Private label lead times explained: what to count and what delays it

No single lead time fits all private label work. It depends on the product, the quantity and the finish, so ArtzFolio confirms it in the quote for your brief.

Be careful with any factory that gives one number for everything before it has seen your brief. A figure given in advance rarely accounts for your size, finish or pack.

Quantity matters as well. A larger run usually takes longer to make and pack than a small one, and a product with extra steps, such as a custom colour or your own pack and inserts, can take longer than a plain standard item. The quote reflects the whole brief, which is why it is the only place the figure can be confirmed.

When you compare quotes, compare the starting point first and the number of days second. A shorter figure that counts from a different day is not shorter at all.

The most useful habit when comparing factories is to ask where the clock starts. One factory may count from the day of your first message and another from the day you approve a sample. Those are very different spans.

Ask for the lead time counted from the approval of the sample. That is the point when the specification is fixed and the order is made against the approved sample. Before it, the time depends largely on how quickly you and the factory settle artwork and details.

This also protects you when you plan a launch. If you work back from a selling date, you need to know how long sampling takes, how long you will take to approve, and how long production runs after approval. Ask for each separately, and add your own freight time at the end.

A first order includes sampling and approval, so it takes longer than a repeat. Once the sample is approved and the specification is written down, a repeat order can start from the same reference.

Keep the approved sample, the written specification and the artwork file together, and give the same set with every repeat order. That saves time on each reorder, and it keeps the product consistent.

If you expect to reorder, say so in your first enquiry. A factory plans a first run with more care when it knows the product is meant to continue, and you can ask in the same message how a repeat is handled.

The two usual causes of delay are in the buyer's hands. The first is late artwork: files that arrive after production has been planned, or that need correcting. The second is a change of material after the sample has been approved, which can mean a new sample.

Other things that can add time are changes to the pack plan, a late decision on a colour or finish, and a slow reply to a question from the factory. None of these are faults on either side, but each is easier to avoid than to repair.

The approved sample helps here. Because the order is made against it and checked against it before packing, a clear approval removes most arguments later. Approve it in writing, and change nothing afterwards without telling the factory.

• Send final artwork at the largest size you have, in its original format.
• Fix size, material and colour before you approve the sample.
• Settle the label position and pack plan early.
• Answer factory questions quickly.

Ask for the lead time in the quote, together with where it starts and what would delay it. Ask for the sampling time when you receive the sample plan, because it is separate from the production lead time. Typically, a paid sample takes 1 to 2 weeks, and a bulk run takes 3 to 4 weeks after the sample is approved and the 50% advance is paid. These are typical ranges, not a guarantee, and the quote confirms the figures for your order.

Also confirm the shipping term. ArtzFolio ships ex-works from Noida, so your freight is arranged on top of the lead time. Ask the quote what the lead time ends at, and add transit time to your own plan.