Timing — Italy corporate merch
Production lead times in Italy: standard 5–8 working days, rush 3–5 days with +35% surcharge, strike-offs and design proofing inside 48 hours.
Timing — quick answer
Standard production runs 5–8 working days from artwork approval to the loading dock. Rush production at 3–5 working days carries a +35% surcharge. Pre-production strike-offs ship in 2–4 working days. Design proofing is 24–48 hours after artwork is received. Once the 50% deposit is paid, the order goes on the production line within one working day.
Detailed FAQ — timing
What does standard 5–8 working days cover?
From signed digital proof + deposit received, through screen burning / file ripping, blank pulling from warehouse, printing, drying / curing, QC, polybag and palletising. Italian holidays and Ferragosto are excluded from the count.
How does the +35% rush work?
We push the order to the front of the queue and run overtime shifts. Maximum two days saved on most orders; less on full embroidery or sublimation runs. We confirm rush feasibility before we accept the surcharge.
What is a strike-off?
A pre-production printed sample on the actual blank with your final artwork. Use it to approve colour, print position and feel before we commit the full run. Ships in 2–4 working days from artwork approval.
How fast can I see a digital proof?
24 hours for vector-clean artwork, 48 hours when we need to redraw or colour-separate. Includes mock-ups on the chosen blank and Pantone callouts.
What is the fastest we can ship?
For stock-blank, single-position, single-colour orders ≤300 pcs in our hub city, 48–72 hours is feasible at +35% rush. For Fiera Milano deadlines we have done same-day before but only on pre-stocked SKUs.
When does the deposit actually unlock the line?
SEPA bank transfers usually settle next morning; card payments and SDD authorise the line same day. Once funds are visible, production scheduling assigns a slot within one working day.
How does Ferragosto affect timing?
Italian factories close 10–25 August. Plan any August deliveries against that window — orders placed end of July are scheduled either before the break or for the first week of September.
Are lead times longer for embroidery?
Slightly: embroidery digitisation adds 24 hours, then production runs at the same standard 5–8 working days.
Italy-specific notes
Lead-time clocks pause for Italian public holidays and the Ferragosto factory shutdown (10–25 August). Invoices are issued via SdI immediately on the delivery date with IVA 22% — recurring clients on Net 30 / Net 45 receive a payment-due date inside the e-invoice. SEPA settles the deposit overnight, which is what unlocks the production line in our Italian hub.