How Do You Send Art to People on Da?
Introduction
I have been in the gallery business organisation since 1993. Though I at present own Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale and Pinetop, AZ, I started in the business on the ground floor. My outset job was in the backroom, shipping artwork for a Western fine art gallery in Scottsdale. The gallery had a high sales book, so I got a lot of experience packing, crating, and shipping art of every shape and size. I shipped paintings and sculptures large and small and learned what was of import in making sure artwork arrived safely.
Over the years I certainly learned some lessons the hard way – not every piece arrived safely. Sometimes, despite my best efforts, artwork would be damaged by the delivery company, and sometimes, I would fail a minor detail, resulting in a aircraft disaster. Eventually I became quite skillful at it, and even though I eventually moved into a sales position and ultimately opened my own gallery, I continued to sneak into the shipping room from time to time to go on in practice. To this solar day I will sometimes pack and ship a piece myself – at that place's something satisfying nearly the physical deed of aircraft a piece of artwork.
Shipping is both science and art, and I would similar to share with you lot some of the lessons and techniques I've learned over the years.
While aircraft is almost second nature to me, I know that it poses a perplexing challenge for many artists and gallerists. I know this first mitt: Some of the boxes I receive at the gallery are packed atrociously. From these boxes it is clear many artists either don't know how to ship their work effectively or they know but don't care very much. I hope I can make your life a little easier the side by side fourth dimension y'all have to ship a painting.
While this post will focus on aircraft two-dimensional art – paintings, prints, photographs – I promise to have a companion post on shipping sculpture in the next several months.
Disclaimer
While the advice I'm sharing with y'all comes from years of practise and experience, there are no guarantees in the arena of aircraft fine art. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, artwork gets damaged in transit. I cannot guarantee every piece you ship using the techniques below will arrive safely, but this volition help you better your odds.
Another important matter to recall is that each painting provides its own unique challenges. While these guidelines will work in most cases, occasionally you volition have to conform them to run into the needs of your individual situation.
My Goals when Shipping Art
When shipping artwork, before I begin I accept 3 cardinal goals in mind. I have listed them here in descending order of importance.
Safety
One of the worst imaginable calls in the art business is from a client who has received a slice of artwork damaged in transit. No matter how smashing a work of art is, no matter how well you accept served your collector, if the artwork arrives damaged your customer is going to be upset. Later on we'll discuss how to mitigate your customer's frustration and turn the disaster into an opportunity to provide exceptional client service, but it's far better to avoid the harm in the first place.
In my experience, most impairment can be avoided with careful planning and packing, and this should exist goal #ane when you are shipping fine art.
Professionalism
I accept ofttimes declared that artists and gallerists are as much in the performance fine art business as the visual art business. We want to convey to the collector that the work of fine art they but bought, or are considering ownership, is a masterpiece. Everything nosotros do in relationship to the physical piece of work of art should reinforce this message. When treatment the fine art, we should do and so respectfully and almost reverentially. This applies to how the art is shipped as well. When the art arrives on your client's doorstep, you want the packaging to look like it is worthy of the artwork within, non something that fell off the recycling truck.
Efficiency / Economy / Ecology
Finally, I don't want my shipping expenses to eat then far into my profit margin that the sale becomes unprofitable. While rubber and professionalism certainly come commencement, those concerns have to be counterbalanced against your costs. Aye, yous could charter a jet and hand-deliver the artwork to your client to make certain it arrives safely and professionally, but this approach would be neither economical nor efficient (probably non all that ecologically friendly either). Ultimately, I desire to ship the artwork for the least cost, while however maintaining rubber and professionalism. These factors can be counterbalanced, and I am going to give you lot advice that volition relieve you money.
We are besides fortunate to live during a "green" revolution, when recycled materials and free energy efficient transport is condign more easily accessible. I endeavour to employ recycled materials wherever possible, and many transportation companies volition allow you lot to buy carbon offsets for your shipments inexpensively. With a little careful planning you lot can minimize the environmental touch on of your fine art shipping activity.
The Right Tools for the Job
My father-in-police is an attorney by day and an avid woodworker by dark and weekend. He has an amazing woodshop where he crafts fine furniture. I stand in awe of the finely detailed and precise work he does in the shop. His success is equal parts skill, practice, talent, and inventiveness. He tin can envision a article of furniture and then engineer and execute a design that allows him to manifest the furniture precisely to his vision.
While his talent, skill, and inventiveness are vital to execute his piece of work, none of information technology would be possible without the vast array of tools he has assembled over a lifetime of woodworking.
Fortunately shipping is far less exacting than fine piece of furniture making, simply the importance of having and using the correct tools is analogous. Your shipping volition be simpler and safer if y'all accept the right tools.
For about $100 you can gather a bones aircraft toolkit. I take 5 favorite tools I utilize consistently when aircraft. While there may be a few additional tools that will come up in handy from time to time, these tools are a good place to get-go.
Don't skimp on these tools. You may pay a little more to get loftier quality tools, but this investment volition quickly pay off in increased productivity and professionalism. A skillful tool volition terminal years; you lot'll desire to rid yourself of a poor one as quickly as possible. In other words, you'll really spend less in the long run by buying and maintaining expert quality tools.
My Shipping Toolkit Contains the Following:
Pocketknife (Box Cutter)
A loftier quality, heavy-duty box cutter with lots of blades is one of your most important, most used tools. Once y'all offset shipping seriously, you are going to be cutting paper-thin like crazy. If your knife isn't sturdy and sharp, your cuts are going to be messy. A dull, or rickety knife volition cause the cardboard to crumple and buckle rather than cut.
I change the razor blades in my knife subsequently every five packages – more often if necessary. Blades are inexpensive, particularly if you purchase them in majority.
Record Gun
For my tape gun, I prefer one with a handle that holds 2" packing tape. Discover one that provides a way to accommodate the gun's resistance, usually through a knob or screw on the tape roller. You'll see why this is important after when I show you lot how to most effectively use the gun.
T-Foursquare
A good T-Foursquare will assistance you make direct, even cuts when modifying your boxes. The T-square is primarily used by builders who are installing drywall, which is typically 48" wide. I am going to recommend you lot buy your cardboard in 48" widths, which makes this the perfect tool for measuring your cuts.
Sharpie
Nada beats a Sharpie for marking your cardboard for cutting. A pencil works every bit well, and some might fence that an errant pencil mark is easier to conceal or erase, but I similar to get my score marks downward apace and boldly so at that place is no room for doubt. A marker line is hard to miss or confuse and is therefore ideal for marking upwards your packing materials.
I purchase the versatile Sharpie markers past the dozens so I never take to worry most running short.
Box Sizer
All of the other tools in this list have been fairly common and are piece of cake to find at your local hardware store. The last tool in my toolkit, the box sizer, is a tad more specialized and may need to be ordered online. Merely information technology is indispensable once you get the hang of using it. In essence, it is an adjustable tool that allows you to create even and smooth scores on cardboard. These scores then allow you to fold the paper-thin wherever you need. With a box sizer you can modify boxes to fit your exact needs or even create boxes from raw cardboard. I really use this tool far more frequently when packing sculpture, but information technology also oftentimes comes in handy when boxing up paintings.
Supplies
Just as having the right tools on paw makes it easier to pack your art professionally, having the right supplies on hand will simplify your shipping life and salvage you a lot of running around when you brand a auction.
While packaging suppliers offering an overwhelming diverseness of supplies – boxes in every shape and size, tapes in every width, big bubbling, small bubbling, peanuts – you lot tin can meet about of your packing needs with just a small arsenal.
Once again, the goal is to be able to practise the most with the least.
Here are the supplies I try to accept in my inventory at all times. While I occasionally have to special order a box for a particular work of art, nine times out of ten I can pack whatever two-dimensional artwork that comes my way using merely these supplies:
Boxes
For my painting shipments I accept three primary moving picture box sizes that I use.
28" ten 4" x 24"
37" x 4 3/8" x xxx"
36" ten half-dozen" x 42"
Your supplier's sizes may vary slightly, simply most will have boxes very close to these dimensions.
The two larger sizes are both telescoping boxes. Telescoping picture boxes are terrific considering you can use just one if the artwork fits, or, if the piece of work is larger than a single box, you tin can slide 2 boxes together to make a larger box. With a little surgery you tin can even slide four boxes together to arrange still larger pieces.
The boxes are relatively inexpensive, and, when used properly, provide sufficient protection to proceed your art safe in transit.
Palette Tape & Wrap (4" wide & 24" wide)
This versatile plastic wrap is perfect for giving your art a protective skin earlier boxing. It is very similar to the plastic wrap y'all utilize in the kitchen to cover casseroles and other food you desire to continue fresh in the fridge. As the name implies, its main function is to wrap boxes on shipping palettes, but I will show you lot beneath how you lot can use the wrap equally a protective coating effectually your fine art to protect against scratches and scuffs.
48" x 96" Paper-thin Pads (single & double wall)
These are large, flat sheets of cardboard that tin exist used anytime you need extra padding or wrapping. You'll see that I use these pads to provide an extra layer of cardboard between your art and the world, but y'all can also apply them when you are customizing a box and end upwards with a gap, or when you need extra padding on a corner.
Bubble Wrap
Your kids (or grandkids (or you!)) love stomping on chimera wrap to create the satisfying trivial "pop." Information technology might exist a little hard to believe that something that pops so easily has incredible ability to protect your precious paintings. While any individual bubble is like shooting fish in a barrel to pop, a sheet of the bubbles, working in concert, draws a surprising amount of strength by distributing pressure and touch across a wide area.
Bubble wrap both cushions the art and fills space, preventing unwanted motion within your packaging. When shipping paintings, bubble wrap should exist your filler of choice – never apply styrofoam peanuts when aircraft paintings (more on this later).
I order ii to four rolls at a time so that I e'er have plenty on manus. I do occasionally use the pocket-size bubble diverseness, but the vast majority of my shipments crave me to use the larger, 1" bubble rolls.
I used to social club both 36" and 24" wide rolls, merely I found that I used far more than of the 24" and, in the interest of space, decided to order but the 24" width, figuring that I can always employ more sheets for those occasions when I need more width.
I also always order chimera wrap that is already perforated at 12" intervals. The perforations make measuring and cutting much easier and cleaner, and information technology costs the same as the not-perforated rolls.
We suspend the rolls on wires from the ceiling in our supply room then that the gyre is out of the mode and yet easy to access and unroll.
Packing Record
I'm merely going to say this in one case, but I'thousand going to say it emphatically:
Buy the very best packing record you can afford!
I know nosotros're all on budgets, and we have to stretch to brand those budgets meet our ever-increasing needs. While I empathize that every penny counts, packing tape is not an expanse where you should be pinching those pennies.
I have received packages before where the art was literally falling out of the box because the tape had failed to hold. Cheap tape is harder to apply and harder to cut, and it doesn't stick. You volition cease upward having to apply two to three times as much tape to secure your boxes, and even then yous risk information technology not working effectively.
Cheap packing tape may actually end up costing you more, not to mention a customer, particularly if your artwork is damaged considering the tape fails.
I e'er employ 3.five mil (that'southward 3.five thousandths of an inch) thick tape in ii" wide rolls. This will commonly exist the heaviest duty selection available, only, when in doubtfulness, enquire your supplier what their best tape is, or just buy their nearly expensive option.
"Fragile" Stickers
I can't remember where I heard it, but someone once said, "Plastering 'frail' labels all over a bundle only ensures that the commitment company will toss the package under-hand instead of throwing it over-hand."
This is probably true. I imagine that commitment company employees go pretty immune to those stickers later a while.
Still, I use large fragile stickers on every shipment. The freight company might not pay much attention to them, but they make me feel ameliorate, and they let my clients know I care.
Packaging Procedures
Now that we have our tools and supplies together, we're ready to begin boxing our beginning slice of art. Ideally, y'all would accept a dedicated shipping expanse in your studio where you lot keep all of your supplies and tools and accept a big table to piece of work from. If this isn't the case, clear the largest flat surface you tin can discover – your dining room table is probably the next best candidate every bit information technology's improve to work at table height than on the floor.
Sizing
The first step in packing a painting is determining which boxes and materials yous are going to employ and and then planning how to use them optimally. This process begins by measuring your artwork.
I get-go by determining which outer box I am going to utilise. My general rule of pollex is that I want to find a box that gives me a minimum clearance of near 2" all the way around the artwork.
Equally an illustration, allow'due south say we have an 18" x xviii" painting that is i.five" deep. We will therefore need an outer box that is at least 22" 10 22" and nigh five.5" thick.
In this instance, I would use my 28" x 4" x 24" box. This is a little bigger than we need, merely considering this bundle isn't big enough to incur dimensional weight (run into section on dimensional weight beneath) we are going to be charged by the weight of the box, not the size. So this box will work just fine.
You'll notice that the box depth isn't going to give me a full 2" clearance front and back, but I'll have over an inch. If the slice isn't extremely fragile, this is okay. Depth isn't equally big of an issue equally height and width considering the edges and corners are the nigh harm-decumbent areas of the artwork. We are likewise going to be double-boxing our artwork, which gives usa an added layer of protection.
The ultimate goal of sizing is to give ourselves enough room to buffer the artwork from the outside globe and to meet our freight company's padding requirements. Well-nigh of the freight companies will only cover damage in packaging that gives you lot this 2" buffer. Be sure and read your freight company'southward impairment and packaging policy to ostend you are meeting their requirements.
Dimensional Weight
Another consideration when planning packaging is your freight visitor'southward dimensional weight policy. If your delivery company e'er charged you shipping fees based purely on the weight of your package, computing and minimizing your shipping costs would be pretty easy. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Because the size of a package impacts the number of packages a freight company tin can move just as much as the weight does, the companies accept come up with a style to account for both dimensions past calculating the "dimensional weight" of a package. If a package exceeds a sure size threshold, the carrier will charge you based on the size or the bodily weight, whichever is greater.
Though this sounds complicated, information technology's really pretty easy to effigy out. Just contact your commitment company and ask them how they calculate dimensional weight and what their size thresholds are. Many of the companies volition listing this info on their websites. The formula typically looks something similar this:
L x Westward x H / 166
and the company might say that any parcel that has a total book over five,184 cubic inches has to employ the dimensional weight formula or the bodily weight, whichever is greater.
This happens to be UPS'southward current dimensional weight policy, which is why I'k using it here, simply these formulas can change from fourth dimension to time, so make sure yous are using upward-to-appointment information.
In our example so, we would commencement figure out the volume of our box. Since nosotros are using a 28" 10 four" x 24" box, we multiply those 3 dimensions to summate our volume, which happens to measure out to 2,688 cubic inches. Since we are well under their 5,184 cubic inch threshold, nosotros don't have to worry about a large charge for dimensional weight.
When shipping larger artwork, you can often run caput first into this issue. Let's say nosotros had a painting that required a bigger box. If we used our 37" 10 iv iii/8" ten 30" box, nosotros would find that our volume comes to five,550 cubic inches. Since nosotros've passed their threshold of 5,184 cubic inches, nosotros have to factor in the dimensional weight (five,550/166), which comes to a total of 33 lbs. So, fifty-fifty if the painting only weighs 10 lbs, we're going to be charged for 33 lbs since the size takes up so much space in their shipping van. Remember of this actress charge as leasing van space.
Knowing this, if you observe that the box has a lot of empty infinite inside, it might make sense to apply a smaller box or to cut it down with the box sizer so that we avoid the dimensional weight charge. In this case if nosotros took just 3" of the length or height of the box, we would be at 5,100 cubic inches and would just be charged for our actual weight.
It nonetheless might non exist worth the hassle to cut the box down or get some other box, but at the very to the lowest degree you should exist aware of the bear on that size has on your shipping costs.
Size Restrictions
Yous should likewise exist aware that many of the common carriers, including UPS, FedEx, and the Usa Mail service have unique size restrictions. Check with them to find out what those restrictions are. Exceeding these size restrictions will cause you to incur additional fees or strength you lot to seek out another delivery option.
The size of the artwork dictates the size of the last package, and there are going to be times when you simply accept to go over the threshold for dimensional weight and deport the additional costs. This is not the end of the world, though, and y'all should certainly never compromise the safety of your artwork but to shave off a few inches to remain under the thresholds. Again, damaged artwork costs you far more than slightly higher shipping fees.
I will discuss how to ship larger artwork in more than depth beneath.
A Protective Skin of Plastic
I mentioned above that one of my essential supplies is palette wrap. I use the plastic wrap to protect paintings and frames from scratches and scuffs. There'due south nil complicated about applying the wrap, but the underground is to pull the wrap tightly around the artwork, applying force per unit area the entire time you are wrapping the painting then the wrap doesn't become bunched or tangled. With our example painting at eighteen" x 18" we only need to go around the art once to comprehend the unabridged surface. Still, with larger pieces you should pass the wrap over the surface multiple times to cover all of the artwork.
This next tip is hard to explain on paper, but as you wrap a larger piece you'll see exactly what I mean:
Start wrapping on the dorsum of the artwork.
Your natural trend is going to be to start on the front, simply if y'all start on the back and wrap at a straight angle all the way around one time, y'all can then pull the wrap diagonally down the back side of the artwork to first your next row of wrap. By having your diagonals on the back, the front of the artwork is covered with polish, straight rows of plastic, which not only protects the art itself, but also looks attractive to the client upon opening. Information technology's a pocket-sized thing, but it will make the wrapping task expect more professional.
Finally, and I'm non sure if this is superstition or science, advisedly cut pocket-size slits in the back of the plastic so that the fine art tin exhale. I can't imagine breathability being a huge result for the brief fourth dimension well-nigh artwork spends in transit, but one could imagine a piece of artwork wrapped for as well long having issues with trapped moisture or cracking. I don't know if this has been proven scientifically, but I tin't come across any harm in giving the art some air, and then I do information technology.
Cardboard Padding
Now that nosotros have given the artwork a pare of tightly wrapped plastic, we're set to add together a thicker, stiffer layer of protective cardboard. This inner layer of cardboard is going to create a kind of second box that will greatly diminish the possibility of having a foreign object pierce or scuff your artwork. This box will besides help blot shock if the bundle is dropped. Most shipping companies crave that freight exist double-boxed before covering it for damage, and in my experience, this layer of paper-thin has e'er satisfied the requirement for a 2nd box.
Equally mentioned earlier, I always take 48" x 96" sheets of cardboard in inventory. I keep both single-wall and double-wall sheets on hand, but I almost always employ the single-wall. It's much, much easier to cut and fold, and in most cases it is more than sufficient protection. I only employ double-wall paper-thin when I am dealing with extremely heavy or fragile art.
You volition observe that the paper-thin has a grain that runs the 48" length. This makes the board easier to fold parallel to the 48" side. I try to plan my folds so that they are on this axis. Typically, the best and near efficient way to accomplish this is to accept the longest side of the painting likewise parallel to this 48" side. You lot tin can and so measure the width of the painting and double it, measure the depth of the painting and double that, then add a few inches for skillful measure out and mark the paper-thin using your T-foursquare and Sharpie. Employ your box cutter to make your cut. Now mensurate the length of the painting, add together four inches, and cutting the paper-thin to the proper length (this cutting will be perpendicular to your original 48" side, and therefore is against the grain of the cardboard).
Now, lay the cardboard flat, place the artwork roughly in the eye, and fold the ends over. Record the overlap to seal the cardboard closed. The cardboard will naturally fold over the corners of your artwork if you've followed my instructions about following the grain.
The ends of the inner-box will be open, and because we immune 4 extra inches at the terminate, y'all should accept near two inches of empty infinite at either end. Instead of cutting and folding this actress infinite, simply clasp the sides together to form a kind of triangle and tape information technology closed. By taping the ends in this way, yous are creating an additional buffer at the end of the artwork that will human activity as a great shock absorber. I mentioned earlier that the edges of the artwork or frame are the most prone areas for harm, and by giving yourself this actress cushion, you take given the two ends of your artwork an well-nigh impenetrable barrier.
Chimera Wrapping
Our last inner layer is bubble wrap. Only similar nosotros did when we were wrapping the plastic around the art, we desire to go on some tension on the chimera wrap equally we are applying it to the artwork. Keeping the wrap tight will allow us to maintain make clean edges and prevent bunching. I normally apply simply i layer of wrap to the large flat sides of the art – the bubble wrap isn't doing much in the way of protection hither anyway. Adjacent, I almost e'er utilise a second layer of bubble wrap around the edges of the artwork. I do this past measuring enough bubble to completely circumvolve the edges of the artwork. I fold the bubble in half lengthwise and so tape it to the edges of the painting. For our example artwork, we would demand about 72" (eighteen" x 4"), just I would add together an extra pes or two to accommodate the layer of cardboard we added and to have into business relationship the fact that the corners volition steal several inches from us due to the volume of the bubbles.
The Outer Box
Now we are set to slide this whole, dandy parcel into the paper-thin box. We want to fill up this outer box every bit completely as possible. The number one cause of damage to frames and corners of the artwork is motion allowed by extra space in the box. You tin can go about eliminating this space in ane of 2 ways. Start, you can cut the box downward to size (as mentioned to a higher place in the department on sizing), or yous tin can fill any voids with bubble wrap. Either option is acceptable if you don't take a lot of extra space. I usually choose the chimera wrap because it takes less time than performing surgery on the box. But proceed the guidelines on carrier size restrictions in mind when making this decision.
If you do end up cutting the box downwardly, I suggest you utilize your T-square and Sharpie to create direct cuts. Your box will look much ameliorate if all of your cuts are direct.
I won't go into a lot of detail nigh modifying the boxes because every surgical operation is going to be different depending on the size and shape of your art. Information technology will exist easier to go good results if you tape i end of the box closed so that you are dealing with the box in its 3-D grade instead of apartment. If you minimize the cuts (I usually simply have one continuous cut all the way around the box), you lot can telescope the parts of the box together to eliminate your extra space. Telescoping is great considering information technology reduces waste product and adds an extra layer of cardboard wherever the boxes overlap.
Taping
I consider sloppy taping a cardinal sin, and I want to devote an entire section of this certificate to the field of study of taping.
The showtime step to good taping is to use expert tape. I said it above, but it bears repeating: Utilize the highest quality tape you tin can find. Not only does skillful record adhere better, it's easier to apply.
The next secret to good taping is tension. Almost every packing tape gun allows you to control tension with a knob on the record wheel. I suspect that many first shippers (and possibly even some experienced ones) don't pay much attending to the tension, or they mistakenly call up that the tension should be minimized so the tape rolls off more than easily. Depression tension will cause your tape to bunch and fold equally yous are sealing your box, and it volition also make information technology virtually impossible to cut the tape.
To get the correct tension, I start set it to where information technology is then tight that I can't pull the record off the curlicue without straining, then I loosen it but a piffling so that I no longer take to tug to get the tape off. In other words, you lot want the tension merely earlier information technology becomes impossible to dispense.
Applying the tape is a two-handed functioning. When starting on a new seam, I hold the tape gun in my right paw and use my left hand to hold the tape downwardly at its starting betoken on the box. I pull the record gun back to unroll enough tape to cover the seam, but I practise this several inches above the surface of the box. Once I accept enough tape, I continue information technology tight, line it upward with the seam, and then lower information technology onto the box – keeping tension on the record by pulling the gun.
Cutting the record is an art. If you've tried it unsuccessfully, you know what I mean. I once saw someone pull out a pair of pair of scissors every time the tape needed to be cut considering she hadn't mastered the art of using the tape gun'southward congenital-in blade.
A video, or even ameliorate, an in-person tutorial would piece of work best here, only since I can't exercise that, I'1000 going to practise my all-time to depict the cutting process.
I want to maintain this tension on the tape, so I'm going to proceed pulling the tape gun toward me. Of class, pulling on the tape gun causes it to manipulate more than tape, and we don't want that to happen correct at present. I use my right thumb as a brake, belongings the scroll in place. I now have a couple of taut inches of record extending from the box to the gun. The rest is in the wrist. I want the saw-blade knife on the gun to offset cutting on one side of the tape. I'thou non trying to cutting the whole width at one time. I brand this happen by turning my wrist in a clockwise motion while maintaining tension.
In short, the record cut process is a combination of tension created by my thumb property the tape curlicue while I pull on the gun and twisting my wrist and so the bract can bite through the tape.
Piece of cake!
I encourage you to record all of the seams of your outer box, including the short seams at the ends of each flap. This may seem like overkill, simply any untaped seam is a potential snag, and if something catches under the seam, your box could easily exist ripped open.
I too always apply tape all the mode around the length and width of the package to tighten everything upwards.
Dealing with Glass
For those of you who are shipping watercolors, photography, prints, or annihilation else behind a panel of glass, let me commencement say I'k sorry. Shipping artwork behind glass is nearly infinitely more difficult than shipping anything else. Glass is and then susceptible to dandy in transit that some carriers refuse to insure annihilation that involves it.
Considering the slightest jolt or tension can crusade your glass to shatter, it is even more important that you provide aplenty padding and eliminate all possible movement.
Every bit of import as breakage prevention is, I experience it'due south even more than important to call back near damage control. Basically, if the drinking glass does break, you want to utilise added protection so it doesn't scratch, slash, or otherwise mangle your artwork. When I ship anything out with drinking glass in it, I simply presume information technology's going to suspension and then focus on making sure the shards don't destroy my artwork.
Many shipping supply companies sell 8-12" wide masking tape that is specially created for glass coverage (information technology doesn't leave a sticky glue rest on the glass when yous remove it). You can apply this tape to the entire surface of the drinking glass, and, if the drinking glass should happen to break, the resulting shards will stick to the tape instead of slashing your artwork to shreds. 3M also makes a clear film that does the same matter.
Another approach is to get out of the drinking glass shipping business birthday. I know of an artist who does pastels, which are, of form, displayed backside drinking glass. When a slice is sold, the creative person takes the artwork to his framer, has the framer remove the drinking glass and replace it with a sheet of clear plastic. He ships the slice to the client's local framer where he covers the toll of new drinking glass. The creative person has congenital the cost of doing this into his pricing. I'm not sure this would work for everyone, just it'south certainly an option to keep in mind.
Shipping
Now that we have the artwork professionally boxed up, we're ready to get it on its style. There are a number of options available when it comes to choosing a commitment company, and I don't want to endorse any one in particular. Everyone seems to develop favorites, and if y'all've found one that works for yous, stick with it. If you are dissatisfied, keep trying different companies until y'all find i that makes yous comfy.
There are two general classes of commitment companies: the common carriers, such equally FedEx and UPS, that primarily handle small to moderately sized packages, and the larger freight companies and freight forwarders that deal with larger shipments.
Generally, we will ship anything that is thirty" x forty" or smaller using one of the common carriers. Anything larger will ship via a freight company or truck line.
If y'all are aircraft infrequently, you can only drib the package off at one of the carrier's retail locations, give them the delivery accost and let them do the rest. You will be paying retail, merely you'll besides exist saving yourself time and effort.
If you program to send in whatsoever kind of volume, notwithstanding, yous should set upwards an business relationship with the carrier and transport using their online service. This will salvage you money, and often you can schedule a delivery driver to option up the package from your studio, saving yous a drive equally well.
If you start shipping in fifty-fifty college book, say an boilerplate of 10 pieces or more per month, you should talk to a sales representative for the company and ask if any book discounts are available and if they would utilise to your situation. Depending on your volume, the savings could be significant.
Most of these companies offer a diversity of options for delivery time. Footing shipments tin can take anywhere from a couple of days to over a calendar week, depending on the distance and accessibility of your customer. You tin can likewise use their iii-day, 2-solar day, and overnight express services.
In theory, these expedited services are both faster and safer (the less fourth dimension a package is in the delivery company's easily, the fewer opportunities they will have to impairment it!), but the costs are so prohibitive, especially for larger packages, that in most cases ground service is the only practical option.
For larger pieces yous tin use one of the trucking lines like Conway or freight forwarders like Bellair Limited. The freight forwarders may ship the art via air, truck, or train, depending on your timing needs and budget. Unfortunately, many of these companies will but choice up from a commercial address (rather than from a individual address) and may be unwilling to come to your studio, no affair how difficult you endeavor to convince them information technology is a concern.
For more on aircraft large work, see the section below on dealing with large paintings.
Some Things to Avoid
Upwards to now we've discussed what you should do to ship your fine art safely and effectively. Now I would like to discuss some practices you lot should avoid.
Don't Allow Bubble Wrap to Come up in Direct Contact with Your Art
Recently we received a painting the artist wrapped using but bubble wrap. As I mentioned above, chimera wrap is great for padding your fine art in transit, but information technology should not come in direct contact with the art.
When we unwrapped the painting, we could see that the chimera had stuck to the varnish. Removing it left an imprint of the bubble wrap on the surface of the unabridged painting. From certain angles you could see the perfectly spaced imprints of the bubbles. We had to take the artwork re-varnished before we could nowadays information technology to a client who had already purchased it.
Sometimes when delivering a slice of artwork direct to a customer, I will wrap the painting with only bubble wrap, only when I do this I make sure the bubbles are facing out and so the flat side of the chimera wrap is turned toward the painting.
Don't Reuse Ugly Boxes
Recycling is both environmentally conscious and economical, only every cardboard box has a lifespan. Avoid pressing a box into service beyond that lifespan, particularly if y'all are shipping to a customer.
Even a new box is going to evidence signs of wear and tear when it arrives at your client's doorstep. Using an erstwhile box is inviting trouble. Equally an artist, y'all want your client to feel that they are buying one of your masterpieces. Yous are sending the client exactly the contrary message if you show them you lot feel the artwork isn't even worth the cost of a new box.
Don't Utilise Styrofoam Peanuts when Shipping Paintings
Every bit I stated in the shipping procedures department, bubble wrap is the correct fabric for filling voids in your boxes. Never apply peanuts for this purpose.
There are two main reasons for this. The first, and I'll acknowledge it'south a personal pet peeve, is that peanuts make a huge mess. This is especially true when yous are aircraft two-dimensional artwork. In that location is simply no mode to get a painting, photo or print out of a box filled with peanuts without disgorging them all over the unpacking area. Peanuts are very difficult to make clean up – they scatter before the broom and often, if they've picked up a static accuse, will literally jump out of the garbage tin.
2nd, and this is more important, peanuts don't work in a painting box and can actually cause damage. Peanuts will settle to the bottom of the box, and every bit the box gets jostled about in transit, the bottom of the box volition flex and expand, allowing more peanuts to concentrate there. The infinite at the top of the box will be left unprotected.
Peanuts are great for packing sculptures – they have no identify in a painting box.
Insurance
In spite of your best efforts in padding and protecting your artwork, damage is inevitable. Once your artwork leaves your easily, it is passing into a vast and complicated shipping network with lots of moving parts. In that location is no way to completely eliminate the possibility of damage, then you should plan for its eventuality and consider purchasing insurance to protect confronting loss.
You lot can insure yourself confronting loss in several means. First, you can buy the carrier'south insurance each time you ship a package. The delivery companies commonly offering some minimal coverage by default, simply this is usually just a few hundred dollars. For an additional charge you can add more coverage. You lot should be enlightened, all the same, that some of the companies limit their liability to $500 for fine art. Again, these policies are always changing, and so information technology's worth visiting your shipping company's website or calling them to confirm their limits for fine fine art.
If you are just occasionally shipping, carrier insurance is probably the simplest and most efficient way to insure the work with the least hassle. If you transport regularly withal, it makes sense to take a business insurance policy that covers your art not merely while information technology is in transit, but at all times. You'll pay far less in the long run for this kind of insurance than you will for the carrier coverage.
Talk to a business insurance amanuensis and they will be able to go yous a quote. We take a business policy with a fine arts "floater," also as an inland marine policy that gives us additional coverage for artwork. I'll be honest, I don't know what "floater" means or how something called "inland marine" protects fine art, but we worked closely with our agent to become the right coverage, and we have ever been protected on the rare occasions our fine art has suffered impairment.
At that place is, of course, another choice: You lot can insure yourself. If yous experience that the likelihood of damage is pocket-sized enough, or that the cost of insurance is too high, you can just cover the cost of whatsoever damage yourself.
I suspect most artists follow this course, and I can't error those who do; there are only so many dollars to go effectually, and insurance can't e'er be a top priority. Often, damage is repairable, and since you fabricated the art you probably have the perfect skillset to repair it!
Dealing with Damage
On the rare occasion that damage occurs, the fashion in which y'all react volition affect your human relationship with your client and the likelihood that you will recover damages from your shipping company or insurance policy.
Showtime and foremost, it's of import that yous follow the procedures laid out earlier to ship the artwork safely. Y'all are in a far better position if your client feels that yous did everything in your power to protect the artwork. Yous are also far more probable to file a successful claim with the shipping or insurance company if you have met their shipping requirements.
Reassure your client that your are doing everything in your power to rectify the state of affairs. There accept been times where nosotros have provided an immediate refund for their purchase and and then worked to get a replacement slice from the artist.
Typically, when damage occurs, the shipping visitor will return the artwork to you. When the piece arrives, talk to both the aircraft company and your insurance adjuster to detect out how they would like you to continue. Document the damage to the packaging and to the artwork per their instructions. You can never have too many photos or besides much documentation.
Provide the shipping visitor or insurance agency all of the information they demand in a timely mode.
Aircraft Larger Works
Equally I mentioned in the introduction, I enjoy aircraft artwork from time to time. When I first opened my gallery, I would send everything from the smallest sculpture to the largest painting.
The techniques I've shared hither work neat for paintings up to about 48" x 48". Whatever artwork larger than this nearly ever requires a wooden crate for shipment. In the early days of my gallery I had admission to a great woodshop, and I would build the crates myself.
I felt I non only enjoyed shipping, but was certainly saving coin past doing all of the work myself. Imagine my surprise when, several years after opening the gallery, I had a local art crater ship a large painting and discovered that the full charges for his crating and shipping services came to less than what it would take cost me to ship the piece myself.
Because the shipper did such a large volume of shipping, he was able to reach economies of scale with his materials and got a huge volume disbelieve in his freight charges. Information technology was actually costing me more to ship the art myself, especially if I factored in the time.
You will probably find this to be the case for y'all every bit well. When shipping big artwork, it will probably ultimately save you money to find someone locally to ship the work for you. Talk to other artists in your area and inquire if they've constitute someone who does a good job at a reasonable price. Unless you already accept the tools and woodworking feel, information technology simply isn't worth the effort to ship larger pieces yourself.
Conclusion
Aircraft artwork can be a challenge and frustration, simply it has really never been easier to ship than it is today. With the right tools, supplies and shipping procedures, you can ship your artwork safely and efficiently.
What take you lot learned by shipping your artwork? Do you take any tips or advice that might aid other artists? But desire to share feedback on this article? Leave your comments below.
Source: https://reddotblog.com/how-to-ship-paintings-a-step-by-step-guide-for-artists-and-galleries-21/
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