Christmas 2026 order dates for our colouring book

Christmas post is a race against the calendar, and a personalised present adds a step: it has to be made before it can be posted. This guide sets out our last order dates for Christmas 2026, how the time from ordering to delivery adds up, and what to do if you’re running late.

When is the last day to order for Christmas 2026?

Order by Saturday 12 December 2026 for Christmas delivery. With both express printing and Royal Mail Tracked 24, you can order up to Monday 21 December 2026 for delivery before Christmas. The dates apply to the day you approve your preview and pay, so leave yourself time before them to choose photos and check your pages.

You’ll find the same dates on our Christmas page and in our FAQ, and they always match. If our print time changes during December, the dates move earlier by themselves, so they always leave enough time to print and post your book.

How long does a personalised colouring book take to arrive?

Allow time for three stages: making and approving your free preview, printing and packing, and the post. We print and post your book within 3 working days of your order, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 usually takes a further 2–3 working days.

1. Your preview. Once you upload your photos, our software draws each one as a colouring page and we show you the whole book free. Most of the waiting here is yours: choosing photos, swapping any you aren’t happy with and approving the book.
2. Printing. A member of our team checks every page against your photos, then your book is printed in-house by our own team, packed and checked against your order before the envelope is sealed. “Working days” means Monday to Friday, not counting bank holidays.
3. Delivery. Every book goes Royal Mail Tracked 48, tracked, and we email you the tracking link when it is posted.

Need it sooner? You can choose express printing (+£10, printed the next working day) or Royal Mail Tracked 24 (+£3) at checkout. Our pricing page shows what each option costs.

Is there a later date for faster orders?

Yes, if you choose both express printing and Royal Mail Tracked 24 at checkout. We then print your book the next working day and Royal Mail aims to deliver it the next working day after posting, so the last order date for Christmas is later than our standard one (see the table above). With only one of the two, use the standard date. If express printing has to pause at a busy moment, the later date disappears from our pages and only the standard date applies.

Posting other presents yourself?

We don’t list Royal Mail’s own last posting dates here, because Royal Mail sets and updates them itself. If you are posting other presents, check Royal Mail’s Christmas last posting dates page for the service you are using, and allow extra time for international or British Forces addresses.

You don’t need to add anything for our book: our dates already include posting it to you, or straight to the person it’s for.

Why do your dates come earlier than the last posting dates?

Our last order dates come before the post’s own deadlines because your book is made after you order. We set the standard date so that an order printed in our usual time and sent Royal Mail Tracked 48 should arrive before Christmas, and any later date we show does the same for the faster options.

That leaves a little breathing space for the busiest weeks of the year in the post. December delays happen, which is why we don’t cut it to the last possible day, and why ordering earlier is always the safer choice.

How to plan backwards from Christmas Day

The simplest way to work out when to order any made-to-order present is to count backwards from the day you need it. Start from the last working day before Christmas, then take away the delivery time, the making time and a few days for yourself.

For our book, that means allowing 2–3 working days for Royal Mail Tracked 48, then the time we take to print and post it (within 3 working days), then however long you need to choose photos and approve your free preview. Weekends and bank holidays don’t count as working days, so a week with a bank holiday in it takes longer than it looks on the calendar.

If you plan to colour the book together before Christmas, or to post it on to someone yourself, add that time too.

I’ve missed the Christmas date: can I still order?

Yes, you can order at any time of year. After our last order dates we can’t promise delivery before Christmas, but choosing express printing (+£10, printed the next working day) or Royal Mail Tracked 24 (+£3) at checkout gives your book the best chance of arriving quickly.

If the book won’t arrive in time, it still makes a lovely present for the days after Christmas, when there is time to sit and colour. Some families give a printed photo or a card on Christmas Day saying the book is on its way. Our FAQ has the short answer.

Tips for getting presents there in time

A few simple habits make Christmas post much less stressful. Most of them come down to ordering early and sending things to the right place first time.

• Send it straight to the person it’s for. We post to any UK address you enter at checkout, with no price in the parcel, so you don’t need to forward it.
• Check the address and postcode carefully at checkout, including flat numbers.
• Remember that Royal Mail doesn’t deliver on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, and bank holidays don’t count as working days.
• If you’re posting other presents yourself, write Royal Mail’s last posting date for your chosen service on the calendar as soon as it is published.
• Order personalised gifts first, and leave shop-bought ones for later: they don’t need making.

Planning the rest of Christmas

Once the dates are sorted, the fun part is choosing what to give. Our guides to personalised Christmas gifts for kids and Christmas gifts for grandparents from grandchildren have ideas for every age, and our Christmas Eve box ideas and screen-free Christmas activities help with the holidays themselves. For our book specifically, see what’s inside a photo colouring book and our Christmas page.