--- title: "How long does a sample take? | Mr Balaclava" description: "A pre-paid (physical) sample is made in about 5–7 days after you sign off the tech pack, plus courier time to your door." url: https://mrbalaclava.com/help/sample-time/ language: en-US updated: 2026-10-06T19:31:37+00:00 alternates: fr: https://mrbalaclava.com/fr/help/delai-echantillon.md de: https://mrbalaclava.com/de/help/wie-lange-dauert-muster.md es: https://mrbalaclava.com/es/help/plazo-de-la-muestra.md publisher: Mr Balaclava (https://mrbalaclava.com/) --- Samples # How long does a sample take? By the Mr Balaclava team · Updated 2026-10-06 Short answer A pre-paid (physical) sample is made in about 5–7 days after you sign off the tech pack, plus courier time to your door. A free pre-production sample is made after you place your order and pay the 30% advance, and you approve it on photos, videos or a video call. It depends on the sample you choose. See [Which sample do I need?](/help/sample-types/) ## Pre-paid (physical) sample | Stage | Usual time | | --- | --- | | Digital mockup | 1–3 business days | | Tech pack | 3 to 5 business days | | Sample | About 5–7 days after tech pack sign-off | | Express courier to you | 3–6 working days with DHL, FedEx or UPS | Business days exclude weekends and public holidays in Pakistan and in your country. ## Pre-production sample We make it after you place your order and pay the 30% advance, and we show it to you on photos, videos or a video call. Bulk production continues as soon as you approve it, so there is no courier time to wait for. ## What can add time - **Waiting for approvals:** each stage starts only after you approve the previous one. - **A second sample:** if a change affects the construction, a new sample is made. - **An incomplete brief:** missing artwork, colours or sizes mean extra questions before we can start. ## How to get your sample sooner - Send a complete brief: product, quantities, artwork, colours and sizes - Send your logo as a vector file with Pantone references - Reply to the mockup and the tech pack quickly If you have a fixed deadline, tell us in your first message, so we can plan the schedule with you. See [How long does production take?](/help/production-lead-time/) Was this article helpful? ## Related articles - [Which sample do I need: pre-production or pre-paid?](https://mrbalaclava.com/help/sample-types/) - [How does sampling work?](https://mrbalaclava.com/help/how-sampling-works/) - [How long does production take?](https://mrbalaclava.com/help/production-lead-time/) - [How long does delivery take?](https://mrbalaclava.com/help/delivery-times/) ## Still need help? A real person replies within one working day. Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 · Sat 10:00–16:00, Pakistan time (UTC+5) - [Send your brief Contact form for quotes and projects](https://mrbalaclava.com/contact-us/) - [contact@mrbalaclava.com Best for briefs, artwork and files](mailto:contact@mrbalaclava.com) - [WhatsApp +92 370 7981102 Quick questions and photos](https://wa.me/923707981102)