That's the first thing to understand about political-sign turnaround.
There are several dates:
Artwork received
Proof approved
Production begins
Production finishes
Order ships
Order arrives
If the only date that matters is:
“We need these Friday.”
work backward from Friday.
The Production Timeline
01
Turnaround Starts With Usable Artwork
02
Proof Approval Is a Real Milestone
03
Production Time
04
Finishing
05
Shipping
06
Freight on Large Quantities
Turnaround Starts With Usable Artwork
Production cannot begin efficiently when artwork is incomplete.
Before submitting the job, confirm:
- Correct dimensions
- Bleed where required
- High-resolution graphics
- Correct colors
- Correct disclaimer where applicable
- Final copy
- Final candidate/campaign information
A production deadline should not depend on three days of artwork corrections.
Proof Approval Is a Real Milestone
A proof is not a formality.
Confirm:
Names
Office/title
Spelling
Contact information
Disclaimer
Colors
Orientation
One vs. two sides
Quantities
A printer can reproduce an approved error perfectly.
Take proof approval seriously.
Production Time
Once artwork is approved, the job moves into production scheduling.
Quantity matters.
Producing 100 signs and producing 10,000 signs are not the same manufacturing requirement.
Ask whether the quoted turnaround applies to your actual quantity.
Finishing
After printing, work may still remain.
Depending on the product, that can involve:
- Cutting
- Packing
- Bundling
- Adding hardware
- Sorting multiple versions
- Preparing freight
“Printed” does not always mean “ready to ship.”
Shipping
This is where many deadline conversations go wrong.
Production turnaround and shipping time are separate.
If a job takes several production days and then several transit days, the deadline needs to accommodate both.
When requesting pricing, provide:
Required in-hands date
not merely:
When can you print it?
Freight on Large Quantities
Thousands of signs can occupy substantial physical space even though corrugated plastic itself is lightweight.
At higher volumes, freight planning becomes increasingly important.
Give the printer:
Delivery ZIP
Commercial or residential destination
Dock/forklift availability where relevant
Contact information
Deadline
before the order ships.
Have a quantity already?
Have a Hard Deadline?
Send us:
For higher-volume campaign programs, quantities, materials, finishing, freight and distribution can materially affect the final cost. PrintScale can review the actual specifications through its political campaign printing service.
- Quantity
- Size
- Delivery ZIP
- Artwork status
- Required in-hands date
Can Rush Production Help?
Sometimes.
But rush production doesn't eliminate:
Artwork approval
Finishing
Packaging
Shipping
Transit
It compresses part of the schedule.
That's why an actual date is more useful than simply asking:
“Do you offer rush printing?”
A Better Question to Ask
Instead of:
How fast can you print 5,000 signs?
ask:
We need 5,000 finished signs delivered to ZIP code XXXXX by [DATE]. Artwork is [READY/NOT READY]. Is that schedule feasible?
That gives the printer something it can actually schedule.
Avoid This Deadline Mistake
Do not set your internal deadline to the exact day the signs become necessary.
Create some buffer.
A shipment arriving hours before distribution begins creates unnecessary operational risk.
The Takeaway
Build the Schedule Backward From In-Hands.
Political-sign turnaround includes more than press time.
Artwork, proofing, production, finishing, packaging and transportation all contribute to the final in-hands date.
Start with the deadline and work backward.
