Set production speeds and estimated dispatch dates

Production choices let customers compare a print specification by quantity and speed. Their date is an estimate based on the product's working-day settings, cutoff and current date. It is not a promise that artwork has been approved or that a courier will deliver on that day.

Configure a product

1. Open Print product setup → Production times.
2. Add customer-friendly choices such as Standard, Economy or Express. Use labels that describe a service your shop can reliably provide.
3. Map each production choice to its working-day lead time.
4. Set the working days, cutoff and excluded dates that apply to this product.
5. In Check prices, try the same specification and quantity for every production choice. Check the final job amount, not only the base table.
6. Preview the customer quantity/date matrix and save the setup.

Enter the speed-specific complete-job base prices in the quantity/date grid, or use a deliberate option extra with its stated charging unit. The calendar calculates dates; it does not automatically invent an Express surcharge. Avoid charging the same speed cost in both a base row and an extra.

The calendar supports one to four columns, each tied to a distinct existing choice in a required production field, with every choice mapped. It is available for preset quantity/print-option pricing. Choose Estimated dispatch, or Estimated delivery with your configured working-day transit allowance. A delivery estimate is still not live courier tracking or a guaranteed arrival date.

Test dates that expose mistakes

• A normal working day before the cutoff.
• The same day after the cutoff.
• A weekend and an excluded holiday.
• The lowest and largest supported quantities.
• A specification with a finishing extra and a different production speed.

Check Settings → General → Timezone as well as the product's timing controls. Use your shop's working timezone, not the administrator's browser timezone.

Estimate versus confirmed date

The product-page date describes the selected production estimate. Payment, a complete specification and usable approved artwork must be in place before production can begin. The customer's preferred date on a quote is a request for staff to review.

Staff can set a confirmed completion date on the production job. This feeds planning and customer updates. It is separate from the original estimate and is not a resource reservation, automatic production start or guaranteed courier arrival.

If a customer's deadline cannot be met, communicate that before beginning production. Use a public job message or a revised quote, as appropriate, rather than changing the visible label alone.

Related: Quantity prices, Production planning, Customer progress.