A few answers,
quietly given.

When will I receive my print?

Each print is made to order. Production takes two to three working days, then it goes in the post.

How long the post takes depends on how close our nearest press is to you. Where we print inside your own country, a week to two weeks from ordering is usual. Where the parcel has to travel from another country, allow three to four weeks.

Where do you ship from?

From wherever is closest to you. We work with a print partner whose production network spans dozens of countries across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, and your order goes to the facility nearest your address.

This is not only faster. It means most prints are made and delivered inside your own country and never cross a border at all.

How much is shipping?

Free, worldwide, on every order. No threshold to reach and nothing added at checkout — the price on the print is the price you pay.

Do you ship to my country?

We currently ship to twenty-nine countries across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania. If yours is not offered at checkout, write to us — we would rather hear from you than lose you quietly.

Will I have to pay customs or import charges?

Usually not. Because your print is made in the country it is delivered to, most orders never pass through customs.

Where we have no local facility, your print is sent from the nearest country that does. In that case import VAT, duty or a carrier handling fee may be charged on delivery. Those are set by your own customs authority, are not included in our prices, and we cannot refund them.

Can I track my order?

Yes. As soon as your print is in the post, a tracking link arrives by email.

What size should I choose?

A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm — for shelves, desks, a narrow wall, a small room. Quiet, intimate, and the size most people already own a frame for.

50 × 70 cm — the gallery size. Living rooms, bedrooms, above a bed or a sofa. A statement without dominating the room.

If you are unsure, measure the wall first. 50 × 70 is a considerable object in a small room, and A4 disappears on a large one.

What paper is it printed on?

One paper. A premium matte stock — no gloss, no sheen, nothing that catches the light and competes with the line. The warm off-white is part of the design rather than a background to it.

We considered offering a choice of stocks. We would rather send one paper we are certain of.

Does it come framed?

No. Every print ships unframed — A4 flat in rigid packaging, 50 × 70 rolled in a tube. Three reasons: the shipping is cheaper and that saving is yours, a frame is a personal choice about your room and not ours, and glass changes how a matte surface reads.

What frame should I use?

Anything matte and slim. We recommend natural ash, oak, or birch at 1.5–2 cm width, with no mount board — the paper colour is meant to run to the frame edge.

Both our sizes are standard, so ready-made frames fit without trimming. IKEA's Ribba and Knoppäng both come in 21 × 29.7 cm and 50 × 70 cm. For something finer, any framer will have light oak in stock.

Will it fade?

The stock and the inks are made for art printing rather than office use. Kept out of prolonged direct sunlight, a print will hold its tone for many years. Hung opposite a south-facing window, any print on any paper will eventually shift — ours included.

How is it packaged?

In a sturdy cardboard tube with paper-wrapped ends. No plastic.

How accurate is the star map?

The chart shows the bright stars exactly where they stood above the horizon at the moment and the place you choose. Positions come from the Hipparcos catalogue, measured by satellite for the European Space Agency — the same data professional astronomers work from.

Which stars do you draw?

The naked-eye stars — those bright enough that you could have picked them out yourself, had you looked up. The familiar figures among them are joined by line: Orion, the Plough, Cassiopeia, the Cross and a dozen more.

Can I use any city?

Yes. Major cities are recognised instantly. For smaller places we look the coordinates up. If nothing is found, add the country — "Akureyri, Iceland" resolves where the name alone might not.

What time should I enter?

Local time at the place you are commemorating. A wedding at four in the afternoon in Paris is 16:00. A birth at two in the morning in Tokyo is 02:00. The conversion to astronomical time is ours to handle.

Will the chart show stars during the day?

Yes. It shows the stars that were above the horizon at that moment, whether or not daylight hid them. A two o'clock afternoon anniversary produces a chart as full as a two o'clock morning one. The stars were there. We draw them.

Can I see it before I buy?

Always. Enter a date and a city on the Custom Edition page and the sky appears immediately. What you see is what is printed, drawn to scale — the only difference is the watermark, which the print does not carry.

What if I made a typo on the date?

Write to us within twenty-four hours and we can usually correct it before printing begins. After that the print may already be in motion, but tell us anyway — we will do what we can.

What does the persimmon ring mark?

The brightest star above you at that moment, from that place. Your anchor in the chart — the first one the eye finds.

What payment methods do you accept?

The methods shown at checkout, which depend on your country. Whatever you use, the payment is processed by our provider — we never see or store your card details.

Can I return my print?

The twelve zodiac prints, yes. If you are a consumer in the EU, the UK, Iceland or Norway you have fourteen days from delivery to change your mind, no reason needed. Email us, send it back unused in its packaging, and we refund the price and the original standard shipping. Return postage is yours.

The Custom Edition is the exception. It is calculated from your date and your place and cannot be offered to anyone else, so once production begins it cannot be returned. Please check your inputs before ordering.

What if my print arrives damaged?

Photograph it where it landed, still in or near the packaging, and email us within fourteen days. We send a replacement at no cost and you keep the original. This applies to the Custom Edition too.

Can I change my order after placing it?

Within twenty-four hours, usually yes — production has generally not started. After that the print may already be made.

My parcel is late. What now?

If you are more than two weeks past the estimated delivery date, email us and we will chase the carrier. If the print is confirmed lost, we send a free replacement.

Can I get an invoice for business or VAT?

Of course. Reply to your order confirmation and we will send one.

Where are you based?

The capital region of Iceland, in the north of the world.

Why a Japanese aesthetic from Iceland?

The brand grew from one observation: that Japanese minimalism and Nordic restraint share a thread — negative space as a form of attention. The night sky over the north, drawn in the tradition of tea-room scrolls and woodblock prints. Two distant cultures of less.

Who makes these?

A small studio in Reykjavík, Iceland, with print partners around the world. Every line was placed by hand. Every print is made to order.

Can I commission custom work?

For now the Custom Edition is the only personalised piece. For larger projects — a series, a wedding, a commission for a space — write to us. We consider every reasonable request.

How can I reach you?

By email: hello@seizanorth.com. We answer within a day or two, often the same day.