How Long Does Printing Take? A Realistic Timeline

Printing turnaround time isn’t magic, but it also isn’t one-size-fits-all. The real answer depends on a mix of artwork, approvals, stock, queue, and the type of product you’re ordering. Once you understand the steps, the whole process feels a lot less mysterious—and a lot less stressful.

Start With the Real Question: When Do You Need It in Your Hand?

Before talking about press times and drying and courier runs, flip the question. Instead of “How long does printing take?”, start with:

“When do I need to be holding this, ready to use?”

Work backwards from that moment.

If you need flyers for a weekend market, the true deadline isn’t “Friday sometime”. It’s “Friday morning, so I can pack the car without panicking.” If you’re opening a shop, the real deadline for your signage might be a few days before opening so you can fix any surprises.

Once you know the real in-your-hand date, you can build a realistic print production timeline that covers everything in between.

The Four Phases of a Print Job

Most jobs, from simple business cards to more complex signage, move through the same four phases:

1. Brief and artwork

2. Proof and approval

3. Production

4. Finishing and handover

The actual press time is only one part of that chain. The delays usually come from the bits around it.

Phase 1: Brief and Artwork

This is where you tell us what you need and we turn that into print-ready files.

If you come in with a clear brief and clean artwork, this phase is quick. If your logo lives as a tiny JPEG from 2013 and nobody knows the correct spelling of the tagline, it will take longer.

A realistic range for this step: from “same day” for tidy, simple jobs through to several days for new designs, logo redraws, or multi-piece campaigns.

You can speed this phase up by:

• Having your content ready: text checked, names spelled right, prices confirmed.

• Sending through the best-quality version of your logo you can find.

• Being clear on quantities and sizes so we’re not redesigning things halfway through.

The more decisions you make upfront, the smoother the rest of the printing lead time will be.

Phase 2: Proof and Approval

Once the artwork is ready, you’ll usually see a digital proof. This is your “last chance before ink” stage.

Nothing moves to press until you say yes. That means this phase lives on your timeline as much as ours.

If you open the proof straight away, check it carefully, and reply that day, the job can roll. If the proof sits in an inbox for three days while life happens, the overall print turnaround time stretches out.

A realistic range here is anywhere from an hour to a few days, purely depending on how quickly you can review and approve.

The best way to keep things moving is to:

• Set aside five quiet minutes to check the proof properly.

• Look at names, phone numbers, URLs, dates, and prices first.

• Get all decision-makers to look at the same proof, not in a long chain of screenshots.

Once you approve, we move from “planning” to “production”. That’s when the clock really starts on how long the printing itself takes.

Phase 3: Actual Production Time

This is the bit everyone imagines when they think about printing turnaround time: machines running, ink flowing, and sheets coming off a press.

How long this takes depends on:

• What we’re making (cards, stickers, apparel, signage, banners).

• The quantity.

• The material and finish.

• How busy the queue is.

Digital print (like short-run cards and flyers) is usually quicker than large-format, specialty finishes, or complex multi-step jobs. A small run of cards can fit comfortably in a few days. A full shop fit-out with signage, window graphics, and internal wayfinding is a different story.

This is where an honest, local estimate matters more than an impressive number on a website. “Same-day” sounds great until you realise it means compromising on stock, finish, or quality. A realistic print production timeline balances speed with the result you actually want to put your name on.

Phase 4: Drying, Finishing, and Handover

Even when the ink is on the stock, there’s still work to do.

Print often needs time to cure or dry properly, especially on thicker stocks, coated materials, or outdoor signage. Rushing this stage risks smudges, marks, or edges that don’t look as clean as they should.

Then there’s finishing:

Cutting, trimming, or contour-cutting shapes.

Folding, scoring, or binding.

Laminating, mounting, weeding vinyl, or applying it to panels.

Each of these adds time, especially on larger runs or more intricate work.

Finally, there’s the handover: packing the job, scheduling pickup, or arranging delivery. It’s the calm part at the end that makes sure your order arrives in one piece and on time, not tossed together in a rush.

Why “Next Week” Can Mean Different Things

Two customers can both hear “about a week” and experience completely different timelines.

Customer one approves artwork at 9am, answers questions same-day, and has a clear deadline. Every phase clicks into place, and their job sails through the queue.

Customer two takes three days to send a logo, another two to approve the proof, and then asks for a change the day before delivery. The actual press time might be the same, but the whole job stretches into something that feels like “forever”.

Neither of these people is doing anything wrong. Life happens. But it’s a good reminder that “how long printing takes” is part print, part communication. The clearer and quicker we can talk to each other, the smoother the timeline.

What a “Normal” Turnaround Looks Like

Every studio is different, but for a small, design-led shop like ours, here’s the kind of cadence you can usually expect once artwork is under control:

• Simple reprints with no changes: often within a few business days, depending on queue and finishing.

• New designs for everyday items (cards, flyers, simple signage): artwork plus production usually fits somewhere into a one to two week window.

• Larger or more complex projects (shop signage packages, multiple pieces for a launch, club or team merch drops): expect a few weeks from first brief to final install or pickup, especially if there are multiple approvals involved.

The key is that these are realistic printing lead times—built around real design, real production, and real-life delays, not fantasy “instant print” promises.

How to Get Your Print Faster Without Sacrificing Quality

If you’re working on a tight deadline, you don’t just need speed, you need predictability. There are a few simple ways to help your job move faster without cutting corners.

Have your dates sorted before you brief. If you know your event date, launch date, or opening day, say so early. We can work backwards from there and tell you what’s realistic.

Decide who’s in charge of sign-off. One clear decision-maker means one clear yes. When five people all have half a say, proofs bounce around and timelines blow out.

Stay reachable at key points. You don’t need to live in your inbox, but if you know a proof is coming, it helps to keep an eye out so we can keep the press schedule moving.

Be honest about “nice to have” versus “must have”. If your ideal stock is custom and on order, but you’ve got a non-moveable deadline, we can sometimes suggest an in-stock alternative that still looks sharp and keeps your printing turnaround time sensible.

When You Should Start the Conversation

If you’ve got a date in mind—even if your artwork isn’t ready—it’s worth talking sooner rather than later.

Reaching out early doesn’t lock you into anything, but it does give you:

A sense of realistic lead times for your specific job.

A chance to tidy your artwork and content before it becomes urgent.

A calmer path from “idea” to “finished print in your hands.”

Printing isn’t instant, but it also doesn’t have to be chaotic. With a clear brief, timely approvals, and a bit of breathing room for production and finishing, most jobs land comfortably inside a realistic, predictable timeline.

If you’re unsure where your project fits, tell us what you’re planning and when you need it. We’ll give you straight answers on how long the printing will take, and what needs to happen between now and then to get it there without the last-minute stress.