Working as a graphic designer in Japan goes far beyond visual style or cultural inspiration. Behind the scenes, the technical ecosystem of graphic design in Japan relies on workflows, tools and production standards that can differ significantly from those commonly used in Europe or North America.

After several years of professional practice as a graphic designer based in Japan, working on branding, packaging and printed materials, I have noticed a few technical differences that often come as a surprise to international designers and brands. These differences are not about taste or aesthetics, but about very concrete, everyday production realities.

1. Limited Use of InDesign Outside Editorial Design in Japan

During my first days as a designer employee in Japan, I was asked to design a leaflet for a department store. Quite naturally, I opened Adobe InDesign and spent the day building the layout.

When I handled my finished file to the rest of the team, everyone panicked.

No one knew how to use Indesign. The head designer himself did not even have InDesign installed on his computer. That was the moment, I realized I would have to rethink my entire technical habits.

In many European countries, Adobe InDesign is the default tool for structured layouts, from branding documents to packaging and commercial print materials. Even for web visuals like banner or Social media posts. At the time I finished my master degree, InDesign felt like an extension of my hand. I relied on it daily and never questioned that choice.

Don’t get me wrong : In design is widely used in Japan ! However, it is mainly used for editorial design, such as books, magazines and catalogs. Outside of the publishing field, many studios and printers expect files to be delivered in Adobe Illustrator, even for complex layouts.

After years in Japan barely opening InDesign, I had almost forgotten how to use it. When I later returned to freelance work with international clients and editorial publishers, I had to relearn it almost from scratch.

For designers trained in Europe or the US, where InDesign often sits at the core of print projects, this difference requires real adaptation. File preparation, layout logic and even client expectations can vary depending on local professional culture, making it essential to understand these habits early on.

2. Japanese Font Licenses and Subscription Based Catalogs

Font licensing is one of the most surprising challenges when working as a graphic designer in Japan.

Many professional Japanese fonts are distributed through large proprietary catalogs operated by major industry players such as DNP or Morisawa, a leading Japanese type foundry. Commercial access to these font libraries is often based on annual licensing or subscription models.

While these systems are extremely reliable and legally secure, the cost of accessing a broad range of Japanese typefaces can easily exceed several tens of thousands of yen per year, depending on usage conditions and the scope of the license.

Compared to the ecosystem of independent Latin type foundries, where fonts can often be licensed individually per weight, this model makes it more difficult to propose highly specific or uncommon typefaces, especially for projects with limited budgets.

As a result, font selection in Japan often becomes a careful balance between creative intention, licensing constraints and the libraries already available to studios or clients.

Understanding Japanese font licensing is essential, not only to avoid legal risks, but also to manage expectations clearly when designing brand identities, packaging or printed materials for the Japanese market.

3. Printing Standards and Production Workflows in Japan

Printing in Japan is widely known for its high level of technical precision, reliability and consistency. This quality is supported by highly optimized production workflows and a strong reliance on standardized formats.

Japanese printers often work with predefined paper sizes, cutting formats and production processes. Designing outside of these standards is technically possible, but it can quickly result in additional costs or production constraints.

For this reason, especially when budgets are limited, it is strongly recommended to verify available formats and technical specifications before starting the design phase. Discovering constraints at the production stage can lead to unpleasant surprises, technical compromises, or even the need to rethink an entire concept.

This procedural approach may feel restrictive to some international designers. In practice, it ensures predictable outcomes, smooth production and a very high level of execution quality.

These technical differences do not reflect better or worse practices. They simply highlight a distinct graphic design ecosystem in Japan, where tools, font licensing systems and production methods are deeply connected to local industry standards.

For international designers, understanding these constraints is key to successfully  navigate the Japanese design industry.

But isn’t adaptation at the core of our profession, whether it is cultural or technological ?  The relevance of Adobe itself is currently being questioned with the emergence of AI powered tools and alternative software such as Affinity. In this context, adapting to new workflows should not discourage designers who wish to work in a culturally different environment like Japan.