2026 Holiday Printing & Mailing Deadlines
The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for printing and mailing. Planning ahead gives your project enough time for design, proofing, production, and mailing, and helps avoid last-minute stress.
Here are the important Chalk Line dates and deadlines to keep in mind for the 2026 holiday season.
If You Need Design Help or Mail Merge Personalization
Projects that require Chalk Line design assistance or include a mail merge field, such as a personalized greeting, require additional time for proofing and approval.
For items needed before Thanksgiving:
Place your custom design order by Tuesday, November 3
Approve your design or mail merge proof by Tuesday, November 10
For items needed before Christmas:
Place your custom design order by Monday, November 30
Approve your design or mail merge proof by Monday, December 7
If Your Item Is Ready to Print
Already have a print-ready file with no design or mail merge work needed?
For items needed before Thanksgiving: Order by Tuesday, November 10
For items needed before Christmas: Order by Monday, December 7
Planning a Specific Mailing Date?
If you would like your piece to mail on a specific date, use Chalk Line’s Prep-Ahead designation to schedule your mailing at least 7 business days in advance.
A few important dates to keep in mind:
Fall cards arriving before Thanksgiving: Schedule to mail on or before Tuesday, November 10.
Year-end appeals arriving before Giving Tuesday: Schedule to mail on or before Wednesday, November 25. Giving Tuesday is December 1, 2026.
Year-end appeals mailing the day before Thanksgiving: Schedule for Wednesday, November 25.
Christmas cards and year-end appeals arriving before Christmas: Chalk Line recommends mailing by Tuesday, December 15. The USPS recommended mailing date is Thursday, December 17.
Items that need to be mailed before Chalk Line’s year-end closure: Place your order by Friday, December 18.
Mail delivery times can vary, especially during the holiday season, so earlier is always better when your piece needs to arrive by a particular date.
Specialty Orders, Partner Gifts & Volume-Discount Items
Specialty products and larger volume orders require additional production time.
For fall partner gifts or specialty/volume-discount items needed before Thanksgiving: Order by Tuesday, October 27.
For specialty or volume-discount items needed before Christmas: Order by Tuesday, November 17.
For Specialty Christmas Cards with rounded corners or uncoated paper: Order by Tuesday, November 24.
Holiday Dates to Keep in Mind
Veterans Day — Wednesday, November 11
USPS observes Veterans Day, so regular postal operations are affected. Chalk Line will be closed.
Thanksgiving Holiday — Thursday, November 26
USPS observes Thanksgiving Day, so regular postal operations are affected. Chalk Line will be closed Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27 to spend time with our families.
Chalk Line Year-End Closure
Chalk Line will be closed December 24–25 and December 28–January 1. We’ll return to our regular schedule on Monday, January 4, 2027.
Plan Ahead for a Smoother Holiday Season
November and December fill quickly with Thanksgiving communications, Giving Tuesday campaigns, Christmas cards, year-end appeals, and partner gifts.
Whenever possible, take advantage of our Prep-Ahead option to submit your Christmas cards and year-end appeals early and schedule them for the mailing date you want. A little planning now can make the busiest mailing season of the year much easier.
Need help with your next communication?
We can help with design, printing, mailing, and shipping so you can stay focused on your donors, partners, and mission.