How Long a Made to Order Print Takes to Arrive

A made to order print is produced after you order it, so the clock starts in a workshop, not a warehouse. Here is how the stages add up.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

A made to order print typically takes 7 to 14 working days in total. Production, including printing, drying and framing, runs 3 to 5 working days. Shipping then adds 4 to 10 working days depending on destination. Order at least three weeks before you need the print on the wall.

The Two Stages That Set the Clock

Every made to order print passes through two stages, and only one of them is shipping. The first is production. The file is printed, the ink is left to cure, and if the piece is framed it is mounted, glazed and finished by hand. That stage usually takes 3 to 5 working days. A canvas edition such as The Aloe Tree skips the framing step, which can shave a day or two off the front end.

The second stage is transit, and it is the less predictable of the two. Domestic deliveries commonly land within 4 to 7 working days after production. Cross border shipments can stretch to 10 or beyond, because customs clearance sits outside any workshop's control. If your date is fixed, the honest advice is to count backwards from the event and add a buffer of several days rather than trusting the fastest published estimate.

What Changes the Timeline Most

Three variables do most of the work. Destination is the biggest. A framed poster travelling within the same country arrives days earlier than one crossing borders, where customs can hold a parcel for a week without anyone being at fault. Format matters too. Framed pieces such as Late afternoon silence travel in heavier, more protective packaging and move more slowly through carriers as a result.

Order volume around holidays is the third factor, and it is the one buyers most often forget. Production queues lengthen in December and ahead of major gifting seasons. A print ordered in a quiet week may ship a day early. The same print ordered in mid December can sit in a queue before production even starts. Planning around those peaks is the single easiest way to protect a deadline.

What speeds things up

Ordering well ahead of the date you need the print on the wall
Choosing an unframed canvas format where the framing step is dropped
Checking that your delivery address and phone number are correct at checkout
Avoiding peak seasonal queues when your deadline is tight

Tracking Your Print After It Ships

Once a print leaves production, a tracking number is issued and the parcel becomes visible to you. That is the point where the anxiety of waiting usually eases, because the remaining uncertainty narrows to a carrier's route rather than a workshop's queue. Before that point, silence is normal. A print in its curing or framing stage generates no tracking events, and that gap can last several days.

If a deadline is genuinely close, it is worth reading the practical notes on choosing between canvas and framed poster formats before ordering, since format affects both production and transit. For a second opinion on timelines for a different artist, the guide to Suzanne Valadon print shipping covers the same mechanics in detail. And if a parcel appears stalled, contacting support early beats waiting out the full estimate.

The wait you feel is mostly production, not distance. The frame is built after you click buy.

Stage	Typical duration	What happens
Production	3 to 5 working days	Printing, ink curing, mounting and framing
Domestic transit	4 to 7 working days	Carrier collection and delivery
International transit	7 to 10 working days	Carrier transit plus customs clearance

Typical timeline for a made to order print

Key takeaways

A made to order print needs roughly 7 to 14 working days from order to delivery.
Production takes 3 to 5 working days before the parcel ever ships.
International shipments add customs time that no seller can guarantee away.
For a fixed event date, order at least three weeks ahead and add a buffer.

Related questions

Can I get a print faster if my event is soon?

Production time is largely fixed, because curing and framing cannot be rushed without risking the finish. Choosing an unframed canvas format removes the framing step and can save a day or two. Beyond that, the main lever is ordering early. Expedited shipping speeds transit, not the workshop queue.

Does framing add much time to the delivery?

Yes, modestly. A framed poster requires mounting, glazing and finishing after printing, which adds roughly one to two working days over an unframed canvas. Framed pieces also travel in heavier packaging and can move slightly slower through carriers. The trade is a print that arrives ready to hang.

What happens if my print is delayed in transit?

Customs holds and carrier backlogs are the most common causes, and they sit outside the seller's control. Tracking usually shows where the parcel is held. If the estimate has clearly passed, contact support with your order number and deadline. Most delays resolve within a few working days without intervention.

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