Production Timing
Turnaround Times, Cutoffs, Mailing Dates, and In-Hands Estimates
Turnaround times are estimates until we confirm file readiness, proof status, materials, postage and payment, and available production capacity. Once files, approvals and postage are in, we confirm the production, mailing and in-hands dates on your job.
Production timetable
| Turnaround type | Order cutoff | Shipped by / pickup ready | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 business days | 9:00 AM Pacific Time, final proof approval received | By end of day | Rush: certain products, up to a set quantity; the order form offers it where it applies |
| 4-5 business days | 12:00 PM (noon) Pacific Time, final order approval | By end of day | Standard print-only baseline |
| 5-7 business days | 12:00 PM (noon) Pacific Time, final order approval | By end of day | Standard print + mail baseline |
| 1-2 business days | 12:00 PM (noon) Pacific Time, final order approval | By end of day | Mailing-only baseline |
Your Plavidian account shows conservative default dates; we tighten them on your job once it is confirmed.
Definitions
How the turnaround clock works
- Cutoff time
- The turnaround clock starts only when the required artwork, data, job details, proof approval, payment/postage approval, and required materials are received by the applicable cutoff, Pacific Time: 9:00 AM for a 2-day rush, 12:00 PM (noon) for every other turnaround. Orders received after cutoff are treated as starting the next business day.
- Turnaround time (TAT)
- TAT is the number of business days needed to produce and prepare the job for shipment, pickup, mail preparation, or USPS induction. It does not include shipping transit time unless specifically stated.
- Shipping / delivery time
- Shipping time is the transit time after production is complete. Next-day shipping generally means next business day after the shipment is ready. Ground, local delivery, customer pickup, and direct-to-recipient delivery may change the in-hands date.
- In-hands date
- The in-hands date is production time plus shipping or delivery time. For mailings, Plavidian shows an estimated mailing date and may also show an estimated in-homes/in-hands window when practical.
Days-to-in-hands examples
| In hand | How it adds up |
|---|---|
| 3 days | Meet the 9:00 AM cutoff + 2-day rush production (certain products, up to a set quantity) + next-day shipping. |
| 7 days | Meet cutoff + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days. |
| 8 days | Miss cutoff + production starts next business day + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days. |
Factors that can extend turnaround
- Missing, unusable, RGB-only, low-resolution, or incorrectly sized artwork.
- Waiting for proof approval or corrected files.
- Mailing list issues, NCOA/list processing problems, postage approval, permit issues, or missing mail-owner details.
- Customer-supplied materials arriving late, short, damaged, or different from the job specifications.
- Group shipping, bundling, kitting, boxing, or special packing requirements, which may add 1-2 business days.
- Booklets, calendars, catalogs, folded self-mailers, complex inserting, political peak volume, or USPS layout review.
- Local delivery schedules, carrier delays, or USPS processing after acceptance.
Ready to put a job in the mail?
info@plavidian.com 760-666-3130 2210 E Vista Way Ste 6, Vista, CA 92084