Perhaps a very dumb question but …
Shimano 11 speed chain - directional so the advice I’ve read is to have the writing on the outer face.
But … it seems (to me) there are still 2 ways to set it up like that:
A - writing is correct way up on the TOP portion of the chain as it runs from the top of the cassette to the chain ring; or ..
B - writing is correct way up on the BOTTOM portion of the chain as it runs from the bottom of the chain ring to the bottom pulley wheel of the rear derailleur.
Am I completely over thinking this or not?
I recently bought a new Shimano 12 Speed change and I had the same problem. According to my research, it does not matter if you choose A or B, it is only important that the writing is on the outside.
Previous shimano chains had an arrow for the direction. However, I inspected every link on my new one and was not able to find such an arrow. I would hope that shimano would indicate such a thing if it was important, like with tyres.
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Yes - this was the same on my 11-speed (105) chain - which is what triggered my thought process. 
Depends on the speed of chain but in Shimano 10/11/12 the writing is on the outside facing you as the cut outs on the left and right sides are different to correspond with shift ramps on the cassette and chainring. Does not have an up or a down, and in fact some of the outer plates with the writing will be upside down while the next one may be right side up. The master link may have an arrow and typically the arrow will point to the front of the bike or direction of chain travel when cranks are turned. Of course all this is different if one has newer SRAM but holds true for Shimano.
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As long as the writing is on the outside it functionally doesn’t matter which way up it is. Cosmetically it is very clear in my mind that the only correct way is for the writing to be the right way up along the top of the loop, and upside down on the bottom of the loop. Your OCD may vary.
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