Two Clocks, Not One
The single most common misunderstanding in custom packaging is treating production and shipping as one number. They are separate, and they run one after the other.
Production is the time it takes to print, die-cut, finish and glue your order. That clock starts when you approve your proof, not when you place the order or pay the invoice. If a proof sits in your inbox for four days, the order sits with it.
Shipping is the time the carrier takes to move the finished cartons from our facility to your door. That clock starts only when production ends.
When you are planning around a launch, a trade show or a seasonal deadline, add both together and leave yourself room. If you have a fixed date, tell us at quote stage rather than after the order is placed. We can often work backwards from a deadline, but only if we know it exists.
Production Time
Standard production is 8 to 12 business days from proof approval. This covers printing, die-cutting, finishing, gluing and quality checking.
Business days exclude weekends and public holidays. Complex specifications take longer than simple ones: foil stamping, embossing, multi-piece rigid construction and unusual die cuts all add passes to the schedule.
Rush Orders
Rush production runs 4 to 6 business days.
Flag it when you request the quote, not after the order is placed. Rush capacity has to be scheduled into the press run in advance, and once an order has entered normal production it usually cannot be moved forward.
Where We Ship
We currently ship within the United States only. We do not ship internationally at this time.
If you are outside the US and interested in our packaging, contact us and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Shipping Costs
Shipping is free. There are no separate handling, packing or palletising charges.
When Your Order Ships
Orders leave our facility once production and quality checks are complete.
Transit time is separate from the production estimate above and varies with distance. A shipment crossing two states behaves very differently from one crossing the country.
How Your Boxes Arrive
All cartons ship flat and unassembled. This is deliberate. Flat-packed boxes take a fraction of the space of pre-formed ones, which lowers freight cost and sharply reduces the risk of crush damage in transit. You fold them as you need them.
Depending on quantity, orders arrive as individual cartons or on a shrink-wrapped pallet. Pallet deliveries usually need someone available to receive them, and at some addresses a forklift or a loading dock.
If your delivery address cannot receive a pallet, tell us before production finishes so we can arrange an alternative. Discovering this when the truck arrives is expensive for everyone.
Tracking
Tracking numbers are emailed automatically on dispatch, or provided on request.
If your production window has passed and you have not received tracking information, contact us with your order number and we will locate the shipment.
Delivery Addresses
Check your delivery address carefully at the point of ordering. We ship to the address supplied, and we are not responsible for orders delayed or lost because of an incorrect or incomplete address provided by the customer. Re-delivery to a corrected address may incur additional freight costs.
If your address changes after you place the order, tell us immediately. Once a shipment has been handed to the carrier, address changes are often impossible.
Delays Outside Our Control
Once your order is with a carrier, it is in their hands. We are not responsible for delays caused by carrier operations, weather, road closures, strikes, or any other event outside our reasonable control, and refunds are not issued for late delivery arising from these causes.
What we will do is chase it. If your shipment is running late, contact us with your order number and we will open a trace with the carrier and keep you updated until it lands.
If Your Shipment Arrives Damaged or Short
Inspect your delivery on the day it arrives. Do not wait until you need the boxes.
Count the cartons against your order quantity and check the condition of the outer packaging before you sign, where the carrier allows it. If there is visible damage, note it on the delivery paperwork at the point of signing. That note is frequently what makes a carrier claim succeed rather than fail.
Photograph everything before unpacking further: the outer packaging, the damage, and the affected boxes. Keep all packaging materials, because carriers often require them as part of an investigation.
Report the issue to us with photo or video evidence within 7 business days of delivery. After that window, we cannot verify where the damage originated and cannot process the claim. Full details are set out in our Refund Policy.
Peak Periods
Demand rises sharply ahead of the fourth quarter, and both press capacity and carrier networks tighten at the same time. If your packaging is tied to a holiday season, place the order earlier than you think you need to.