Lead times
How long custom pouches take
Production runs 2–4 weeks from the day you approve the digital proof. Before that, a quote comes back within one business day and artwork usually takes a few days to settle, so plan on three to five weeks end to end for a first order and slightly less for a repeat.
| Production lead time | 2–4 weeks from artwork approval |
|---|---|
| Quote turnaround | Within one business day |
| Minimum order quantity | 100 units per design |
| Artwork proof | Digital proof before anything prints |
| Clock starts | On written approval of the proof, not on order |
| Repeat orders | Same 2–4 week window; artwork is already approved |
| Delivery | UK-wide, included in the quoted price |
The sequence, step by step
- 01
Send your spec
Answer the seven questions in the spec builder — format, size, material, options, quantity, artwork status and contact. Takes a couple of minutes and needs no account.
- 02
Get a quote
We come back within one business day with a firm price for the spec, and flag anything in it that will cause you a problem later.
- 03
Supply artwork
Send print-ready artwork to the dieline we provide. If your file needs work, we tell you exactly what to change rather than guessing on your behalf.
- 04
Approve the proof
You get a digital proof showing your artwork placed on the actual dieline. Nothing prints until you approve it in writing. The production clock starts here.
- 05
Print and convert
Your job is printed, laminated, and converted into finished pouches with any zips, valves or spouts fitted. This is the bulk of the 2–4 weeks.
- 06
Delivery
Finished pouches are packed and shipped to your UK address. We confirm the dispatch date so you can plan your fill run around it.
Why the window is a range and not a date
A pouch is not printed in one operation. The web is printed, then laminated, then cured, then converted into pouches with the seals, gussets and fitments your spec calls for. Each of those stages is scheduled against other jobs, and a cure does not go faster because someone asks it to. Where your job lands in that queue is what makes the difference between two weeks and four.
Specification matters too. A plain stand-up pouch with a zip moves quicker than the same pouch with a spout, a soft-touch finish and spot foiling, because each of those is another pass through another machine. If your launch date is tight, that is worth knowing before you commit to the finish rather than after.
We give you a firm dispatch date once the proof is approved and the job is scheduled. The 2–4 week figure is the planning window; the scheduled date is the one to put in your diary.
How to keep your job on the short end
- Send print-ready artwork with 3mm bleed, CMYK colour and type converted to outlines
- Have the barcode, weight declaration and any legal copy signed off before you submit
- Approve the proof promptly — the clock does not start until you do
- Tell us your deadline at enquiry stage, not after the quote
- Keep finishing simple if the date matters more than the flourish
Lead times — common questions
How long does it take to get custom printed pouches?
2–4 weeks from the moment you approve the digital proof. Add a few days at the front for quoting and artwork, so a typical project runs three to five weeks from first enquiry to delivery.
When does the lead time actually start?
On written approval of the proof, not when you place the order. Anything still moving in the artwork — a colour change, a new barcode, a revised weight declaration — pauses the clock until it is settled.
Can you do it faster?
Sometimes, depending on what is already scheduled and how complex the spec is. Tell us your deadline when you enquire rather than after the quote, because the honest answer changes week to week.
What slows a job down most often?
Artwork. Live type in an unavailable font, low-resolution images, RGB colour and missing bleed are the four we see most, and each adds a round trip. A clean file is the single biggest thing you control.
Are repeat orders quicker?
The print window is the same 2–4 weeks, but the front end disappears — the dieline and approved artwork are already on file, so a reorder is usually a single email.
Do you hold stock for scheduled call-offs?
Not as a standing service at present. If you have a predictable rolling requirement, tell us when you enquire and we will talk through how to phase the orders.
Related
Still have questions? Email hello@thepouchworks.com and we'll get back to you within one business day.