Short answer: you can start with OPUS even if your artwork is not finished. A photo, a logo, a color palette, or a rough idea is enough for the first conversation.
The goal is not to paste a picture onto every tile and hope for the best. A good custom set still needs to be easy to read, comfortable to play, and consistent from the first tile to the last. OPUS builds complete 160-tile American mahjong sets with 10 jokers, then adds your identity through color, tile backs, engraving, and selected decorative artwork.
You do not need a finished design
Many customers arrive with one sentence: “I want a pink set inspired by my dog,” or “Can you use our club logo?” That is a perfectly good starting point. Send the reference you have, explain who the set is for, and tell us where it will be used.
If you already have a logo or illustration, a vector file is helpful. If you only have a clear photo, send the highest-resolution version you can find. The design team can simplify fine lines, adjust contrast, and make the artwork work on a real tile instead of treating it like a flat screen graphic.
What can you customize?
• Face, edge, and tile-back colors
• Solid, framed, or monogram-style tile backs
• A name, initials, date, or short engraving up to 16 characters
• A logo or original artwork on the tile backs
• Optional custom artwork for selected Jokers and Flowers
• Coordinated racks, pushers, dice trays, Charleston helpers, and storage when included in the quote
The playing faces stay recognizable for American mahjong. That matters more than it sounds. A set can feel completely personal without making players pause to figure out whether a tile is a Bam, Dot, Crak, Wind, or Dragon.
PLA or acrylic?
Choose the material around the way you actually play. Floating PLA is light, tactile, and made for poolside or patio games. Acrylic-back sets feel more polished and catch the light beautifully, which makes them a natural choice for gifts, weddings, display, and indoor game nights.
Neither option is “better” for everyone. If water and easy carrying matter most, look at PLA. If you want a jewel-like back and a more elevated finish, acrylic is usually the better fit.
How the custom process works
1. Send your idea, artwork, preferred colors, approximate quantity, destination, and need-by date.
2. Choose the material and confirm what is included in the quote.
3. Review the digital design. The current design service includes up to three rounds of revisions.
4. Approve the final proof in writing. Nothing should move to production before this step.
5. Pay the remaining balance, then production begins. Shipping time is added after dispatch.
Pricing and timing in plain English
The current Custom Mahjong Design Service is $299. It covers design work only and normally takes about seven days after OPUS receives your complete requirements. Physical tiles, production, and shipping are not included in that design-only purchase.
For the current $599 custom acrylic set, the $299 design payment counts toward the total. The remaining $300 is due after you approve the final design and before production. Group and volume projects use separate pricing.
After proof approval, group projects are generally made in about 10 days. Shipping is additional and depends on the destination. If you have an event date, share it before design begins. Also ask before requesting changes after final approval, because production may already be underway and the price or schedule may need to change.
What should you send first?
• Your artwork, logo, photo, or mood board
• Two or three colors you already like
• The name, date, or initials you want to use
• Your preferred material
• How many sets you may need
• Your delivery city and need-by date
• Confirmation that you own or have permission to use the artwork
Ready to start?
You do not have to solve every design decision before you contact us. Send the part you are sure about, even if that is only a color and a story. We can take it from there, show you a proof, and make sure the finished set still plays the way an American mahjong set should.
Start in the OPUS Custom Studio, or purchase the design service when you are ready to begin.