Need help, making business card

[Sumisu]

I already have my name and position in katakana. プログラマー (programmer)

My location is USA. I will be handing these out to people while in Japan. Should I put the country code on my biz card where the phone number goes? (and what is the country code?) It doesn't look like the examples I've seen are putting the country code though.

Should I translate the company name or leave it in english? It is Precision Machining, Inc.

I will have a phone number and a fax number on the card. Is there a kanji I can put next to each number to denote that one is for phone and one is for fax?

[Bucko]

Don't think this is an appropriate place to ask about business card design. For what it's worth though, the US country code is 1. Don't try and translate the company name into Japanese, you won't get it right. Putting it into katakana might be ok though: プレシジョン・マシーニング. Most Japanese business cards just have Tel: and Fax: for phone and fax. See http://www.itoen.co.jp/news/2008/img/050802.jpg

[clay]

Don't forget your email. I think prospective contacts would rather reach you the free way before making an international call. You may want to add a Skype name too.

[chikara]

..... Don't try and translate the company name into Japanese, you won't get it right. Putting it into katakana might be ok though: プレシジョン・マシーニング. ...

Putting the company name into katakana is definitely the way to go.

..... Most Japanese business cards just have Tel: and Fax: for phone and fax. ....

Agree, almost all of the Japanese business cards I have collected over the years have TEL: and FAX: and more recently E-mail: on the Japanese side.

[Sumisu]

In the example posted, there is the post office kanji in front of the mailing address. Should I add that too?
I suppose I'll use TEL and FAX instead of kanji if that is the standard and understandable.
I'm not going to include the country code.

I found this on WWJDIC:
精密加工 【せいみつかこう】 (n) precision machining; precision cutting
The company name is ABC Precision Machining. Do you think it would make sense to say ABC 精密加工

[chikara]

.....I found this on WWJDIC:
精密加工 【せいみつかこう】 (n) precision machining; precision cutting
The company name is ABC Precision Machining. Do you think it would make sense to say ABC 精密加工

No. If someone rings expecting "エービーシーせいみつかこう" and the phone is answered "エービーシープレシジョン・マシーニング" will they know they are the same?

[clay]

I agree. Stick to katakana to save confusion. But you could make up a short Japanese slogan which explains what your business is all about.

[Sumisu]

oh, that makes sense. although, should precision be puREshijon or puRIshijon? is this sort of open to interpretation or is that a standard katakana word?
thank you for all the help


edit- clay, i like the idea of the "slogan," that would allow me to use the kanji I provided above.

[chikara]

..... should precision be puREshijon or puRIshijon? is this sort of open to interpretation or is that a standard katakana word? ......

I would use プレシジョン

As in セイコープレシジョン and キヤノンプレシジョン to name just two

....... The company name is ABC Precision Machining. Do you think it would make sense to say ABC 精密加工

I was just talking to a friend of mine who worked as a PA to a senior executive at the now defunct Mitsubishi Motors plant here. I asked her if she ever answered the phone "Three Diamonds" when taking calls from the parent company in Japan

[keatonatron]

I'm not going to include the country code.

The country code for the US is the same as dialing long distance within the US: 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx. Make sure you include the whole thing.

For the company name, if there is room, I would put everything:

ABC Precision Machining
エービーシープレシジョン・マシーニング
精密加工

Put the English name in big letters, the katakana in slightly smaller letters, and the kanji description in small, bold letters. You could maybe even go with 精密加工専門店, although if your job doesn't actually involve you doing the machining, it might be confusing.

[chikara]

It is quite common to have double sided meishi, Japanese on one side, English on the other.

[Sumisu]

You could maybe even go with 精密加工専門店, although if your job doesn't actually involve you doing the machining, it might be confusing.

ABC is indeed a machine shop. I translated what you wrote and it means precision machining specialist shop. I think that sounds perfect. Thanks.

[Sumisu]

my biz card is looking perfect expect for one little thing. I'm having a hard time fitting all this on one line:
エービーシープレシジョン・マシーニング

Is there a way I can shorten this? And should there be a ・ rather than a ー before プレシジョン ?
So it would look like this: エービーシ・プレシジョン・マシーニング
Can I shorten it to this? (probably not, as they would think abc(ebishi) is all one word)
エビシ・プレシジョン・マシーニング
OR
ABC プレシジョン・マシーニング
^^I'm thinking this one is best

[astaroth]

Is there a way I can shorten this? And should there be a ・ rather than a ー before プレシジョン ?
So it would look like this: エービーシ・プレシジョン・マシーニング

That ー is for pronunciation not for separating words like ・
So the answer to your question, I think, is "no".

ABC プレシジョン・マシーニング

I think that would be better if you can't fit everything in your meishi.

But what about remove ・ altogether, so:
エービーシープレシジョンマシーニング
I think that's still readable ...

[Sumisu]

I put ABC then the katakana.

One last question. For the job title I want to put network administrator. This doesnt have to be in katakana. No clue what it would be in kanji...working on this...

got this far: network ネットワーク
what does the small "shi" mean after the Ne? how is this different than a hyphen?

this might work after network: 運営者 【うんえいしゃ】 (n) manager; administrator