Most people don’t think about ordering custom matchbooks take until they need them by a certain date. Good things and especially custom good things take time. We do our best to work with out customer on their timelines, but only certain products can rush production. The timeline for producing custom matches is depends on which book you order. A full-color quick-ship matchbook can be produced in under two weeks. An imported specialty book can take closer to three months. This guide lays out the real production times for every type of matchbook we make, so you can plan backward from your event or your reorder date and order with time to spare.
Why matchbook lead times vary so much
Our USA stock and quick-ship books are produced domestically. Our imported specialty books come from an overseas with the deepest options menu and the longest shipping time. While our premium printed-matchstick book balances heavy customization with a six-week turn.
Production time vs. shipping time
One thing to settle first. Production time is the clock that starts after you approve your proof, not the moment you place your order. We send a free digital proof with every order, and nothing prints until you sign off. Shipping sits on top of production. So when you read “4 to 6 weeks” below, add a few days at the front for proof approval and a few days at the end for transit.
Here is the full range, fastest to slowest.
| Matchbook type | Production time | Made in |
|---|---|---|
| Full-Color Quick-Ship (20 & 30 strike) | Under 12 business days | USA |
| Stock-print (color-on-white, white-on-color, colored board, two-color) | 4 to 6 weeks | USA |
| Foil hot-stamp | 6 to 8 weeks | USA |
| Premium feature with printed matchsticks | 6 weeks | Imported |
| Specialty / imported custom shapes | 8 to 13 weeks | Imported |
Full-Color Quick-Ship matchbooks: under 12 business days
When you need matches fast and you want full color inside and out, the Quick-Ship line is the fastest book we make. The 20-Strike and 30-Strike Full-Color Quick-Ship matchbooks print in under 12 business days after proof approval. They run full CMYK, start at a minimum of 200 books, and begin around $0.25 per book. They are made in the USA.
The trade-off is what you’d expect from a fast product. They are built for runs under 5,000, and they don’t include PMS color matching. If your design works in CMYK and you need them in a few weeks, this is the product you need. You can see the full quick-ship matchbook range to compare.
Stock-print matchbooks: 4 to 6 weeks
Stock-print books are our best value. These are the color-on-white, white-on-color, colored board, and two-color books, printed in standard stock colors on USA-made cardboard with white matchsticks. Production runs 4 to 6 weeks after proof approval.
Because the color palette is set, these books cost less per unit than full-custom work, which makes them a strong fit for large giveaways when your design lives in one of the available colors. Minimums start higher at 1,000 books, but prices are much lower. Browse the super economy matchbook options if cost per unit is your first concern.
Foil hot-stamp matchbooks: 6 to 8 weeks
Foil adds a shine that flat ink can’t match. Foil hot-stamp books run 6 to 8 weeks. Foil looks great on dark stock and we have choices in black, red and blue. Build in the extra week or two over a stock-print book.
Premium feature matchbooks with printed matchsticks: about 6 weeks
This is the only group of matchbooks where you can print on the matchsticks themselves. The Premium Feature Matchbook with Printed Matchsticks runs about 6 weeks, starts at a minimum of 1,000 books. Foil, embossing, and custom match-tip colors are all on the menu. Take a look at the premium matchbook line if you want a book that stands out in hand.
Specialty matchbooks: 8 to 13 weeks
The widest set of options lives in the imported specialty line: custom shapes, 17 match-tip colors included in the base price, and the full upcharge menu of metallic ink, matte varnish, foil, and die embossing. The trade-off is time. Production runs 8 to 13 weeks, so this is the line to plan a full season ahead for. Part of that window is ocean transit and customs, which you can’t speed up, so the calendar is firmer here than it is on domestic books. If you’re ordering holiday matchbooks, that means starting in early fall. Explore the specialty matchbook range to see what’s possible.
What actually moves your date
Three things change your timeline more than anything else.
- Proof approval. Your production clock starts when you approve the proof, not when you order. The sooner you review and approve, the sooner you print. Have your decision-makers ready.
- Artwork. Print-ready art keeps things moving. If your file needs rework, that happens before the proof goes out. Sending clean, high-resolution artwork up front saves days.
- Reorders. An exact repeat of a past design skip a step, since the work already exists. Most restaurants reorder roughly every3 -6 months, so a standing schedule makes your lead time more predictable. We keep art on file and make reorders easy.
Plan backward from your date
If the math is tight, you still have options. We keep a set of rush choices that will ship < 5 after you order. Be sure to tell us early in the process if you have an inhands date. We have less options once your order has been started. We’ll tell you honestly what’s possible before you order. Start with a free proof, or see our rush options if your date is close.
