ENTRY

＊Early Submission refers to entries submitted by September 3, 23:59 Japan Standard Time, in which all data intended to be submitted by the applicant is submitted in full. Please note that any additional entries, including submission of missing data, made after the initial submission will be treated as “Final Submission,” and an additional entry fee will be charged. Images may not be resubmitted or replaced after submission.

① No special qualifications are required to submit an entry. TDC requires that applicants be the Type Director of the entry works.

② In terms of time period, in principle, the submitted works should have been created or presented between September 2024 and the application deadline. However, the work may be submitted if the work, or part of a series of works, was created, presented, or used during this period and has not been submitted for this award in the past.

③ Projects that use unauthorized, existing company, brand or artist names may not be submitted.

④ Entries must be submitted independenftly and individually by the applicant. Entries may not be submitted by a parent or guardian on behalf of the applicant. In the case of student works, instructors’ names will not be credited. However, projects from universities or other educational institutions that can be regarded as a single independent work may be submitted under a team name in the “Experimental Work” category. (Note: Works such as posters created by multiple students under the same theme cannot be submitted as a team entry and must be submitted individually.)

1. Small Graphics

Calendar, Record Jacket, Flier, Ticket, Invitation, DM, Catalog, Pamphlet etc.

2. Editorial / Book Design

3. Type Design

4. Mark & Logotype / CorporateStationery / Branding

Mark & Logo / Logotype and items using it, Motion Logo, CI, VI, Corporate stationery, Brand design including logo. Advertisement in Branding must be submitted to category 6.

5. Signage & Display / Packaging

Make an entry of digital signage in the Signage & Display category if wish to show work as a space.

6. Advertising

Newspaper & Magazine Advertisement / Poster A = Advertising Poster / Advertising Campaign / Advertising Motion Poster, etc.

7. Poster B

For poster entries not included in category 6. / Motion Poster

Independently produced posters and experimental posters should be submitted to Poster B category, not to “Experimental Work”.

8. Experimental Work

Works that are considered more suitable to be named “Experimental Work” than other category names. This includes installations, art pieces, and projects.

9. Web site / Application

10. Video (Music video, live video, movie title, film advertising, digital signage, and spatial/background video, etc.)  

Digital signage that you want to be seen as video art should also be submitted in this category.

11. RGB Experimental

For entries not included in the category 9,10. Experimental works using AI is included.

① Early November, 2025 = Excellent Work for Category 1,2,4,5,6,7,8 will be chosen.

→If chosen as Excellent Work, the applicant are requested to send in their physical work to TDC office.

→Mid December, 2025, Prize Nominee Work and Prize Winning Work will be chosen from viewing and evaluating the physical works of Excellent Work.

* In principle, the physical works will not be returned. If you wish, they will be returned at your expense.

② Mid December 2025 = Excellent Work, Prize Nominee Work, Prize Winning Work are selected for Category 3,9,10,11.

③ Mid-December 2025, the prize nominee works for all categories and the prize works will be decided.

④ Late December, 2025 = Prize winners are notified.

⑤ January, 2026 = Prize Winning Work and Prize Nominee Work will be published on TDC Website.

⑥ Late January, 2026 = Applicant of Excellent Works will be requested to send in images and caption manuscript. Non-selected applicant will be notified.

⑦ Last February = The Excellent Work will be published on the website.

* Inquiries concerning the results by individual will not be replied.

Prize Winning Works and Prize Nominee Works will be exhibited at TDC exhibition. Excellent Works which earn high marks is also exhibited. Exhibition will be held in April 2026 at the Ginza Graphic Gallery in Tokyo. Award ceremony and Design Forum TDC DAY will be held. Overseas exhibitions will be held as opportunities arise.

* Showings at other exhibitions not specified here are considered to be approved by applicant without permission.

The international edition of Tokyo TDC, Vol.37 – The Best in International Typography & Design will be published in the fall of 2026.

* No complimentary copies of the annual book will be provided.

Grand Prize: 1 entry / TDC Prize: 6 entries / Type Design Prize: 1 entry / Book Design Prize: 1 entry / RGB Prize: 1 entry / Special Prize (not subject to prize money): 0 – 2 entries

Applicant of Prize Winning Works will receive their prize money and diploma at the award ceremony at TDC exhibition in April 2026.

Grand Prize: 200000 JPY / Other Prizes: 100000 JPY

*If a work submitted by a member of the TDC Annual Awards Committee (i.e., an officer elected by the TDC membership) is highly rated, it will be considered for the Special Prize and Grand Prize only (no prize money awarded).

“Excellent Work” is around 480 works selected from 3800 entries, and they will be appeared in the annual book. The top around 80 works out of 480, which were nominated for the prize but did not win, are called “Prize Nominee Work”.

* A certification of the result (digital file) will be sent to the above applicant by e-mail.

Katsumi Asaba / Baku Hashimoto / Tsuguya Inoue / Yoko Inoue / Taeko Isu / Gabin Ito / Aki Kanai / Kaoru Kasai / Atsuki Kikuchi / Dohyung Kim / Issay Kitagawa / Kitasenju Design / Akira Kobayashi / Anna Kulachek / Gento Matsumoto / Yugo Nakamura / Daijiro Ohara / Yukimasa Okumura / Akiko Sekimoto / Katsuhiko Shibuya / Shin Sobue / Mina Tabei / Yui Takada / Ryoji Tanaka / Yoshihisa Tanaka / Ryosuke Uehara / Yuri Uenishi / John Warwicker / Yoshie Watanabe / Natsuko Yoneyama / Guang Yu

Veronika Burian / Shigenobu Fujita / Chorong Kim / Akira Kobayashi / Ryoko Nishizuka / Shin Sobue / Osamu Torinoumi / Wen Wang

Katsumi Asaba / HeiQuicci Harata / Tsuguya Inoue / Kaoru Kasai / Yuko Miyago / Tania Prill / John Warwicker / Sharon Werner

Yae Akaiwa (exonemo) / Natsumi Aoyagi / Baku Hashimoto / Yurie Hata / Gabin Ito / Atsuki Kikuchi / Gento Matsumoto / Yugo Nakamura / Ryoji Tanaka

*Applicant’s name and country/region will not be visible at the jury.

*Jurors cannot vote for their own entries and entries by students instructed directly by jurors.

▶︎ TOKYO TDC 2026 Entry Registration (Google Forms)

Register the applicant’s name and personal information, with an outline of the submission (category, title, intended use & design intention, created date of the work, data to be submitted, Categories 6, 7 and 8 are based on the main item sizes of the works.). For works that have not reached physical production or are based on an assumed client, be sure to clearly write “Prototype” at the beginning of the title.

* Please do not write the applicant’s name or company in the intended use & design intention.
* If you submit multiple entries, number them as 1, 2, 3.., as the “Entry No”.
* For those unable to use Google Forms, please download this PDF and email an entry registration.

E-mail : contact@tokyotypedirectorsclub.org
Subject : TOKYO TDC 2026 Entry Registration

When entry registration is completed, TDC will issue one Entry ID per one applicant (within a day). Entry ID will be sent via email. (Note: Multiple entry IDs will not be issued to the same applicant. The same ID must be used for any corrections or additions.)
*If there are any corrections to the entry registration, send the corrected portion by e-mail to Tokyo TDC.

3-1. Prepare the data. Please refer to the diagram below.
Name the folder in which you put your data, as follows:
“Category No_your Entry ID_Entry No”
Ex. 04_F321_01

3-2. Put all the submitted works in one folder and ZIP them.

3-3. Log into your Google account.
* Please sign up for a Google account if not yet.

3-4. After logging in, enter your Entry ID.
▶︎ TOKYO TDC 2026 Works Data

The Entry ID and email address used for registration are required.

Click “Add a file,” put all the entries in one folder, ZIP them, and then upload them.

* If you cannot sign up, upload data to an available data transmission service or your server and inform the secretariat via email of the URL from which the data can be downloaded.
E-mail : contact@tokyotypedirectorsclub.org
Subject : TOKYO TDC 2026 Works Data “(your) Entry ID”

* Replacing or deleting data for submitted image is unavailable. Please take care for careful submission.
* The term “file” here refers to singular JPEG, PDF, etc., (i.e., a “file” as the smallest unit of stored collected data); meaning, the term does not refer to a folder containing multiple files or to a compressed ZIP folder.

PDF

◉ “Video Work” refers to the work itself or the video contained within the work. An additional fee is required for this.

◉ “Explanatory Video” refers to a video within one minute in length that can be additionally attached in order to show the print texture or to promote the understanding of a book, etc. (around 50 MB limit). Submission is optional, and no additional entry fee is required. (An additional fee will be required if the video is more than one minute in length.)

Explanatory Video sample_1

Explanatory Video sample_2

A. We will not withdraw the selected entries. It lacks impact , but a simplified output will be laid out for the final judging panel. (For works that have not reached physical production or are based on an assumed client, be sure to clearly write “Prototype” at the beginning of the title. If there are special circumstances, please notify us by email.)

A. We do not have strict rule. But it would be hard to appreciate the work if a JPEG file was excessive in content. please see the example image as mentioned above as a guideline for reference. Because we select works via a monitor, it is desirable if the digital data (excluding posters) is in the horizontal position. Because we select works via a monitor, it is desirable if the digital data (excluding posters) is in the horizontal position.

A. Yes, it can. Please enter the entrant names as the applicant’s name Type Director. However, enter a group name, etc., if four or more persons jointly submit one work.

A. If you wish to submit more than 15 images, please add 20 USD to your entry fee per 5 images. (Example of Final Submission, submit 17 images=entry fee 130 USD / submit 23 images = 150 USD.)

A. Please add: within three minutes= 15 USD / longer than three minutes= 30 USD.

A. Please use the same entry ID to make multiple entry registrations, and indicate “2nd registration” or “3rd registration”, etc. in the remarks space.

A. Yes.

① The applicant’s name must be the Type Director’s name of the work. We will give our award to the person. You can not add or change the name after hearing the competition result. Please make sure that the correct name is used when submitting your work.

② The Tokyo TDC Annual Awards is designed to pursue the possibility of visual expression of letters/characters. It does not exist to attack any individual or certain group. We will not accept the following types of entries:
• Entries that defame a specific individual(s), group(s), etc.
• Entries promoting political or religious activities.
• Entries that infringe or may possibly infringe on a third party’s intellectual property rights (copyrights, trademark rights, portrait rights, etc.) and entries that the Tokyo TDC judges as inappropriate (entries that are offensive to public order and morals, for example); the Tokyo TDC may cancel an award, nomination and selection for the annual book if it finds an entry applicable to these stipulations.
* If the suspicion of the infringement of a third party’s rights arises after the entry is included in the annual book, the applicant shall be responsible for handling the problem with the third party, and the Tokyo TDC will not take any responsibility.
* Fictitious designs using the name of an existing company or exhibition graphics using the name of an actual artist without permission will not be accepted.

③ Applicant grant TDC the right to reproduce the images of entries for promotional purposes, advance to having their works exhibited at other exhibitions besides those mentioned in the submission requirements and advance to having their works published in the TDC Annual Book digital archives.

④ The layout of the annual book and Exhibition is done in accordance with the editing format and policy of the TDC annual book and Exhibition. We will not accommodate special requests from applicant. Due to technical and organizational constraints, TDC reserves the right to determine the trimming and cutout of the images requested by the annual book’s designer without permission from the applicants. TDC will photograph the entry works if need be.

⑤ The award organizer will begin the necessary work to review your entry immediately after you submit it. If you wish to cancel your entry, even immediately after submission, you must pay the entry fee.

* If additional entries are received after the Early Submission has been accepted, all entries will be retroactively classified as “Final Submission” and the entry fee will be added.
* The entry fee should be calculated for each entry.
* About the Student Rate: Applicants must be enrolled as students at the time of submitting to this competition. Additionally, individuals who are working professionally as designers are not eligible to apply at the student rate, even if they are currently attending school.

①  Category 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

JPEG 1-8 images: 35 USD (student 20 USD)/ 9-15 images: 65 USD (student 40 USD)

② Category 3 PDF 2-6 sheets: 70 USD (student 50 USD)

③ Category 3 “Video Work (Variable fonts)”: 15 USD

④ Category 4 “Video Work (Motion Logo)”: 15 USD

⑤ Category 6, 7 “Video Work (Motion Poster)”: 15 USD

⑥ Category 9 Web site/Application: 35 USD (student 20 USD)

⑦ Category 10, 11 MOV/MP4: Within 3 minutes: 35 USD (student 20 USD)/ 3 minutes or more: 60 USD (student 35 USD)

•Adding additional JPEG and PDF images for Series Entry= 20 USD for every 5 images
•If the “Explanatory Video” is longer than 1 minute : under 3 minutes= additional 15 USD/over 3 minutes= additional 30 USD

①  Category 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
JPEG 1-8 images: 60 USD (student 30 USD)/ 9-15 images: 110 USD (student 70 USD)

② Category 3 PDF 2-6 sheets: 110 USD (student 70 USD)

③ Category 3 “Video Work (Variable fonts)”: 15 USD

④ Category 4 “Video Work (Motion Logo)”: 15 USD

⑤ Category 6, 7 “Video Work (Motion Poster)”: 15 USD

⑥ Category 9 Web site/Application: 55 USD (student 30 USD)

⑦ Category 10, 11 MOV/MP4: Within 3 minutes: 55 USD (student 30 USD)/ 3 minutes or more: 110 USD (student 70 USD)

•Adding additional JPEG and PDF images for Series Entry= 20 USD for every 5 images
•If the “Explanatory Video” is longer than 1 minute : under 3 minutes= additional 15 USD / over 3 minutes= additional 30 USD

• Entry fee calculation examples are provided here:

Calculate the entry fee and pay under the applicant’s name. Enter the entry ID in “Add a note”.

Early Submission= by September 4, 2025.
Final Submission= by October 2, 2025.

Please access the URL below.
https://www.paypal.me/tokyotdc

　① Enter the sum of entry fees.

　② Login to your PayPal account.

　③ Make payment via credit card.

* For Singapore residents : Please contact us by e-mail as the remittance PayPal account is different.

You may request a receipt by sending us a mail with the applicant’s name, the receipt addressee, and the amount paid. We will send a return mail with the receipt attached.
Contact address: contact@tokyotypedirectorsclub.org
Subject : TOKYO TDC 2026 Receipt request

contact@tokyotypedirectorsclub.org