“When will it be ready?” is the question that causes the most friction between Lagos businesses and their printers — usually because both sides are counting from a different starting point.
Typical turnaround by product
| Product | Standard turnaround |
|---|---|
| Business cards | 3 working days |
| Flyers and brochures | 2 working days |
| Roll-up banners | 2–3 working days |
| Custom t-shirts | 3–5 working days depending on quantity and method |
| Signage | 4–7 working days |
| Packaging and labels | 5–10 working days |
The counting problem: turnaround starts from artwork approval, not from when you first message. If artwork takes three days to finalise, a two-day job takes five days from your first contact. Both parties are right and both are frustrated.
What adds time
Finishing
Lamination, spot UV, foil and embossing each mean an additional pass through separate equipment. Each typically adds a day. A plain business card at three days becomes four or five with spot UV.
Artwork problems
The most common cause of delay, and the most avoidable. Low resolution images, RGB colour instead of CMYK, missing bleed, fonts not outlined — each triggers a conversation, a fix, and a re-approval.
Proofing rounds
A proof is your chance to catch errors before hundreds of copies exist. Use it — but respond quickly. A proof sitting unread in your WhatsApp for two days is two days added to the job.
Quantity
Large runs take longer to produce and longer to finish, cut and pack. A thousand flyers is not the same job as fifty.
Public holidays and weekends
Working days mean working days. A job quoted at three working days and submitted on a Thursday afternoon is not ready on Sunday.
Express printing: when it makes sense
Express or 48-hour production is genuinely available for most standard items and is worth paying for when a deadline is fixed and real — an event, a pitch, a launch. It costs more because it means rescheduling other jobs.
It is not worth paying for when the deadline is soft. If your cards can arrive Friday instead of Wednesday and nothing changes, take the standard rate.
Express also does not remove artwork risk. A rushed job with unresolved artwork is still a delayed job.
Planning backwards from an event
The reliable method is to work backwards, with slack built in:
- Event date. Fixed.
- Minus 2 days for delivery and any last-minute problem.
- Minus the production turnaround for your item.
- Minus 2 days for proofing and approval.
- Minus artwork time if the design is not finished.
For roll-up banners for an event on the 20th, that means artwork approved by roughly the 13th. Not the 18th.
How to make your job go faster
- Send print-ready artwork: 300dpi, CMYK, 3mm bleed, fonts outlined
- Approve or reject proofs the same day
- Confirm quantity and size at the start rather than changing midway
- Order everything in one job rather than adding items later
- Pay the deposit promptly — materials are usually bought after it clears
Most delays in Lagos printing are not press delays. They are decision delays. If you can make decisions quickly, most jobs run to schedule. For a breakdown of how these same factors affect cost, see our printing cost guide.
Common questions
How fast can business cards be printed in Lagos?
Standard turnaround is around three working days from artwork approval. Express production in 48 hours is often available at a premium, depending on the finish required.
Does turnaround start when I send my design?
It starts when artwork is approved and confirmed print-ready, not when it is first sent. If files need corrections, that time is added before production begins.
Is express printing worth the extra cost?
It is worth it for fixed deadlines such as events, launches or pitches. For flexible deadlines, standard turnaround at standard rates is the better value.
What is the most common cause of printing delays?
Artwork issues, followed by slow proof approval. Both are within the customer's control and both are avoidable with print-ready files and prompt responses.
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