Born in Lutsao, Chiayi County in 1942, Chen journeyed to Taipei on his own in search of work after graduating from primary school. At 13, a counselor with a career placement service in the area just north of the Taipei Station asked him, "Do you want to learn to make ink?"
陳嘉德，一九四二年生於嘉義鹿草，國小畢業後，獨自到台北找工作，十三歲的他來到後火車站的職業介紹所，介紹所人員隨口問他：「要不要學作墨？」