What a Custom Print Order Actually Takes to Arrive

Made-to-order prints are not stock items. Production comes first, shipping second, and the honest total is longer than most buyers expect. Here is how the timeline breaks down, and where a deadline can slip.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

A custom print of Jean Paul Lemieux's work typically takes 7 to 14 days in production before it ships, plus 3 to 7 days in transit for most domestic addresses. That puts total delivery at roughly two to three weeks. Framed pieces and canvas stretchings sit at the longer end because assembly adds a day or two.

The Two Halves of the Wait

The shipping time for custom art prints splits into two parts, and only the second one is shipping. Production comes first. The file is prepared, printed, allowed to dry or cure, and then framed or mounted if the order calls for it. That stage usually runs 7 to 14 days depending on the format. A flat paper print moves fastest. A framed poster or a stretched canvas adds handling time, because the print has to be built into its final form before it can be packed.

Transit is the shorter half. Domestic delivery typically takes 3 to 7 business days once the parcel leaves the workshop, and international destinations can stretch that to 10 days or more with customs on top. If a gift deadline is driving the order, count backwards from the date it needs to be in hand and add a buffer of a few days. A print ordered two weeks before an occasion is already cutting it close.

The same arithmetic applies to any made-to-order piece, whether it is a Lemieux winter scene or something already in a catalogue, like the framed Jungfrau poster or A Summer Day in Worpswede framed.

What Slows an Order Down

Most delays are predictable. Large formats take longer to print and stretch than small ones. Framed orders wait on moulding stock, and a popular size may be on hand while an unusual one is not. Holiday periods push both production and courier networks, sometimes by a week. Custom sizing, where the buyer asks for dimensions outside the standard range, almost always adds time because the cut has to be planned rather than pulled from a shelf.

None of this is hidden cost. It is the ordinary friction of making something to order rather than shipping a boxed item from a warehouse. Buyers who need certainty should ask before ordering rather than after, because a workshop can usually confirm a realistic date for a specific size and format. The shipping policy sets out the standard windows, and a direct question will get a direct answer about a particular order.

It is also worth knowing what you are waiting for. A reproduction of a Lemieux painting, with its flat winter light and small isolated figures, does not need exotic materials, but it does need careful colour matching, and rushing that stage shows in the finished print.

Common causes of delay

Large or custom dimensions that require a planned cut rather than stock
Framed formats waiting on moulding or glazing materials
Holiday periods that slow both workshops and courier networks
International destinations where customs inspection adds days

Ordering Against a Deadline

The practical move is to work backwards. Fix the date the print must arrive, subtract the transit estimate for your region, then subtract the production window for the format you want. If the remaining margin is thin, choose the faster format. A flat print ships sooner than a framed one, and a standard size ships sooner than a bespoke cut. The framing can always happen later, locally, if the wall is bare on the day.

Speed and finish trade against each other, and there is no version of this where both are maximised. If the piece is for a specific room and the deadline allows a full three weeks, take the full three weeks. If it does not, a simpler format delivered on time beats an elaborate one delivered late. Readers weighing formats against rooms will find the trade-offs set out in choosing between canvas and framed poster, and sizing questions are covered in which print size fits a small bedroom.

One caution. Auvrique does not currently carry Lemieux editions, so a buyer wanting his work should confirm availability with the seller before counting any timeline. The mechanics above hold regardless of whose painting is being printed.

A deadline is not a shipping problem. It is a production problem wearing a shipping costume.

Format	Production	Total to door
Flat paper print	5 to 10 days	8 to 17 days
Framed poster	7 to 14 days	10 to 21 days
Stretched canvas	8 to 14 days	11 to 21 days

Typical timeline by format

Key takeaways

Custom prints take 7 to 14 days in production before any shipping begins.
Transit adds 3 to 7 business days domestically, longer for international addresses.
Framed and canvas formats sit at the slow end because assembly adds handling time.
Work backwards from the arrival date and choose a simpler format if the margin is thin.

Related questions

How fast can I get a Jean Paul Lemieux print before a specific date?

Count backwards. Allow 7 to 14 days for production, 3 to 7 days for domestic transit, and a few days of buffer. If that total exceeds the time available, choose a flat print in a standard size, which is the fastest format. Confirm the date with the seller before paying rather than after.

Do framed prints take longer to ship than unframed ones?

Yes, usually by a few days. Framing requires the print to be mounted, glazed and assembled before packing, and moulding stock may need to be sourced for less common sizes. An unframed print can be rolled and shipped as soon as it is dry, which makes it the fastest option when time is short.

Can I track a custom print order while it is being made?

Most sellers confirm the order and provide a tracking number only once the parcel ships, so the production phase is often quiet. If the timeline matters, ask for a production estimate at the time of ordering and follow up if no shipping confirmation arrives within that window. Silence during production is normal, not a problem.

From the Auvrique collection

Made to order · Every size