breath

息

ㄒㄧˊ xí · mainland reads xī

Two versions of the same picture, and both are free with no account and no watermark. The first has no background at all, which is the one to send your artist — but a phone or computer photo viewer set to dark will show black strokes on dark grey and it can look like nothing downloaded. If that happens, use the second one: identical characters on a plain white background. Either way you get the characters on their own — the square and the faint guide lines you see above are not in the file. Each character is 1000px, so a two-character download is 2000×1000, and the script and layout are the ones you picked.

Script

Characters

Layout

One breath in and out. The Chinese character for it also means to rest, and the connection is not accidental.

Before you commit

Choose with care息 has a busy commercial life - 利息 is interest and 信息 is information. Breath is only one of several readings on offer.

Pairs well with一息 is a single breath and 生息 is living and breathing. Either pairing points the reading toward breath rather than banking.

At small sizesTen strokes: 自 stacked over 心. Upright and stable, and it holds together well when reduced.

Meaning

Breath; to rest, to cease; also interest on money.

Breath and rest share one character - 休息 is to take a break.

Other characters for “breath”

What to do next

Pick the script and layout you want above, download the PNG, and send that file to your artist. Ask them to work from the file rather than redrawing the character freehand — that is where strokes go missing.

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