Holiday Shipping Deadlines & Turnaround Times
Every Perkie Print is made to order, so the calendar matters more here than at most shops. Here is exactly how long things take, what each shipping option costs, and the dates you need to know for the holidays.
Christmas 2026 order-by dates
| What you're ordering | Order by | Arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Printed items (framed prints, canvases, mugs, totes, apparel, ornaments) with Standard shipping | Tuesday, December 16 | By December 24 |
| Email-delivered gift (recipient adds their own photo) | December 24, any time | Minutes after checkout |
| Digital gift card | December 24, any time | Minutes after checkout |
| Physical gift card (mailed) | December 16 | By December 24 |
These dates assume the proof is approved within a day of arriving (that's you, or the recipient if you sent an email gift and they're adding the photo). Carrier schedules shift every December, so if UPS or USPS change their own cutoffs, we update this page as soon as they do. When in doubt, order earlier: our team is at hello@perkieprints.com if you need to check timing before you buy.
The gift that skips the December 16 cutoff
Most custom gifts need the recipient's photo before anything can happen. Ours works the other way around. You buy the gift, we send it to them by email (or you print the card and hand it over), and they upload the photo of their own pet, preview every style free, and finish the order themselves. You never have to sneak a photo off their phone, and you never have to guess which one they'd pick. Already have a photo you love? You can also order the finished piece as a surprise; that path follows the December 16 date above.
That also makes it the surest choice for the last two weeks of December. It arrives within minutes of checkout, and what they open on Christmas morning becomes a Perkie Print of their own pet as soon as they add a photo. Start a gift.
Prefer to keep it simple? A digital gift card is delivered within minutes, any day through December 24, and can be spent on anything in the store. A mailed gift card follows the December 16 date above.
Missed the December 16 cutoff for a printed piece? An email-delivered gift or a digital gift card still gets something under the tree on time.
How long an order takes
- Upload and preview: under a minute. You see your pet in Color, Black & White, Ink Wash, and Marker before you buy. Free, no account needed.
- Artist-Reviewed, then your proof. An artist on our team reviews your portrait against your photo, then sends you a proof to approve. You can ask for changes.
- Printing and shipping. Ships in 1–3 business days after artist review. During the holiday peak production runs longer, and the December 16 date already accounts for that.
- Shipping: 3–7 business days with Standard shipping, counted from the day your package leaves us. You get a tracking email when it ships.
Turnaround and shipping are separate clocks. Approving your proof promptly is the single biggest thing you can do to keep an order on schedule, so please check out with an email address you actually read.
Shipping costs and options
- Standard shipping: $6.95 flat on orders under $100, free on orders of $100 or more (after discounts, before tax). 3–7 business days.
- We ship within the continental United States. We can't ship to Alaska, Hawaii, or military (APO/FPO) addresses.
- Prices on the site don't include shipping; it's added at checkout.
Cancellations and changes
You can cancel any time before your artwork is created; email hello@perkieprints.com with your order number. Once a proof has been sent, changes go through the proof itself rather than a cancellation. Ready-to-ship (non-personalized) items are returnable; custom artwork is made for your pet and nobody else's, so it isn't. The full details are in our Refund Policy.
Frequently asked
Can I still get a printed gift by Christmas if I order after December 16?
Not reliably, which is why we don't promise it. An email-delivered gift or a gift card arrives within minutes, and the recipient still ends up with a printed Perkie Print of their own pet.
Do I need the recipient's pet photo to give a Perkie Print?
No. With an email-delivered gift, they add the photo themselves. If you do have a great photo, you can also order the finished piece as a surprise.
What if I'm slow to approve my proof?
Your order waits for you. We don't print anything you haven't approved, so a late approval moves the ship date, not the quality.
Will the December 16 date change?
It can. It tracks the carriers' own holiday cutoffs. This page is where the date lives; if it changes, it changes here first.