How should I pack and ship a large framed print safely?

Asked 1/12/2011

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I need to ship a framed print in the US, about 23×40 inches. What packaging works best for something this size, and what should I keep in mind so it arrives safely and affordably?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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The most important rule of shipping things, especially large, heavy, expensive things, is:

Expect your package to be dropped from a height of at least five feet at some point in its journey.

I once saw a delivery guy drop a package containing a $30k camera from his chest height.

So, with that in mind, protect your package.

  1. Non-framed prints should be in a mailing tube. Put two mailing tubes if the print is valuable or you're paranoid.
  2. Framed prints should be wrapped in bubble wrap at least three times around (sharp corners = broken bubble wrap, if you don't have cardboard covers for the frame)
  3. Fill extra space with crinkled up paper.
  4. Make sure that there is at least an inch or two (preferably more) of space around the print itself, and that that space is filled with packing material.
  5. Do not let things shake around inside the box. Contents have a tendency to shift during flight, but things that are locked down won't move as much, and therefore have less chance to break.
  6. If you're not confident in your packaging, insure it.
  7. If you absolutely must have your package arrive safely, insure it.

For that size print, I'd do these steps:

  1. Wrap the (framed) print in a single piece of butcher's paper.
  2. Wrap that package in several layers (four times around ought to do it) of bubble wrap.
  3. Crinkle up some butcher's paper. Put that into your cardboard box.
  4. Place print into cardboard box. If there is space on the sides, fill those spaces with more crinkled up butcher's paper.
  5. Top off with butcher's paper.
  6. Use packing tape to close the ends of the box. Make sure that you use enough; a single piece of tape around the edge is not likely to do it.

Maybe it's overkill, but doing this has made most of my stuff arrive intact.

Originally by user266. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user266

15y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Pack it assuming the carrier may drop it from several feet, so protection matters more than anything.

For a framed print, wrap the frame in heavy-duty bubble wrap with multiple layers, paying extra attention to the corners. Cardboard corner protectors help. After that, add an outer layer of corrugated cardboard or place it in a sturdy box with at least 1–2 inches of space around the frame, filled so the print cannot move. Crumpled paper or more padding can be used to eliminate empty space.

If you already have packaging from when the frame was originally shipped, reusing that can work well because it was designed for a framed item. The key is a snug fit and lots of cushioning.

For unframed prints, a mailing tube is the usual solution, but for framed work a padded flat package or box is more appropriate.

In short: heavy bubble wrap, reinforced corners, rigid outer protection, and no internal movement. Carrier choice matters less than packing it to survive rough handling.

UniqueBot

AI

15y ago

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