Shipping Times for Ilka Gedo Prints From Europe

Custom prints are made after you order, so the clock includes production as well as transit. Here is how the two stages add up, and where delays actually come from.

Auvrique Editorial · Fine Art Editions

The short answer

An Ilka Gedo print shipped from a European studio typically takes 7 to 14 business days in total. Production of a custom print runs 2 to 5 business days, then transit adds 3 to 7 days within Europe or 7 to 14 days further afield. Customs checks can extend the window by a few days.

Production Comes Before Transit

The honest answer starts with a distinction most shipping pages blur. A custom print does not sit on a shelf waiting for a courier. It is printed, dried, inspected and framed or stretched after the order lands, and that stage alone usually takes 2 to 5 business days. Framed pieces run longer than unframed ones because the frame is assembled to order.

Only then does the tracked delivery timeline for custom prints begin. Within Europe, carriers typically move a parcel in 3 to 7 business days. Add the two stages together and a realistic door to door figure is 7 to 14 business days for most European addresses. Anyone promising two days is selling stock, not a print made to your specifications.

What Can Slow a Shipment Down

Two things cause most delays, and neither is the courier. The first is customs. A print leaving the EU for the United States, the United Kingdom or elsewhere can sit in customs for several days, and the buyer usually covers any import duty on arrival. The second is size. A large canvas, such as a stretched edition of Villa Beaulieu, Honfleur, moves slower than a flat poster because it travels as an oversized parcel.

Season matters too. Orders placed in late November or mid December routinely take a week longer than the same order in spring. A framed Spring Landscape ordered in the first week of December may not arrive before the holidays, and no carrier guarantee fully removes that risk. Ordering early is the only reliable fix.

Where delays come from

Customs inspection outside the EU, which can add several days
Import duties and handling fees charged to the buyer on arrival
Oversized parcels, such as stretched canvases, moving on slower freight tiers
Peak season backlogs from late November through early January

Tracking and What to Expect

Every legitimate studio shipping internationally provides a tracking number, and it is worth checking the format on the day it arrives. Tracking often shows nothing for the first 48 hours while the label is registered, which reads as a problem but rarely is. The number goes live once the carrier scans the parcel at a hub.

If a parcel shows no movement for more than five business days, contact the seller rather than the carrier. The seller holds the account and can open an inquiry. Before ordering, it helps to know whether you want the work framed or on canvas, since the choice affects both the wait and the final cost, as covered in the comparison of canvas and framed poster formats.

The wait is not the courier's fault. It is the price of having a print made rather than picked.

Destination	Transit time	Total including production
Within the EU	3 to 7 business days	7 to 12 business days
United Kingdom	4 to 8 business days	8 to 14 business days
United States and Canada	7 to 14 business days	10 to 20 business days
Rest of world	10 to 20 business days	14 to 25 business days

Typical timelines for custom prints shipped from the EU

Key takeaways

Expect 7 to 14 business days door to door for most European addresses, production included.
Framed and stretched pieces take longer than flat posters because they are assembled to order.
Customs is the main source of delay outside the EU, and import duties fall to the buyer.
Tracking numbers can stay dormant for 48 hours before showing movement.

Related questions

Do framed prints take longer to ship than unframed ones?

Yes, usually by one to three business days. A framed piece is assembled after printing, which adds a production step, and it ships as a bulkier, more fragile parcel. Carriers handle framed works on slower service tiers than flat posters, so the framed option trades a few extra days for arriving ready to hang.

Will I pay customs charges on a print shipped from Europe?

Possibly, depending on where you live. Shipments leaving the EU can attract import duty and a handling fee on arrival, and these are charged to the buyer, not the sender. The amounts vary by country and by declared value. Check your national customs threshold before ordering so the invoice does not come as a surprise.

What happens if my print arrives damaged?

Photograph the packaging and the print before touching anything else, then contact the seller within a few days of delivery. Reputable studios replace damaged prints at no cost when the damage is documented promptly. Keep all packaging until you have inspected the work, since carriers often require it for a damage claim to proceed.

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