Production Timing

Turnaround Times, Cutoffs, Mailing Dates, and In-Hands Estimates

Production timing is an estimate until Plavidian confirms file readiness, proof status, materials, postage/payment, and available production capacity. Admins can edit estimated production completion, mailing, and in-hands dates on each job.

Definitions

How the turnaround clock works

1. 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 in the Plavidian production facility time zone. Orders received after cutoff are treated as starting the next business day.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. In-hands date

The in-hands date combines 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.

Reference

Production Timetable

Turnaround Type	Order Cutoff	Shipped By / Pickup Ready	Portal Use
Next Day	9:00 AM facility time, final proof approval received	By end of day	Manual review
2 Days	9:00 AM facility time, final proof approval received	By end of day	Special approval / simple jobs
4–5 Business Days	Noon (12:00 PM) facility time, final order approval	By end of day	Standard print-only baseline
5–7 Business Days	Noon (12:00 PM) facility time, final order approval	By end of day	Standard print + mail baseline
1–2 Business Days	Noon (12:00 PM) facility time, final order approval	By end of day	Mailing-only baseline

The portal uses conservative default estimates. Admin users can override the estimated production completion date, estimated mailing date, and estimated in-hands date on the job screen.

Worked examples

Days-to-In-Hands Examples

Next-Day In-Hand

Meet cutoff + manually approved rush production + next-day shipping.

7 Days In-Hand

Meet cutoff + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days.

8 Days In-Hand

Miss cutoff + production starts next business day + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days.

Plan ahead

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.

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orders@plavidian.com · 760-666-3130 · 2210 E Vista Way Ste 6, Vista, CA 92084

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