Rixing Type Foundry - Taipei

[amytheorangutan]

So I’m going to Taipei in April and found out about this place from my guidebook. Originally I wasn’t too sure what it’s all about because the guidebook didn’t elaborate but I found more information online http://neocha.com/magazine/rixing-type-foundry/ and it seems to be the only place in the world that still makes traditional character moveable types that are used for letterpress printing and you can buy those individual character types or (if I’m not mistaken) ask them to make you a stamp? I also read somewhere that they can design and print cards etc for you. 

 

I’m planning to get at least my Chinese name either in individual type or maybe get a stamp seal made but not sure what else. Has anyone here been to this place? If so, what did you get? Can you share your experience? The collection looks massive and they have different fonts in various sizes. I feel overwhelmed just looking at photos of the place. I want to get a few things that I can get a practical use of. Maybe high usage characters like 謝謝 or characters to form a classic Chinese sayings/idioms ?

[mungouk]

YES!  I was there about 18 months ago.  Are you a typography fan?

Interesting experience walking around the shelves trying to find the traditional characters you want, when they are backwards!

 

I had only just started learning (simplified) Hanzi at that point so it was a bit overwhelming for me. I just grabbed stuff like 一 to 十,  木 水 土 心 etc.  Even the small ones are quite heavy to put in your check-in baggage.... I think the 26 in the tray shown below weighed more than 1kg.

 

  

 

 

btw they have a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rixingtypefoundry/

 

There's a feature in Chinese here which has some video in it too: https://www.mirrormedia.mg/story/20181120cul001/

 

I think they might also be featured in the Hanzi documentary, which I didn't manage to see yet (but is probably oriented towards a general audience).

 

Edit: I picked up 悶 with no idea of what it meant, just thinking that it might be interesting since it's a heart inside a door.  Turns out it means bored / depressed / melancholy / sealed / airtight / tightly closed.  Huh! 

 

[amytheorangutan]

Wow! haha I didn't even consider looking at the characters backwards duh! I wouldn't call myself a typography fan but I definitely appreciate good designs and generally just love old fashion techniques. Over 1 kg for 26 characters is pretty heavy especially since I will only carry a backpack ?May I know how much it was approximately for 1 kg? Have you been using them? 

[mungouk]

Sorry I can't remember the price but it was probably about £1 per character.

I left Singapore in December and had to ruthlessly reduce a furnished apartment to 37 kg of luggage, so the type got donated to the college where I'd been working. 

As for backwards: I recommend taking a small mirror along!

 

 

[mungouk]

As for your questions about getting something printed: their FB page says they usually reply to messages within a day, and has their phone number too, so probably worth getting in touch with them to ask before you arrive.
 

I really liked Taipei btw, hope you do too   April should be nice... I was there in August and got hit by a 台风.  Nothing serious but lots of museums and parks etc closed because of it, and the pavements were littered with bicycles. 

[agewisdom]

2 hours ago, amytheorangutan said:

I’m planning to get at least my Chinese name either in individual type or maybe get a stamp seal made but not sure what else.

 

At least get your chinese name in individual type. Cos then you can align it top to bottom, left to right or vice versa. My friend went there last year, so I had her get me my name. Looks cool. But I hardly get to use it... LOL.

 

So, don't go overboard in getting them.

 

They make nice presents, so consider getting them for close friends or family? Best get their Chinese names right first though.... LOL

[amytheorangutan]

17 hours ago, mungouk said:

their FB page says they usually reply to messages within a day, and has their phone number too, so probably worth getting in touch with them to ask before you arrive.
 

I really liked Taipei btw, hope you do too   April should be nice

Thanks @mungouk I will contact them and ask them about their printing... I'm very excited about Taipei... my brother went last year and he said lots of good things about it. 

 

17 hours ago, agewisdom said:

At least get your chinese name in individual type. Cos then you can align it top to bottom, left to right or vice versa.

Thanks @agewisdom That is a great advice! Honestly I always go overboard with stationery. Japan was the worst, spent most of my time at stationery shops ?

[mungouk]

Ah yes, Japanese stationery shops    You're not the only one!

 

 

[agewisdom]

7 hours ago, amytheorangutan said:

Honestly I always go overboard with stationery. Japan was the worst, spent most of my time at stationery shops 

 

Oh dear... You're one of those... huh. There are actually a lot of fonts and sizes of Chinese characters. Though probably some aren't available for sale. I think it's best you budget more time at the foundry then. Between deciding on what characters to get, the type of font, the font sizes and whether to get a seal... Well, you'll probably have your hands full

[amytheorangutan]

I forgot about this thread. I went to the shop and  was overwhelmed by the rows and rows of characters in different sizes and fonts. So in the end because I didn’t want to buy random stuff I’ll never use I just asked them to find the characters for my name and made it into a stamp. I think next time I’m in Taipei I will be a bit more strategic about it and think first what I want to do with it and have at least a rough idea. 
 

 

[889]

Usually the surname will print on the right in a seal.

[amytheorangutan]

23 minutes ago, 889 said:

 

Usually the surname will print on the right in a seal.

 

Because of the right to left reading? I can swap it at home but thanks for that. I never thought about it that way ?

[889]

Yes, seals almost universally are meant to be read r-l t-b. Exceptions exist but are rare.