Fulfillment time is how long it takes us to create your custom product before it ships out. This estimate doesn't include shipping, so to determine when your order will arrive, add the shipping time to the fulfillment time.
On average, fulfillment takes 2–5 business days across most production techniques and facilities. Exact timeframes vary by product category and fulfillment location, as shown below.
Average fulfillment times by technique
In the table below, see our average fulfillment times in business days based on the fulfillment technique of your product. To view up-to-date fulfillment times based on the past 30 days of order data, check out Printful’s updates page.
| Technique | In-house fulfillment | Partner facility fulfillment |
| Direct-to-garment | 2-5 | - |
| DTFlex | 2-5 | 3-5 |
| All-over synthetic | 2-5 | 3-7 |
| All-over cotton | 2-5 | - |
| Embroidery | 2-5 | - |
| Unlimited color embroidery | 2-5 | - |
| Sublimation | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| Phone cases | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| Cards | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| Wall art | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| Stickers | 2-5 | - |
| Drinkware | 2-5 | 2-5 |
| Shoes | - | 3-7 |
| Knitwear | - | 7–12 business days from Jan–Oct, 9–16 business days from Nov–Dec |
| AirPods cases | - | 2-5 |
| Puzzles | - | 2-5 |
Most orders are fulfilled quickly. In fact:
- Over 97% of orders ship within 5 business days.
- More than 50% ship within 3 business days or fewer.
How is fulfillment time calculated?
Fulfillment time is always counted in business days, not calendar days, so weekends and holidays don't count toward the estimate.
The day you place your order doesn't count toward the fulfillment timeframe. The first business day is the next business day after the order is placed. For example, if you place an order on Monday, day 1 of fulfillment starts on Tuesday (assuming no holidays fall in between).
The time your order spends in the "Waiting for fulfillment" status is included in the overall fulfillment timeframe, so it isn't extra time on top of the estimate.
If your order is put on hold, the fulfillment clock resets once the hold is lifted. Fulfillment time then restarts from day 1, rather than picking up where it left off.
Fulfillment and delivery timeframes are estimates, and they can change based on current conditions, such as order volume or seasonal demand. If we update our published fulfillment estimate after you've placed your order, the updated timeframe is the one that applies to your order, not the estimate that was in place when you ordered. For example, if our average fulfillment time is 2–5 business days when you place an order, and it changes to 5–7 business days the next day, your order will follow the new 5–7 business day estimate going forward.
- Fulfillment time doesn't include shipping time.
- On average, large orders may take a bit longer, but we'll still fulfill them within 5 business days.
Learn more in the article: What’s the estimated delivery time, and how is it calculated?
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