Please include the following information based on your selections and email to ArtsAndVirtue@MSN.com. If you have questions, simply click on the links. 

You will receive a price quote and online payment link. Thank you.

If you do not want the following selections and would like to bypass the formalities, simply type "please suggest" and bypass that specific menu. (If you do not specify any preference and want to save your time, you have agreed that you will let the calligrapher suggest the "default" selections which will be shown to you in an e-mail before your payment decision.)

Email title: Order Chinese Calligraphy

Your full name and location (for estimation of shipping & handling) are required.

1. Shuan paper:

2. Paper size or Chinese character size 
    & "content of order" (i.e., your words to be written in Chinese calligraphy): 

3. Chinese calligraphy style: 

4. Paper shape:

5. Orientation of Chinese characters: 
    Landscape / Portrait / Please suggest

6. Whether you want Joshua's signature and seal stamps on your order: 
    Yes / No / Please suggest

7. Method of shipping:

8. Additional preferences if any:

1. Select Your Preferred Shuan Paper

Shuan (Xuan) paper is not made of rice. "Rice paper" is a misnomer for Chinese calligraphy and painting paper.

Except for Basic White Shuan Paper, additional charge of $10 will be applied to color and featured (fancy) Shuan paper per piece.

No additional charge only for "Name Translation" if "Red with Gold Flecks" is chosen. Chinese don't write people's names on purely white paper with a calligraphy brush and ink when no other words are added.

If you are ordering names written in Chinese calligraphy, please click here instead. 

2. Select Your Preferred Paper Size or Chinese Character Size 
and enter your "content of order"

If you do not know the exact number of Chinese characters for your request or the size of each character, it's not advisable to choose U.S. standard frame size, say 5" x 5" or 14" x 11", to confine the characters to fit into a predetermined size.

In contrast to Western calligraphy, Chinese calligraphers write more freely to express the artistic spirit and do not pursue font-like or mechanical uniformity. Considering the spacing between each Chinese character and different Chinese calligraphy styles, it's strongly recommended that: 

(1) You enter your preferred Chinese character size and then Joshua will let you know the approximate dimension of the paper. The paper can be trimmed later per your request or my suggestion. The price of custom calligraphy work (not including mounting or scrolls) is based on the size and number of Chinese characters, not paper size.

or

(2) You may enter your preferred paper size and Joshua will select the size of the characters. If you are not looking for mounting or a scroll, the paper size will not increase the price. However, if you are looking for mounting or scrolls, their prices are based on the paper size.

Due to many artistic and technical considerations, it's not advisable to designate the layout and size of Chinese characters to fit a standard frame size. Even the characters of the current Standard Style are not perfectly square. To designate certain Chinese calligraphy styles or certain number of Chinese characters to fit into a certain size of paper or a frame without considering other factors will most likely distort the artistic quality.

In a word, if you are looking for a custom Chinese calligraphy work that is more artistically done, we have to consider at least the sizes of the characters, spacing, paper, and calligraphy style, not merely the standard frame size.

Please enter in the e-mail your "content of order" such as a your English name (translated phonetically in Chinese calligraphy), a phrase, a poem, or other. You may get a general view of your "content of order" by following the steps listed in the "more info" of those two YouTube videos:

3. Select Your Preferred Chinese Calligraphy Style

Chinese currently use Standard Style in our modern society. All five major styles of calligraphy are still in practice today. More samples of styles can be found from this Website and YouTube.

To figure out the approximate number of Chinese characters for your order or free translation, you may try http://babelfish.yahoo.com/. Many online translators may sometimes generate different results and some errors. To get more reliable results, it is better to try one English word at a time.

Word-by-Word translation will be provided when the order is completed. This Website does not provide free translation services.

5. Select Your Preferred Orientation of Chinese Characters

All Chinese calligraphy artworks in this Website are written in the traditional way: first from top to bottom, and then from right to left to retain the original spiritual beauty of this art. The numbers indicate the sequences of writing in the traditional and proper order.

Landscape (Horizontal)

Portrait (Vertical)

Let the calligrapher suggest

6. Signature & Seals

Would you like the calligrapher's signature and seal(s) added to the artwork?

• Please suggest for me "default"

• Yes

• No

The position of the Chinese calligrapher's signature and position(s) and number of seal(s) are to be determined according to traditional Chinese aesthetics. The customer will not be provided with choices in contrast to those established Chinese norms. You will not be charged for Joshua's signature and seal stamps; however, additional charge will apply if you add the recipient's name such as yours or other's. More or larger seals do not mean the work is more valuable.

7. Select Your Preferred Shipping Method

Click here for shipping rates and number of days to receive your order after payment.

a. United States Postal Service + Confirmation (3 Days First-Class Mail) - minimum rate of postage $8 "default"
b. United States Postal Service + Confirmation (2 Days Priority Mail)
c. United States Postal Service + Confirmation (Tomorrow by Noon - Express Mail)

d. UPS Ground + Confirmation (4 - 5 business days)
e. UPS Second Day Air + Confirmation
f. UPS Next Day Air + Confirmation