How do I work out when to place an order to hit my event date?

Start with your in-hands date

The in-hands date is the day the products must be delivered to you. It is not the day of your event. If the event is on a Saturday, you may want the items in hand by the Wednesday or Thursday before. That leaves time to check the order, sort it and pack it.

Production and delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees. That is why a buffer matters. A one-day buffer is a sensible minimum. Add more if the event is large or hard to reschedule.

The pieces of the timeline

From your in-hands date, subtract each of these in turn:

• Buffer: one business day or more.
• Shipping transit: typically 1 to 7 business days, depending on distance from the shipping point. Each product page shows where it ships from and a delivery estimate.
• Production time: this depends on the imprint method. Most methods typically take 7 to 10 business days at standard speed. Embroidery typically takes 10 to 14. Some methods, such as pad printing, laser engraving and heat transfer, are often shorter. Your product page shows its own production time, so use that figure.
• Proof approval: a free digital proof usually arrives within about 24 hours of your artwork and order details. Production does not start until you approve it.
• Payment: production begins once the order is paid. Approved business accounts on terms can start once the proof is approved.

Production time counts business days only. Weekends do not count. Holidays can also slow things down, so look at the calendar closely.

Common mistakes

• Counting from the order date. The clock starts at proof approval and payment, not when you click order.
• Forgetting transit. Production days do not include shipping.
• Slow approvals. A proof that sits for three days adds three days.
• Using calendar days. Count only business days.
• Skipping the buffer. One delay can then push you past the event.

If you are short on time

You can shorten the plan. Send vector artwork and Pantone (PMS) colors up front, approve the proof fast, pay promptly and use a single imprint location. You can also choose rush production. Rush typically takes 3 to 5 business days and may add a surcharge. Super rush is 24 to 48 hours on select products only, so confirm with a rep first. Faster shipping, such as 2-day air or overnight, can also cut transit time.

An order placed after the 4 PM Pacific cutoff starts processing the next business day.