Rush work is mostly a scheduling problem, and scheduling problems are solved by removing the decisions that have not been made yet. If your artwork is print ready, your size is fixed and your proof is approved the day it lands, a rush mailer order is straightforward. If any of those are open, the premium buys you less than you think.
What the Rush lane actually is
| Lane | Production | Freight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rush | Expedited | Air | Premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job |
| Standard | Normal | Air | Base quote |
| Cost saver | Normal | Sea | Lowest per unit, longest in transit |
Turnaround is stated per product rather than as one number for the catalogue. The floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks regardless of lane, which is why a rush conversation should always start with the specific item.
Have these five things ready before you enquire
- The in hand date, not the ship date. Tell us the day the boxes have to be at your bench, and the lane gets chosen backwards from it.
- Final inside dimensions. Length x width x depth, based on your largest product plus the void fill you actually use.
- Print ready artwork on the dieline. Vector, fonts outlined, colours specified. Design support is included, but a file that needs rebuilding costs days.
- A named approver. One person who can approve the digital proof the moment it arrives, and who is not on holiday that week.
- Your quantity. Still a minimum of 100 boxes per size and artwork.
What to simplify when the date is tight
- Cut added finish passes. Spot UV, foil and embossing are each a separate operation. A clean printed box on a good board still looks good.
- Keep one artwork version. Four variants is four runs. If the date is at risk, launch with one and add variants on the reorder.
- Do not change the size mid quote. A dimension change resets the dieline and the proof.
- Take the standard board. An unusual board or an unusual finish is exactly the kind of thing that has to be waited for.
Cost and what stays included
Base pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and the rush premium of about 7 to 25% is applied to your job, with the whole figure confirmed on a written quote before you commit. The die, the printing plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints stay included on a rush order. Production runs at two plants, West Chicago in the United States and Guangzhou in China, and the plant chosen for a rush job is the one that can meet the date for your specification.
Send your in hand date and artwork to the quote form and mark the enquiry as rush so it is scheduled against the date. If the date is comfortable, wholesale mailer boxes covers the same product on the cheaper lanes, and how long custom boxes take explains the timings in general.
