Ordering and lead times
Most suppliers in this category say “fast turnaround” and leave it there, which is useless if you are planning against a fixed date. Here are actual numbers, and the honest caveats attached to them.
| Standard turnaround | Around 5 working daysDepending on the specification and current workload. |
|---|---|
| Faster where possible | Many orders within 48 hoursMany, not all. It depends on quantity, specification and capacity. |
| Rush service | Available on requestA premium service, subject to availability and quotation. |
| Minimum order | 100 units |
Why we will not promise 48 hours
A lot of orders genuinely do complete within 48 hours. But turning that into a blanket guarantee would be dishonest, because whether it happens depends on three things we cannot know until you tell us: how many units, how complex the specification is, and what is already in the queue.
So the honest version is: standard turnaround is around 5 working days, faster is often possible, and the actual date gets confirmed in your quote rather than promised on a website.
What makes an order faster
- An unbranded order. No print stage, no proof cycle.
- One of our listed insert sizes. A settled size has nothing to work out; a custom insert size adds a step.
- Artwork that is ready. Print-ready vector files remove the back-and-forth entirely.
- A decided specification. Every open question adds a round trip, and round trips are usually where days go.
What makes it slower
- A non-standard size. Worth it when you need it, but it is not the fast path.
- A proof cycle. Almost always worth the time on a print run — just build it into your plan rather than discovering it.
- Artwork that needs work. Especially if approval has to go back through a brand team.
- Changing the quantity late. Common with events, and fine — but it resets some of the clock.
Plan backwards, and include transit
The commonest planning failure is budgeting for production and forgetting delivery. Production being finished on time is not the same as pouches being on the table.
Work backwards like this:
- The date you need them in hand.
- Minus transit to your destination.
- Minus production — around 5 working days as a planning figure.
- Minus a proof cycle, if you want one.
- That is your order-by date. Add a buffer if the date is immovable.
Delivery and export details are here, including what to tell us for an accurate transit estimate.
If your date is already tight
Say so first, before the specification. It changes what gets quoted, and it is better to know immediately whether a date is achievable than to find out after a day of emails.
If it genuinely cannot be done in the time available, you will be told that plainly. That is more useful than a maybe.
Reordering
Repeat orders are faster than first orders, because the specification is already settled and the artwork is already approved. If you are likely to reorder, it is worth keeping your quote reference — it saves re-describing everything.
Get your date confirmed
Send the specification with the date you are working to. You will get a real answer on whether it is achievable, not an optimistic one.