Hanko and Inkan for Cornwall karate

I thought I would share with you the graphic design and finished stamps for Cornwall karate.

We first produced some designs for the client to refine / select options and from this we worked through to the final designs for the stamps they ordered.

Above was the finished stamps prior to dispatch.
If you have a project in mind just drop us an E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com
Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Nafudakake for HSKC

Recently we were asked by Haxby Shotokan Karate Club to produce two Nafudakake for club instructors in recognition of the many hours dedicated to the club and its members.

They wanted to incorporate the Association, club and their instructors rank and name. HSKC asked that the nafuda were made from sapele and maple hardwoods and the JKS kanji used are from a graphic supplied by the association.

If you are thinking about commissioning a nafudanake please remember that our nafudakake are all custom made and take 4 to 6 weeks to produce.

If you would like to make an Enquiry just send an E mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com with some outline details of your requirements. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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White Tiger Hanko

We have recently completed a Hanko for Byakko Shotokan Karate Association and thought you might like to see how the graphics for the Hanko were built up into the final design prior to manufacture.

If you have a project in mind do not hesitate to drop us a mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com, below is a table of our standard range, but we are always happy to accommodate custom requests.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Tensho font Hanko

*** Update - From May 2022 We now have access to a seal font ***

Unfortunately we do not have Tensho font which is sometimes called seal script. I have searched the internet for a few years and always drawn a blank. As far as I am aware it is only available in Japan and can only be purchased via a Japanese bank account.
A few years ago we produced a couple of Hanko where the client had sourced the images from a third party, we transpose the image into a format that we could produce a Hanko from.
Unfortunately our client had lost one of them but we managed to reproduce it from our records and attach a 25% discount because there was not so much work for us to do.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Jpeg to Vector Image

We recently worked with Senjokai Karate Academyt to re-work their logo into a vector image. Below is the end result.

Our finished vector image

The original was a low resolution jpeg image which if enlarger pixelates, even at full size the image is not crisp and does not represent the club in the best light.

Jpeg Original

You can see from the close up of the vector image that there is no loss of quality when an image is increased. Even if increased to the size of a building no quality would be lost.

Vector close up

The original image was traced and within our software the cure / shapes are saved as curves not pixels like in a camera image. We took the original kanji and replaced it with our stock block font, again as a vector image.

If you are interested in commissioning a vector image logo just drop us a E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com

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Free MCN for Okami Shotokan Karate

We have been working with Sensei Dean Acreman and Okami Shotokan Karate over the last week or so, since he won the £200 MCN voucher in our free prize draw.

Dean was able to supply us with the club kanji and a logo as a starting point and requested a non-traditional layout for the Nafudakake.

The club is run by Dean, but a while ago Dean's old instructor returned to karate and joined Dean's club. Working together Kelvin went on to grade Godan and the MCN is a fitting celebration of their karate journey.

Dean also supplied us with the katakana from his belt so we could use the same translation on the Nafuda.

The original logo was low resolution and had a white background and was not suitable for importing into our graphics package. Dean was able to get the logo designer to send an image to our specification for inclusion that saved considerable time on reproducing it from scratch in our software. We selected the kanji for the clubs name in our standard "block" font, but others are available, see our link in the sidebar to "Fonts".

Dean also wanted to incorporate the shotokan tiger so we used our stock Shotokan tiger but made a few alterations. It was re-sized to match the Okami logo and the red from the logo was colour sampled and the background of the Shotokan tiger was adjusted to match.

Dean did not have a translation for Kelvin so we provided one, a fairly straight forward translation into katakana. Name translation is provided free of charge, but we like to use existing translations where available for uniformity.

Dean also asked he we could incorporate our hanging system in addition to the holes provide behind the end nafuda for direct fitting to the wall. 2mm stainless steel wire rope is used and a small swr grip within the profile of the frame which is not seen. The cable can be made longer, shorter or removed by removing the end caps and adjusting the grip.

The breakdown of the retail cost would be as follows
Frame - 1 rows of 7 Nafuda = 7 spaces @ £13.00 = £91.00
Nafuda - 7 nafuda @ £13.00 = £91.00
Suspension System - 7 units @ £0.75 = £5.25
Total = £187.25
There is free postage to non premium UK post codes
and Europe or Worldwide Postage is only £32.00

Whether you are looking for a quality presentation piece or a Nafudakake for your dojo the MCN range may be just what you are looking for.

Modular Curved Nafudakake - MCN
	Frame Cost		Nafuda Cost
Number	Unit Cost	Total	Unit Cost	Total
3	£15	£45	£15	£45
4	£15	£60	£15	£60
5	£13	£65	£13	£65
6	£13	£78	£13	£78
7	£13	£91	£13	£91
8	£12	£96	£11.50	£92
9	£12	£108	£11.50	£103.50
10	£12	£120	£11.50	£115
11 to 20	£10	£various	£10	£various
21 to 50	£9	£various	£7	£various
51 to 100	£8	£various	£7	£various
100+	£7	£various	£7	£various
Available in "Block" or "Brush" font
Spare blanks available @ £1.50
Backing and Suspension System @ £0.75 per Nafuda
Free Postage to all UK non-premium Post codes
3 to 20 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £32
21 to 50 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £40
51 to 100 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £46
100+ units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £50
Payments in GBP by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

How to order your MCN
Step 1. To make an inquiry E-mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com with the following details:
1. Rough idea of what you want, club logo / dojo name, we can assist with design and translation
2. Current translations if you have them, photo of logo with Kanji on etc.
3. Select the font for the Nafuda.
4. Deliver address – it will be sent as a “signed for” parcel.
Step 2 Soto Sabisu will complete the graphic design and send you an image for approval along with a pro-forma invoice.
This usually takes a number of E Mails back and forth while we develop your commission with you.
Step 3 Approve the image and make a payment either by BACS or via PayPal with a 5% surcharge Step 4 Soto Sabisu will dispatch your Nafudakake approx 4 to 6 weeks after step 3. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

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Hanko for Ensokan sogo bujutsu renmei

We were recently contacted by an organisation and asked if we could produce a large certificate hanko using a mix of kanji that they had and a monogram.

I thought I would share with you the process from inquiry to delivery.

Above is the main kanji that they wanted to use and add on the kanji below for renmei.

The first thing we need to do is identify the actual kanji that are used by the client. This is not always straight forward as images are regularly low definition or copies of copies, some may be hand written or a difficult to identify font.

The client originally requested a 50 x 50mm stamp and we had to advise that the largest image we could incorporate in our range of self inking stamps was 38 x 38mm, but we would look into other options if required.

The client also provided an image of a monogram that they wanted made into a stamp also.

In our graphics design package we produced a draft hanko and mongram along with the organisations name in a block or brush font. The proof is sent to the customer and once approved a pro-forma invoice is sent to the client for payment. It takes approx 7 days for manufacture and delivery to the UK and approx 10 days worldwide.

Our client asked if the brush style font could be used for the hanko and that the border for the monogram be removed.

Above are the final images that were used and we also provided the organisation with their kanji in both block and brush scripts in pdf and jpeg files so they can be used in stationary, websites, etc. The images are provided as "added value" - no charge.

Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Martial Arts - Facebook banners

We are pleased to announce that we are expanding our graphic design services to include the production of Facebook banners.
The banners will be produced to the exact size to drop into your Facebook page.

Above are the images for Selby Shotokan Karate Club, used on their "closed group" and "public page". They incorporate a logo we previously designed and kana that we held on file from working with them previously.

Our specialty is being able to offer a translation and selection of kanji to incorporate into your design. If you have an old Jpeg file we can look at converting to a vector image and re-sizing. Once completed you will receive your image as a  jpeg file.

The service is only £40.00 and there is a 50% for returning customers  £20.00 where we are designing the banner around a previous logo or kana that we hold on file for you.

If you are interested in commissioning a Facebook banner just drop us a E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com

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Logo for Samurai Shotokan Karate School

We were recently approached by Samurai Shotokan Karate School to see if we could update their old logo. They wanted to shorten the name but keep the reference to Shotokan so we incorporated the Shotokan kanji in the middle of the logo.

 

Our specialty is being able to offer a translation and selection of kanji to incorporate into your design.
Although not our core business we do offer Logo design and support to our customers.
Our services are restricted to offering "added value" to our martial art customers.

If you have an old Jpeg file we can look at converting to a vector image.
If the quality is too poor or you don't have an existing image we will work with you to produce a brand new design.

Once completed you will receive your image in jpeg. and pdf. file, we can also send it in a cdr. which will allow your sign manufacturer to produce it in any size with no loss of resolution, even the size of a tower block if you want.

If you are interested in commissioning a vector image logo just drop us a E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Design section shop page

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Hanko for Shin Gi Tai

We were recently approached by Shin Gi Tai to produce a Hanko that incorporated both the Club and Instructor's name. This is not a traditional Japanese layout, but is becoming increasing popular with our clients.

心技体 is the Japanese title "shin gi tai" or "shingitai." This can refer to the three elements of Sumo wrestlers or martial artists, "heart-technique-physique." Here is what each character represents: 心 (shin) mind, heart and spirit. 技 (gi) skill, knowledge and experience. 体 (ti) body and physical effort.

To make an Inquiry just E Mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com
Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Modular Curved Nafudakake - MCN

We are excited to launch our new range of Nafudakake.

Following feedback from prospective clients that they love our traditional wooden Nafudakake, but wonder if there is a more affordable option, we have come up with a brand new range.

The range should be considered as semi permanent - nafuda can be changed by removing the end cap and sliding out the nafuda taking a little longer than the traditional system.

The "CMN - Curved Modular Nafudakake" is now available and is between 25% and 39% cheaper than the traditional hardwood range.

Also in the "Mad May - Double discount" sale you can get up to 30 % off the MCN range offer open until the 31st May 2017.

The frame is made from black anodised aluminium, 150mm high and curved in the vertical plane.
You get to choose how many nafuda you want to accommodate in each row (max 50) and how many rows you want to stack on top of each other.
You can always add rows as your dojo grows.

The nafuda are printed on high quality card and are inserted in individual 56mm sections behind protective plastic anti glare clear lenses.

The frames can be either screwed permanently to the wall or hung using a suspension system. The sections are fixed to the wall by removing the end caps of the last nafuda to reveal the fixing holes. We have also developed a suspension system option which is fully adjustable which allows your Nafudakake to be hung on picture hooks of similar - ideal if you train in a school or community hall.

Whether you are looking for a quality presentation piece or a Nafudakake for your dojo the MCN range may be just what you are looking for.

Modular Curved Nafudakake - MCN
	Frame Cost		Nafuda Cost
Number	Unit Cost	Total	Unit Cost	Total
3	£15	£45	£15	£45
4	£15	£60	£15	£60
5	£13	£65	£13	£65
6	£13	£78	£13	£78
7	£13	£91	£13	£91
8	£12	£96	£11.50	£92
9	£12	£108	£11.50	£103.50
10	£12	£120	£11.50	£115
11 to 20	£10	£various	£10	£various
21 to 50	£9	£various	£7	£various
51 to 100	£8	£various	£7	£various
100+	£7	£various	£7	£various
Available in "Block" or "Brush" font
Spare blanks available @ £1.50
Backing and Suspension System @ £0.75 per Nafuda
Free Postage to all UK non-premium Post codes
3 to 20 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £32
21 to 50 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £40
51 to 100 units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £46
100+ units - Europe / Worldwide Postage - £50
Payments in GBP by BACS or Pay Pal at 5% Premium

Costed Example: Haxby Shotokan Karate Club - Yudansha Nafudakake
Frame - 2 rows of 14 Nafuda = 28 spaces @ £9.00 = £252.00
Nafuda - 23 nafuda @ £7.00 = £161.00
Blanks - 5 nafuda blanks @ £1.50 = £7.50
Association and Club Logos converted to vector images - free of charge
Total = £420.50 - free postage to non premium UK post codes
Europe or Worldwide Postage = £40.00
Suspension System additional 28 @ £0.75 = £21.00

Costed Example: Grantham Shotokan Karate Club - Association / Club Nafudakake
Frame - 1 rows of 7 Nafuda = 7 spaces @ £13.00 = £91.00
Nafuda - 7 nafuda @ £13.00 = £91.00
Association and Club Logos converted to vector images - free of charge
Total = £182.00 - free postage to non premium UK post codes
Europe or Worldwide Postage = £32.00

How to order your MCN
Step 1. To make an inquiry E-mail sotosabisu@btinternet.com with the following details:
1. Rough idea of what you want, club logo / dojo name, we can assist with design and translation
2. Current translations if you have them, photo of logo with Kanji on etc.
3. Select the font for the Nafuda.
4. Deliver address – it will be sent as a “signed for” parcel.
Step 2 Soto Sabisu will complete the graphic design and send you an image for approval along with a pro-forma invoice.
This usually takes a number of E Mails back and forth while we develop your commission with you.
Step 3 Approve the image and make a payment either by BACS or via PayPal with a 5% surcharge Step 4 Soto Sabisu will dispatch your Nafudakake approx 4 to 6 weeks after step 3. 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

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The way of the barefoot warrior

Recently we completed a re-working of a logo for one of our established customers and thought you might like to see the journey of creation, the "logo-do"

It is a normal trait of the martial artist to do everything to the best of your abilities - "Hitotsu! Doryoku no seichin o yashinau koto!"
Our client has a passion and we like to think we share this passion, so we were happy to keep making small adjustments until we reached a final design.
Most clubs will use their logo for many, many years so it is worth taking whatever time is necessary.


Our specialty is being able to offer a translation and selection of kanji to incorporate into your design.
Although not our core business we do offer Logo design and support to our customers.
Our services are restricted to offering "added value" to our martial art customers.

If you have an old Jpeg file we can look at converting to a vector image.
If the quality is too poor or you don't have an existing image we will work with you to produce a brand new design.
Our specialty is being able to offer a translation and selection of kanji to incorporate into your design.

Once completed you will receive your image in jpeg. and pdf. file, we can also send it in a cdr. which will allow your sign manufacturer to produce it in any size with no loss of resolution, even the size of a tower block if you want.

If you are interested in commissioning a vector image logo just drop us a E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Design section shop page

Top Tip
If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.

Logo Design and Support

Although not our core business we do offer Logo design and support to our customers.
Our services are restricted to offering "added value" to our martial art customers.

If you have an old Jpeg file we can look at converting to a vector image.
If the quality is too poor or you don't have an existing image we will work with you to produce a brand new design.

Our specialty is being able to offer a translation and selection of kanji to incorporate into your design. The designs below in the rolling marquee are a mix of client images converted to vector or logos built from scratch.

Once completed you will receive your image in jpeg. and pdf. file, we can also send it in a cdr. which will allow your sign manufacturer to produce it in any size with no loss of resolution, even the size of a tower block if you want.

If you are interested in commissioning a vector image logo just drop us a E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Design section shop page

Top Tip
If you are accessing this site on your phone you may wish to view the "Web version" and access the menu in the side-bar to navigate. Just scroll down for the link.

Dan Grades and Titles

In the tables below I have set out some dan grade nafuda and some titles that are commonly found on nafudakake.
The designs can be used across our full range of traditional, modular (MCN) and virtual nafudakake.
There is also the option to use about a dozen different fonts. Click on the "fonts" link in the sidebar.

Dan Grades
Shodan	Nidan	Sandan
Yondan	Godan	Rokudan

Titles
Daihyo	Shihan	Shidoin
Shidohojoin	Soke	Senpai
Renshi	Hanshi	Kyoshi

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A selection of Stamps for Denmark

We have recently been working with WTKO Denmark to produce a selection of Hanko and Inkan for  the Association, Odder Shotokan Karatedo Kai and Individuals.

We were able to advise on the layout and Kanji used for other countries we had prepared stamps for so their is uniformity across the association from member countries.

From Left to Right:

1. 24mm x 24mm Hanko - WTKO Denmark

2. 12mm diameter Inkan - Morten

3. 16mm x 11mm Oval Inkan - Christian

4. 12mm diameter Inkan - Jan

5. 12 mm diameter Logo Inkan - WTKO

6. 24mm x 24mm Hanko - Odder Shotokan Karatedo Kai

For stamp (3) we advised using an oval shape to accommodate the six kana used for Christian

For stamp (5) we were asked for a stamp with the WTKO kanji to be used for annual renewal on licences. We advised that the kanji would be unreadable at this size and suggested that they considered a simplified logo instead. We worked up a single colour graphic design based of the WTKO logo which was approved and went into production.

If you have a project in mind do not hesitate to drop us a mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com, below is a table of our standard range, but we are always happy to accommodate custom requests. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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Hanko to Hall St, MI, USA

I have recently been working with Mata Sensei from the Kyoseikan Dojo, who was inquiring about a Hanko for Grand Rapids Aikikai.
I was sent an image of what they required for their Hanko.

The first two lines read Grand Rapids and the bottom line reads Aikikai.
The first two kanji are the first two kanji from"Aikido" a relatively modern martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba, the last Kanji "Kai" means association.

I often exchange a few mails with clients to ensure they get the best design. In this case my comments were that a normal layout for a Hanko would be vertical text reading right to left.
The next comment regarded the Kanji for "ki" it was different from my stock kanji, but after a little bit of research I found both were commonly used.

Comparison of the two versions of Aikikai

Ki 気 is the modern kanji and the older form was 氣. This original version combined a radical 气 meaning steam or breath and the kanji for rice 米. Putting these together represented the vapour that rises from rice when you cook it; and this had connotations of life-giving or vital energy, with rice being such an important staple food. This old kanji is the one that O Sensei used in his own calligraphy. The modern version is simplified: 気.

Below is a table of prices for our Personal and Business stamps, we also do many custom sizes to match your needs, just drop us an E Mail to sotosabisu@btinternet with some outline details of your requirements. Delivery to the UK is approx. 7 to 10 days and Worldwide 10 to 14 days from approval of design and payment. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Hanko and Inkan section shop page

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A Nafudakake for Ji-Sei-Kan Karate-Do

A short while back we were approached by Ji-Sei-Kan Karate-Do to commission a Nafudakake for a Christmas present for their chief instructor.
They wanted to incorporate the shotokan tiger, the club name and their instructors rank and name.
Wherever possible we use existing translations that an individual may have from a dan grade certificate or translation in kanji of the club or association. However on this occasion no translations were available.

Starting from the right hand side is the Shotokan tiger. We used a high resolution stock image and changed the colour of the vectors to red and centralised the design to the Nafuda.

Where possible we will assist where we can with translations and on this occassion we used the Kanji for Jisei which means "self control".

The instructor's name was translated into katakana which is the kana used for foreign words.

If you are thinking about commissioning a nafudanake please remember that our nafudakake are all custom made and take 4 to 6 weeks to produce. If you would like to make an inquiry just send an E mail to sotosabisu@btinternet.com with some outline details of your requirements. Current costings can be found in the relevant shop page please click on the button below to view.

"Click" to go to - Nafuda section shop page

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