Print turnaround times
Saver, Standard and Express explained: working days to dispatch, when the clock starts, dispatch versus delivery, and how to plan back from a date.
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Print turnaround times on our site are working days to dispatch: Express from 1 day, Standard from 2 days and Saver from 4 days, depending on the product. The clock starts when your order and artwork are confirmed, and courier delivery follows, usually in 1 to 3 working days. Every product page shows the exact days for each option next to its price.
Saver, Standard and Express #
Most products offer three speeds. They make exactly the same item; only the production time and the price change.
| Option | Working days to dispatch | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Saver | From 4 (4 to 19, depending on the product) | Lowest |
| Standard | From 2 (2 to 17) | Middle |
| Express | From 1 (1 to 16) | Highest |
The range is wide because a banner, a printed book and a Dibond panel go through very different processes. That is why it pays to check the product you actually want rather than rely on a general figure.
Print turnaround times for real products #
Here are print turnaround times for a spread of products, in working days to dispatch, taken from their product pages.
| Product | Saver | Standard | Express |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowd barrier banners | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Printed hoarding boards | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| PVC banners | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Roller banner, 850 × 2000 mm | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Correx boards and business cards | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Heras fence mesh banners | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| Dibond aluminium composite signs | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| NCR invoice books | 12 | 10 | 9 |
Two things stand out. Mesh banners take two days longer than PVC banners at every speed, and NCR books take longer than most signs even on Express. A few products, such as fence top signs and lamp-post wraps, have one fixed time of 10 working days whichever option you pick.
When the clock starts #
Print turnaround times count from the moment your order and artwork are both confirmed, not from when you first visit the site. What “confirmed” means depends on how you supplied the artwork:
- Designed online. You approve the design before it goes in the basket, so it is confirmed when you pay.
- Uploaded file. A person gives it a free file check (resolution, size and bleed). If it is fine, it is confirmed. If something needs fixing, the clock waits for the corrected file.
- Uploading later. You can order first and send the file after. We email you, and the clock starts once the file arrives and passes its check.
- Paid artwork service. Typesetting (£15) includes 1 proof + 2 rounds of changes; design from your brief (£35) includes 1 design + 2 rounds of changes. The clock starts when you approve the final version, so reply quickly if your date is tight.
Working days only
Working days are Monday to Friday. Weekends and UK bank holidays do not count. An order confirmed on a Friday afternoon with a 2-day turnaround is not ready on Sunday; it is ready to dispatch on Tuesday at the earliest. Bank holidays differ slightly between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the gov.uk bank holidays page lists the dates for each.
Dispatch is not delivery #
This is the easiest part to forget. Turnaround is the time to make your order and hand it to the courier. Delivery comes after that:
- Courier delivery usually takes 1 to 3 working days after dispatch.
- We email tracking when the order leaves us.
- Large items travel by a courier set up for long parcels, and someone should be there to sign.
- Northern Ireland, the Scottish islands, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight are quoted before you order, so ask about timing when you ask for the quote.
Express makes the item faster. It does not change the delivery service.
Plan back from your date: a worked example #
Print turnaround times are easiest to use when you count backwards from the day you need the item. Say you have an exhibition on Thursday 22 October 2026 and you want a roller banner, 850 × 2000 mm, from our roller banners range. Work backwards.
- Delivery. Allow the full 3 working days. For it to arrive by Wednesday 21 October, a day before the show, it should be dispatched by Friday 16 October.
- Turnaround. Count working days back from Friday 16 October, treating the day you confirm as day zero:
- Saver (6 days): confirm by Thursday 8 October.
- Standard (4 days): confirm by Monday 12 October.
- Express (2 days): confirm by Wednesday 14 October.
- Artwork. If you are uploading, send the file a day earlier than the date above so any file check query does not eat into your time. If you are using a paid design service, allow extra days for the rounds of changes.
Order on Saver by 8 October and you pay the lowest price for the same banner. Leave it until 14 October and Express still gets it there, at a higher price. Leave it until 16 October and no option will reach you in time.
Tips for tight deadlines #
- Check each product in a mixed order. A banner on Standard and NCR books on Standard will not be ready on the same day. The slowest item sets the pace for your planning.
- Use the online designer if you are short of time. A design you approve on screen needs no file check, so there is no back and forth.
- Watch bank holiday weeks. Christmas, New Year and Easter each remove working days, so count them out before choosing Saver.
- Keep spare days for fitting. A banner that arrives the evening before an event leaves no time to fix a problem.
For how the speed options affect cost, see print prices explained. The full rules are on our delivery page. If your date is very tight or print turnaround times on the page do not fit your event, call us on 0161 315 1151 before ordering and we will tell you honestly what is possible.
