Questions for the engraver

What, precisely, am I getting?

A name at curltact.holtzhost.com/my-name (replace *my-name* with whatever you like). Point anything at it: curl, wget, openssl, a browser, even PowerShell - and the ANSI contact card comes back. It's a business card that lives at a URL and renders your customized card and information.

Why would I curl a business card?

Because it's frictionless and a little magic. Paper cards get lost in pockets, ruined, and they require manual data entry. We stripped all of that away. Your card is clean, lightweight, and instantly accessible. It’s just you and your information, leaving a memorable impression. And it isn't curl-only - our curl page lists every way to fetch it, from wget to Powershell, you're covered no matter what.

Do my contacts need a special app to view my card?

Not at all! We firmly believe in zero bloat. Nobody wants to download yet another app just to save a contact. Because our cards run on universal web standards, they work natively on virtually any smartphone, tablet, or computer. If their device can open a link, it can view your card. It’s that simple.

Do I need anything to start?

No, not outside of a GitLab or GitHub account. The house engravers honor their federated identity (GitHub or GitLab).

Why do you require sign in?

We engrave by federated login: sign in with GitHub or GitLab. Minting thousands of cards is quite difficult, we practice the principles set by our OAuth elders: accounts cost more than a thousand throwaway emails, so the riff-raff stays at the door and the guild principles stand strong.

Do you keep my password?

What's that? Please dont print your passwords on these cards. If GitHub or GitLab vouches for you, that's all we need; we only keep your purchased particulars, seals, skins, and Extended Card capability.

What can the address of my curl card be?

Lowercase letters, numbers, and a few hyphens: 6 to 32 characters, no leading or trailing hyphens.

I deleted my card to pick a different name. Why won't it let me claim a new one?

One engraving per patron: melt yours down and you're free to commission a new name, but new-name claims are capped at 5 every 4 hours so the shop can't be used to squat on names. Trying a name, changing your mind, and picking a different one is completely normal and won't get you close to that limit; it exists for scripted abuse, not for you.

How much fits on a card?

Every plate is struck to the same width, so it never wraps in a standard 80-column terminal. Working down the card:

• Your name across the top: 72 characters. A little less when a seal is equipped, since the seal's emblem shares that line.
• The label on each line (the bit before the colon): 32 characters on a Standard Card, 47 on an Extended Card.
• The value on each line: whatever the label leaves. That's the trade, and it's why the Standard label is the shorter of the two: a long label eats its own line.
• Lines: 5 on a Standard Card, 50 on an Extended Card.

The engraver stops you at each of these while you type, so nothing you commission is trimmed behind your back. Type past one and the workshop simply won't take the extra.

Not to be confused with the address of your card, which is a separate 6 to 32 characters. That's the bit after the slash; these are what's struck on the plate.

Can I engrave a PGP key or a long crypto address?

Yes. Each line is a single engraving, so a value too long for a single plate (a Monero address, a GPG key) is printed in full on the Extended Card; the free Standard Card trims it to fit. Or split it across a few lines, or flatten it. It's a business card, not a filing cabinet, but the long stuff fits.

What's a "seal"? What's a "skin"?

A seal is a cosmetic emblem: the terminal graphic ($ ▌) is a good example, more are available. A skin is a full styled theme for the card: border shape, corners, and colors together. Bought once, switch them out based on the season or your mood.

Is the free one actually free?

Yes. The Standard Card (your name and five lines) is free: no trial, no clock, nothing to cancel. We survive on donations and the additions you can add to the card - seals/skins and extended length.

Does extended length ever expire?

No. It's a one-time purchase, same as any seal or skin. There is no expiry date, nothing to renew, and you are never billed again.

What are the "Sponsored" seals and skins?

Branded engravings a company pays the shop to offer. They cost you nothing, they work on any card including the free one, and once you take one it stays on your account even after that sponsor moves on. The section only appears when a sponsor is currently on the books.

Can my company sponsor a seal or skin?

Yes. Sponsors pay for a time period to put their seal or skin in front of every patron, free for them to use. Get in touch below.

Can I just … give you money?

You can. Purchase an extended length card, or the seals/skins. They're priced to cover the shop's costs, not to squeeze anyone, but if you'd like to leave something extra in the jar, see our donate page for a few ways to do it.

How do I contact you?

Email contact@curltact.com. That's the front door for everything: sponsorships, support, and anything else on your mind.