Questions, answered

Short answers to what people ask before ordering. If yours is not here, write to service@mzen.ink — a person answers within two business days.

Is every piece really written by hand?

Yes. The brushwork is brushed by one hand and the seals are carved with a knife. The pictures on this site are typeset layout previews, labelled “排版示意 / layout preview”; the piece you receive is real ink or real carving and will differ from the preview in stroke weight, ink shade and stone colour. That difference is the work, not a defect.

How long until it ships?

About 7 days of hand work after you approve the characters, then 7–15 business days in tracked transit (a little longer for addresses away from the US coast). Plan on roughly three weeks from order to door. We do not promise same-day writing or express making, because nothing exists before you order it.

Can I approve the characters before you write?

Always. You send the characters or the meaning; we send a proof by email; nothing is brushed or carved until you say yes. You may cancel for a full refund at any point before that yes. After the yes the piece is made to order and the refund policy applies.

I do not read Chinese. How do I choose characters?

Tell us the name, the meaning or the sentence you want to keep. We propose characters with their pronunciation and meaning, explain alternatives, and wait for your choice. We never invent a dialect recording or a family history; where no authentic branch recording exists, you get the map and the text, honestly.

What is the half-slip pairing code?

Each half of a half-slip carries half a sentence and half a riding seal. The locked screen on the companion card shows a pairing code; enter it in the “Pairing code” field at checkout so the missing half is matched to the same batch and ink. Keep the code with the half you own — it is the only reliable way to pair a refill later.

How does the NFC card work? Is my voice uploaded?

The chip lives in the companion card, never in the paper or the seal. You record the note and tap the card; the audio and picture stay on the chip. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and we cannot listen to it. If a card arrives dead, we replace it within the thirty-day window.

What about customs and duties?

Parcels leave Quanzhou by tracked international courier and are declared at actual value. Import duties, taxes and customs handling are the buyer’s; we do not under-declare, and we do not promise a delivery date before customs.

Can I return it?

Cancel free at any time before you approve the characters. After delivery, you have thirty days for damage, a wrong character or a dead chip: we remake first, and refund in full when a remake cannot fix it. Made-to-order pieces are not returned for a change of mind after the ink has moved. The full terms are on the Refund & Returns page.

How do I pay?

Checkout currently offers a PayPal invoice: place the order, and we email a PayPal invoice to your billing address within one business day. Nothing is charged until you pay it, and your piece enters the queue when the invoice is paid. Card checkout through PayPal and LianLian Global is being connected; when it opens, it will appear at checkout with no change to your order.

Do you take bulk or corporate orders?

Yes, for teams, galleries and family gatherings — but every piece is still written by hand, so the lead time grows with the number of pieces. Write to service@mzen.ink with the quantity, the wording and the date you need; we will tell you honestly what one hand can finish.

Where is my data kept?

Order records and your custom text are kept on our own servers, and the details are on the Privacy Policy page. You can ask for a copy or deletion at any time on the data rights page.