Vertical Nameplates — Choose the Text Direction and Board Orientation
Kanji names often look their best when written vertically — the same reason traditional wooden plaques and Japanese restaurant signs run top to bottom. If you are choosing a Japanese-style typeface, it is worth comparing a vertical layout.
In the simulator, each line of text can be set to vertical writing on any shape. Two models, Rectangle and Trad, can also be hung with the board itself in a vertical orientation. Vertical text on a horizontal board, or the whole board turned vertical — the examples below show both. Open one you like and start by swapping in your own name.
Vertical nameplate examples
Tips for vertical layouts
The board itself can be hung vertically on Rectangle and Trad. Vertical text alone is available on every shape, including squares and circles.
If you add a house number, it sits best smaller than the name and off to one side. Note that kanji with many strokes can lose definition when engraved small in a thin typeface, so for text at house-number size a typeface with some weight works better.
The simulator preview is a rendering of the finished piece. After you order, we email you the actual design data to review — production begins only once you approve it, so you can order with confidence even for the first time.