Set delivery expectations that match how wall art is made

“Delivery in five days” sounds simple, but it can hide several separate stages. Before making a promise to a customer, understand when the order is ready for production, how long the product takes to make and what happens after the parcel is dispatched.

Break the journey into three stages

Order readiness: the product, artwork, delivery details and payment arrangements need to be in place. A missing file or a question about the artwork can stop the job moving forward.

Production: the print is made, framed where selected, checked and packed. The estimated production period ends at dispatch, not at the customer's door.

Carrier transit: the parcel moves through the delivery network after dispatch. A tracking reference gives visibility into that stage, but it is not the same as a guaranteed arrival date.

Use the figures for the right product and route

PrintPost's indicative production times are 1–3 working days for unframed prints and 3–5 working days for framed prints before dispatch. Carrier transit is additional. Check the current fulfilment guidance and the destination agreed for your account before putting an estimate into a listing.

For current manual account orders, review and payment happen before production. Connected accounts follow the setup and payment arrangements agreed with the team. Do not describe a manual review process as instant release to production.

Working days are different from calendar days. Weekends, public holidays, seasonal peaks and requests for clarification can affect the overall timeline. Black Friday and Christmas guidance may supersede the usual estimates.

A planning example

Suppose a framed print is ready for production on a working day. You allow the stated 3–5 working days for production, then the applicable carrier estimate for its destination. Do not tell the customer the parcel will arrive within the production period alone.

This is a way to organise your estimate, not a promise that adding two ranges produces a guaranteed delivery date. The readiness date, collection schedule and current service conditions still matter. Check those before accepting an order tied to an event or deadline.

Write a short explanation buyers can understand

A useful pattern is: “Made to order. Estimated production: [your confirmed range] working days before dispatch. Delivery time is additional and depends on the destination. We will send tracking when available.” Replace the bracketed information with the actual arrangement for your product.

Keep the same estimate in the description, dispatch settings and customer messages. If your shop offers both framed and unframed prints, check that one shared setting does not accidentally promise the faster timeline for both.

Know what tracking does and does not say

A label being created can happen before a carrier's first collection scan. If a customer asks where the parcel is, check the latest event and its date rather than treating the presence of a tracking number as proof of movement.

For connected channels, confirm where tracking is returned during setup. For manual orders, use the update route agreed for the account. Make it clear who the customer should contact, so they are not passed between the seller, production team and carrier.

Plan the awkward cases before they happen

• An incomplete address: identify who can request a correction before production or dispatch.
• A fixed deadline: check feasibility before promising it.
• A delayed parcel: collect the order reference and latest tracking event.
• A damaged item: keep clear photographs of the product and packaging and contact the support team.

Use the agreed cancellation, loss and damage terms for your account. Do not invent a refund promise in a delivery paragraph or apply one market's consumer rules to every business order.

Read PrintPost fulfilment guidance and ask about a destination or deadline.