Turnaround Times, Cutoffs, Mailing Dates, and In-Hands Estimates
Production timing is an estimate until Plavidian confirms file readiness, proof status, materials, postage/payment, and available production capacity. Admins can edit estimated production completion, mailing, and in-hands dates on each job.
1. Cutoff time
The turnaround clock starts only when the required artwork, data, job details, proof approval, payment/postage approval, and required materials are received by the applicable cutoff in the Plavidian production facility time zone. Orders received after cutoff are treated as starting the next business day.
2. Turnaround time (TAT)
TAT is the number of business days needed to produce and prepare the job for shipment, pickup, mail preparation, or USPS induction. It does not include shipping transit time unless specifically stated.
3. Shipping / delivery time
Shipping time is the transit time after production is complete. Next-day shipping generally means next business day after the shipment is ready. Ground, local delivery, customer pickup, and direct-to-recipient delivery may change the in-hands date.
4. In-hands date
The in-hands date combines production time plus shipping or delivery time. For mailings, Plavidian shows an estimated mailing date and may also show an estimated in-homes/in-hands window when practical.
Production Timetable
| Turnaround Type | Order Cutoff | Shipped By / Pickup Ready | Portal Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same Day | 10:00 AM facility time, manual review | By approved same-day window | Rush/manual review only |
| Next Day Express | 9:00 AM facility time, manual review | By 5:00 PM next business day where approved | Rush/manual review only |
| Next Day | 10:00 AM facility time | By 5:00 PM next business day | Manual review |
| 2 Days | 1:00 PM facility time | By 5:00 PM on the final production day | Special approval / simple jobs |
| 4–5 Business Days | 1:00 PM facility time | By 5:00 PM on the final production day | Standard print-only baseline |
| 5–7 Business Days | 1:00 PM facility time | Printed, addressed, presorted, and ready for induction by the planned mail date | Standard print + mail baseline |
| 1–2 Business Days | 1:00 PM facility time | Mailing prepared after list/postage approval and all files are received | Mailing-only baseline |
The portal uses conservative default estimates. Admin users can override the estimated production completion date, estimated mailing date, and estimated in-hands date on the job screen.
Days-to-In-Hands Examples
Next-Day In-Hand
Meet cutoff + approved same-day production + next-day shipping.
7 Days In-Hand
Meet cutoff + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days.
8 Days In-Hand
Miss cutoff + production starts next business day + 4 business days production + 3 shipping/transit days.
Factors That Can Extend Turnaround
- Missing, unusable, RGB-only, low-resolution, or incorrectly sized artwork.
- Waiting for proof approval or corrected files.
- Mailing list issues, NCOA/list processing problems, postage approval, permit issues, or missing mail-owner details.
- Customer-supplied materials arriving late, short, damaged, or different from the job specifications.
- Group shipping, bundling, kitting, boxing, or special packing requirements, which may add 1–2 business days.
- Booklets, calendars, catalogs, folded self-mailers, complex inserting, political peak volume, or USPS layout review.
- Local delivery schedules, carrier delays, or USPS processing after acceptance.