In Japan the act of exchanging a business card is a ritualistic tradition. A Japanese business card is called a meishi; translated mei means name and shi thorn; traditionally the cards would have been hand carved using sharp splinters of bamboo. When the card is presented it is held in the top two corners, face up and turned so the person receiving the meishi can read the card; the meishi should be received and held in the bottom two corners, it is considered impolite to cover the name with ones thumb. Once the card has been read one must thank the person and bow.
This concept is very foreign to us in the UK; all too often a creased, digitally printed card is pulled from ones pocket and immediately stuffed into a wallet without a second glance. Our belief is that a business card is the first physical impression of you and your business. Everything from the weight of the paper, the texture of the print and the typesetting of the text all lead to a lasting impression that is formed of you.
"Look at that subtle colouring. The tasteful thickness... oh my God. It even has a watermark.”
Patrick Bateman, American Psycho, 2000.
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| Letterpress printed onto Cairn recycled board |
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| Metallic die-stamping and light blue letterpress on Colorplan Mist 540gsm |
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| Grey letterpress on Colorplan cool grey 350gsm. |
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| On the press: Grey letterpress onto pristine white Colorplan |
