kind of business card to make, I decided to aim for a card that would showcase Tokyo Shiki Incorporateds’ uniqueness while serving as a sample of paper, printing, and processing technologies. Based on this concept, I started with the selection of paper that would serve as the material for the business cards.

I want to use washi paper

Actually, I had decided to use washi paper even before finalizing the concept. I have always been attracted to the warmth and texture of handmade, handcrafted washi paper in particular. However, compared to the commonly used Western paper, washi is more expensive and less widely distributed, which means that despite being consulted about it, there are rarely opportunities to actually use it.

For this reason, our company rarely had the opportunity to experiment with printing or processing. However, as mentioned in ‘Edo Paper was Aligned with SDGs! About the Environmentally Friendly “Washi”,’ I feel a personal duty to use washi more actively to ensure the continuation of this wonderful culture.

Therefore, by using it for my business cards this time, I hope to gain various insights and inspire ideas for everyone’s creations, which led me to decide on using handcrafted washi paper.

In regions that produce washi, there are famous types such as Fukui’s ‘Echizen Washi’ and Gifu’s ‘Mino Washi,’ but I wanted to create something using washi made in the same region, which led me to ‘Ogawa Washi.’ In areas like Ogawa Town and Higashi-Chichibu Village in Saitama Prefecture, washi making has been thriving since ancient times, and the technique is still passed down to this day.

Ogawa Washi is produced there. Since our company is also located in Saitama Prefecture, I decided to make business cards using washi made in the same prefecture.

Considering printing and processing suitable for business card-sized washi paper

I have obtained washi paper sized for business cards, but the methods for printing on this size are limited. There are options such as printing with an inkjet printer, traditional letterpress printing, and recently, foil stamping using pigment foils. It seems there are also card printers specifically for business card paper.

This time, I have chosen letterpress printing from among these methods. Letterpress printing uses a raised, stamp-like plate to transfer ink to paper. It is a very old printing method, characterized by sharp, clear text representation. When printing illustrations, letterpress offers a unique, nostalgic warmth in its coloration, making it feel somewhat warm and inviting.

Since it also serves as a sample of processing, I’ve decided to incorporate foil stamping in addition to letterpress printing to add a bit of luxury. For the processing, I will apply laser cutting, which Tokyo Paper Crafts excels at. I have never laser cut thick handcrafted washi paper before, so I’m excited to see if it cuts cleanly.

Thinking of a Distinctive Business Card Design

The paper, printing, and processing methods have been decided, but the crucial part is the design. This time, we have decided to produce it in-house. I provided our internal staff with information about the printing and processing methods we wanted to use and requested the creation of a design that fits the concept.

The result is the design you see in the image. It turned out wonderfully! By arranging Japanese patterns to match the washi paper used, the overall image has a Japanese-style finish. Each pattern has its meaning, and the cute bird design placed in the top right corner is called ‘Chidori’ (plover), which is considered an auspicious pattern from ancient Japan.

And the pattern placed in the bottom left is ‘Seigaiha,’ which represents waves of the sea. By arranging these two patterns and depicting a scene where the Chidori (plovers) are flying over the waves, it conveys the meaning of ‘overcoming the waves of the times without being overwhelmed, with strength and resilience.

We support everyone’s creation process

How will the actual finish turn out…? We plan to feature an article later on about the processing and the state of the finished product. Similar to the business card production mentioned in this article, our company is structured to consistently direct everything from the customer’s desired image, including the selection of materials, printing, processing, design, and ultimately production