This is excellent. Thank you very much Laura. Just yesterday I was wondering about packaging art to ship through the mail - how timely!

Thanks Laura. Excellent article, one of the most helpful I've seen. I especially appreciate the info about using home store foam.
Cooper
http://karencooperpaintings.com

Wow! I am so glad I wrote this up. Thanks to everyone who's helping to spread the word. Artists and collectors everywhere will benefit!

Thanks again and enjoy!
Laura

Laura - as always you are a wealth of information and I am never disappointed when I visit your site. You are truly talented!

Laura, thank you for sharing this valuable information. I have not shipped many paintings as I worry about how they'll end up at the other end. I also work in pastel under glass mostly but your method could work on framed pieces and I could stick the glass with heavy tape?

Your work is gorgeous!

Cheers for now, Colleen

I know I'm late to the party here but this is a great post. Deborah T. Colter lead me here today.

I have a question? If you are shipping oils, how long do you dry your paintings before they go out? I remember hearing that oils can take months to fully dry! Thanks

I bookmarked this article! Very good advice! Although packaging steals into painting time, it is still wonderful to be able to give the customer your best!

I am so glad Jason! Good luck with your shipping!
Cheers,
Laura

Thanks for letting me know Hanie! Glad I could I could help.

Cheers,
Laura

Great article and a real money-saver. Thanks for sharing! :)

thank you! was on the brink of buying a bunch of expensive boxes. hoorah, recycling. hoorah, ingenuity.

While shipping smaller works of art is almost always less expensive to do it yourself (and this is one of the best how-to turotials I've seen), if any sculptors or artists need to ship their large or unusually shaped pieces Navis Pack and Ship is an excellent resource. We differ from the other shipping companies in that we specialize in custom crating for items that weigh a ton (literally!) or just can't fit in standard sized boxes. Plus, we actually do care about art and are very careful to make sure your works arrive in pristine condition.

I am about to ship my first painting and although I've looked at many videos and blogs regarding how to package a painting this is the best method I've seen. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Thanks so much Laura!

Lovely - thanks for the help. I'm on my first attempt to ship a picture. This is just the help I needed. Thanks.

Hi Laura,
Since I have been in Canada, I have just quit entering juried shows in the US... but have missed doing this, so starting back up this year. I used FedEx for the last shipment (and spent $300. shipping a painting back and forth), but wanted to try Canada Post... How does it work with the document side of things when you are shipping artwork to a show in the US, then having it returned to Canada after the exhibition?

The gallery owners don't want to be troubled with paperwork, so I have to include all return shipping docs with the original shipment.

Hi Laura, I need to send a 36 x 52 x 2" painting from Canada to France. I understand from reading this info that this exceeds Canada Post dimensions, so will look into sending by UPS. I haven't done this before. Do you pack it as you suggested, then take it in to get a quote on pricing, or do you take the painting in as is?

What a great way to pack and ship artwork! I am excited to try this once I list my art on etsy and have a sale! Was wondering, do you wrap the cardboard in anything before you ship, or do u just put your labels directly on the cardboard? Thinking butcher paper will be a nice smooth touch, maybe designing my own wrapping paper, just for artwork!
thanks
XoXo
Pamela

STREETHEART

Thank You! I have been trying to figure out how to package a painting and I was worried the shipping would cost more than what I originally charged after reading about art boxes and UPS.

Thank You! You have made me able to still make a profit!

Thanks so much for this GREAT idea! And...I LOVE your work!!
Just beautiful...both in technique and subject matter. Poetic.
Beautiful website as well.

Sincerely,

Deborah Wage
http://www.secretplume.com

On occasion I have had to send framed work to buyers. Your method is so much easier than how I was struggling. But, I do have one more tip to share. To protect the edges of the frames I use insulating tubes for pipes. They are found at all home improvement stores, weigh next to nothing, and have a slot cut into it so they slide over the edge of a frame. Thank you for sharing with us.

Hi Laura,

Thanks for this. I'm wondering what the most expensive painting you've shipped is. I have one worth several thousand dollars and I'm worried that insurance will be either 1)unavailable through UPS or 2)astronomical or 3)cost the international buyer (assuming they are outside of Canada) an exorbitant amount in customs fees....

Thoughts? I appreciate your help...

Kathryn

Hi, Laura,

This info is great. I am new to all this and wondering if you have to include any customs/tarriffs codes when mailing art from Canada to the US. Do you declare the full value? I find this all pretty darn confusing. My understanding is there are no customs fees for art. I am feeling concerned because I just mailed some pieces with a code and value declared. I am hoping the package (sent through Canada Post) doesn't get stuck in some customs vortex.

Just wondering what your thoughts are and how you manage that.

Thanks!

Thank you for your response, Laura. Very helpful! The shipment I mentioned did finally arrive, although customs did open it. As it was framed pastels, it was a miracle they were undamaged, as they did unframe them and then did not assemble them properly. So, if I understand you correctly, I do not need to worry about putting in customs codes or filling out paperwork (invoices, business registration). I can just declare it is art in the description and decide what value I want to attach to it.

Have a wonderful New Year!

I am new at shipping art but have been doing more and more.Thank you for posting your way of packing ,I will be using it the next time I ship art

Thank you for this most excellent and foolproof guide to shipping paintings. It will help me so much from now on! I was using UPS.

Thank you Laura for excellent instruction. Not only was I looking for a great way to package art, but also, an effective/affordable way to ship it.

Valerie

I cam across your instructions yesterday Laura.
Thank you! The insulation board makes me feel much more secure.
I picked up a few sheets of it at Home Depot - super cheap.
I prepared my framed pastel painting for shipping today and it worked great. I cut the boards larger than the frame and then secured the frame (wrapped in a plastic bag) around the sides with strips of the board. I taped those in place so they wouldn't move and placed the other board on top. Wrapped in all with plenty of bubble wrap and placed inside of a "picture frame" box.

When I ship framed pastels I cut a piece of foamcore board to fit on top of the glass inside the borders of the frame. I've never had glass break during shipping.

Thanks again Laura. Very useful info!

Laura,

Great information on how to prepare artwork for shipping. As you demonstrated, it's really all about the steps you take before it goes out the door.

Your ideas on making a sandwich with the foam is very smart, and I think that material is indeed available to everyone locally.

In full disclosure - I work for a shipping company, and so I've heard all the horror stories about how people had their shipments damaged, but 99 percent of the time the items were just not prepared well.

I would love to offer you and your readers our Art Shipping services, in which we can include extra insurance. NOTE: There are caveats to what shippers like ourselves will insure, and the methods in which the items are packed.

Specifically, we can add insurance when there is a "stated value" that can be proven: The customer has to have a receipt showing what was paid for the item. If that item was say $50K (for example), then you'd have to have an appraisal for that, a necessary step for an insurance underwriter to write a policy.

Also, and VERY IMPORTANT here - Most shippers won't insure something that is "self-packed" - if you want to purchase insurance, it has to be "Professionally Crated."

We always ask how it was crated... and for most people they assume that a few layers of cardboard and a massive tape job is just that, but it's not.

To be considered "professionally crated" you would have a company do this - basically build a tough, wooden box around the item that is wrapped as you are carefully describing. Most UPS stores offer this service and we will accept an item for shipment (and insure it) if it's been crated by a reputable company like a UPS Store.

I know this sounds like a lot of effort to go through, but as you would probably agree, if the artwork is valuable enough to the owner, no amount of preparation can be enough.

After reading your post here on how you'd prepare something, I think most people could send a painting through the regular mail and be successful.

We welcome the opportunity to quote an item for shipping and to include insurance (depending on stated value and level of packing) as an option for those looking for more peace of mind.

Please read more about our Art Shipping services at http://www.transitsystems.com/art_shipping/.

Have a great day, and again thanks for taking the time to outline the careful steps you've taken, as I think many people will benefit from it.

-Louis

Thanks for the article, but I went to Lowe's this past weekend, and these sheets are way more expensive than $5.00! Also, where can I purchase cardboard that will bend, or roll so easily- as mine is hard and bends (not where you'd like it to bend). Thanks for any extra information or an update!

Hi Elizabeth,
I know it's very frustrating to deal with all the bureaucracy! I can tell you what my experience has been though and I hope this will make things a bit clearer for you.
I have shipped to France on several occasions. I always ship using Canada Post, if you choose UPS or Fed-Ex, even Purolator, they will use a broker and you will be charged for their services. It's expensive and unnecessary as far as I am concerned. However...be forewarned...when I ship via CP I always call my package a gift, I always keep the value and insurance low. Even if you are sending to a gallery, there is no commercial exchange of money when you are shipping, so calling it a gift is fine. I keep the value and insurance low because France will levy taxes on the stated value and your recipient will have to pay, and you do take the risk of sending without insurance...hence the warning.
The same goes for shipping to the Netherlands, in case it ever comes up.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Laura

The first tip i clickd on when i googled "shipping artwork" this was very helpful and i'll be going to the dollar tree tomorrow for suplies. You should charge $ for these detailed instructions. Thank you. I feel comfortable that i can ship my first peice from NY to HI and it should arrive saftly. Mahalo nui loa, Teri

I love the idea of just straight paint and cobalt drier. I don't like oils because of the rest of the mess.oil painting techniques

Hi Laura,
Sorry for this late response. I sent a thank you for your advice about customs of over a month ago without realizing it was a no-reply email, and have been too busy to get back to the actual blog until now. It was very nice of you to respond so quickly, here is what I had said :

This is the conclusion I had come to but I wanted to be sure it was legal. I have not been able to find reliable written confirmation of the fact that there are no duties on artwork, or that any VAT is going to be 5.5 percent, although I have had this information from several sources.

My two last parcels were stopped by French customs recently, one a gift and one destined for the gallery. Both were stopped because of a "missing document", ie. a pro forma bill that the French Post Office was happy to supply for me to fill out but incapable of advising me about (even their customs department couldn't do it ! *) in terms of value or VAT calcuations. Canada Post (Xpresspost) doesn't provide such forms because they "do not require them", so you have to print them off yourself and stick them (3 copies) in a transparent baggy on the outside of the package. The value seems to me arbitrary. Since no ordinary artist could ever afford to pay insurance on the presumed value of their works, and no money exchanges hands at the moment of import, I would simply estimate the value of the paint and canvas used in making the works.

As with so many artist-related things it seems to be a do-it-yourself job ! And indeed, perhaps the least said the better, if we can get by in this somewhat informal way, or they will go and invent some more complicated and costly procedure !

With best wishes,
Elizabeth


P.S.
In my particular case, the recipient was contacted by customs, to supply the missing bill, and it is the recipient who pays any customs fees. In the end it didn't amount to much but customs were incapable of telling us what the fees were based on.

*this is because their branch of Xpresspost international, which is called Chronoposte, refuses to export anything called "artwork" for insurance reasons. If artwork arrives from abroad they have to take it but the woman I spoke to recommended avoiding the word "artwork" altogether and using "paintings" or "pictures" or even "decorations" !

very helpful

Aloha, and thank you Laura,

The timely access to your experienced construction and instructions was very helpful to ship the first two paintings that I have ever sold to anyone from away from Hawai`i, through my website; yano-artistry.com

thanks again, my best to you for continued success,

Michael

Hi!
I've never shipped a painting before, and so when my grandmother asked me to paint something for her I had no idea how to go about the shipping. The packing tutorial was super helpful, and since I live in Canada, it's really re-assuring that shipping through Canada Post is okay! Thanks so much for posting this!

Hello from (near) Toronto!

I'm so thankful for all the shipping information that you've given in this post!

I've started collecting and selling art, and your advice is going to be helpful when I start selling like crazy--that's my hope, anyway...haha--and packing up all the stuff I've bought [and that's driving my husband NUTS (because, apparently, "it's taking over.")]. ;-)

Happy autumn and, again, thank you SO much!

Anne

Thanks for the awesome note Lorraine...I went through the same thing, and that's why I wrote the article. Glad it helped!
Cheers,
Laura

Alan, I just shipped a 36 x36 painting last week through Fedex for $48.00. The max insurance available however, is only $1000. The painting was left at the door despite my requesting a signature and the box was severely damaged. Luckily, the painting was fine, but I'm just letting you know there's another option. Canada Post doesn't ship that large.

Hi Tara,
It really doesn't matter what brand you buy. Just go to your local DIY store and see what they have. In general, I use a denser (and more expensive) foam for larger pieces and lower grade (cheapo) foam for small pieces. Prices seem to vary based on store. area, country etc.
Good luck with all your endeavors!
Cheers,
Laura

Hi Edmona,
Thanks for the note. I think this method works because you are creating a tightly wrapped, solid package. Nothing moves and there are no surfaces that can be easily punched through. I would recommend that you either cut the box down or stuff the gaps with bubble wrap.
Cheers
Laura

Thanks so much for letting me know Abbyanna...and I love you name!
Cheers,
Laura

I ship custom stained glass mosaic mirror (frame is the stained glass mosaic), and I have to say, I have used UPS, FEDEX, but to date, the good old USPS is the only one with a clean record. You think that paying more you would have a better time of it. Shipping so much glass requires some diligent packing, but all things being equal...the USPS has a 100 percent record of nothing broken (the sound you are hearing is me knocking on wood). The other 2 were constantly causing damage...and you should see how the boxes looked upon arrival. I really had to try and imagine how a box could be so damaged. Save yourself the time and money...the post office is your best friend when shipping as long as your piece isnt too big (I can within a 1/4 inch once...I learned the limit very quickly). One more thing...seems almost all damage to things I have shipped UPS or FEDEX were at the corners...I think they drop them on the corners...so keep that in mind. Follow the wonderful instructions in this blog and you wont have much to worry about.

thank you for your "how to"--it was most helpful. I mailed a painting today and all is well! Re: the insulation foam--I bought a sheet at Home Depot and they were kind enough to cut it to the size of the painting for me. Saved some work!
thanks again!

PERFECT. I am moving three states away and now you've solved my problem. I had thought of using your method with foam core board but, it isn't nearly as affordable as the styrofoam insulation board. Thank you for taking the time to photograph the steps and write detailed instructions. People helping people ðŸ'•

Hi Laura-
It was lovely to find this very useful article. Can I quote you and blog about you on my figurative artist blog? I'm sure shipping artwork tips would be very useful to all my members. I have several members from your Women Painting Women Group already. Love your artwork! I'm also from Montreal originally but a long time ago and now live on the West Coast in BC. It was lovely to find your site, look at your artwork and make a connection. In fact I'd love to connect with you on off line and pick your brains brains about a project I'm working on in the figurative art field so email me if you're interested in chatting. Cheers!
FigurativeArtist.Org International site for figurative artwork.

We are a non-profit in Carlsbad, CA and have selected six artists to send their works ( non-3D) to our sister city of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic this summer. It is an exhibition so we avoided the issue of VAT because there is no sale involved.

Thanks to your post we are able to do this exhibition by telling the selected artists that we will be mailing them via USPS instead of shipping them via a commercial carrier. As so many of your comments have stated it us much, much less costly to use USPS. To ship them would be prohibitive.

This is our first time mailing art abroad so I visited a US Customs and Border Protection office in San Diego. They informed me that all I needed to avoid issues with Customs was to use the USPS form 2976-A, and keep the Insured Amount and Total Value at under $2,500. Their AES/ITN/Exemption reference is NOEEI §30.37a.

We will follow your packing method, attach the 2976-A in a clear envelope to the package and include a Czech translation of the number of pieces, description of each and that they are not for sale along with the form. Hope that all goes well!

If you know of other important points for us to be aware of please advise. The exhibition is during the month of August. We will mail the artwork within two months from now.

Thank you again for your post. It allows us to make this international exchange possible!

Thank you for so beautifully photo documenting this process.. I use it too and have had complete success!!! What a great tool to share with fellow Artists!
Blessings
Crystal

Hi Laura,

Thanks for your advice.. I am an artist from Bkk, Thailand . I am new in this shipping matter.. Your info is so great.. Thanks again for telling..

God bless you and your family.

Dujduangjai T.

Hi Karen,
First let me ask you this...are the group of paintings staying together? In other words, do you need a package that can move the same group of paintings from place to place? You mentioned separate stickers...
Ok. So I would use the method of foam to create slots within the crate or box. Because you can cut the foam to any dimension you need you can completely customize the slots you create. Think of an old fashioned toaster, but with more slots. You could create a stack of paintings and foam and make it as big as you largest painting. Once you turn the stack on it's bottom, add a piece of foam to match the overall size. That gives your toaster a bottom and protects that side of the paintings. In order to make it easy for the galleries to up-pack the work, add more foam in the slots that hold smaller works so that they come up to the top. same goes for the sides within each slot. that way you are creating a secure space for each painting that fits it exactly. You can use glue and or a combination of glue and packing tape. Add a top piece, and build a box to fit it. Make sure it has a this way up sticker. Make sure your box is sturdy and has a lid flap. Same goes for the yop piece of foam. Attach it with tape to one side of your toaster so the un-packing/re-packing is easy.
I hope this helps...I hope this makes sense. It looks and works great in my mind! I just hope I got it across.
Cheers,
Laura

Thank you... Great article!! I loved this blog post. It was very helpful information about plastic packaging. Keep on posting!
http://www.hipac.net.au/

Thanks for getting in touch Tracy. I'm so glad I could help!
As for the weight versus size thing, all the shippers use a math formula to decide which is greater: mass or weight. All you need to do is give them the dimensions of your package. Generally the size is greater than the weight so a guesstimate for weight will do. I use a regular bathroom scale for large or heavy packages. The smaller stuff won't even move the scale, so you know it's under a pound.
Hope that helps and good luck with all your endeavors!
Cheers,
Laura

Great, well written and informative article! I was worrying how I was going to send my art without breaking the bank and costing a fortune.. This is great advice, thanks Laura, will start the box hunt now... :)

Wish I had seen this a few days ago - looks like a great packing method. I read about glassine paper on the internet, ordered it and used that to wrap my paintings in before sending it off in a custom box. It does not stick to paintings and seems to be an ideal solution to any fears about plastic sticking to paintings.

Hi TC,
I saw on your website that you are currently affiliated with Fed-Ex...I would have suggested them or UPS for overseas delivery. I guess you're not too happy with the service?
Cheers,
Laura

No I am not affiliated with Fed Ex and I don't have a website - I used UPS recently and it was excellent - best price, best packaging. Someone suggested PACART to me which is super expensive. UPS was terrific for international and national.

This is amazing! I was wondering how to ship my laptop nicely to my ebay buyer and gladly, I checked on your blog posts! You shold definitely post more blogs like these. It helps a lot!

We offer the best Insulation Services in Adelaide

thank you so much for this information. I have always sold my artwork local or at craft shows. I have never mailed or shipped my paintings. I saw a corner of one of your paintings. what is your name or website your painting looked beautiful in the picture and while packing.

Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I'm happy that you found the rest of my work, but even happier that I was able to help with your shipping needs.
Cheers
Laura

Hi Ken,
I have given this some thought and after considering all sorts of convoluted ways to ship a wet painting.....I decided that your clients will understand that good things are worth waiting for.
Probably not the answer you wanted...but asking them to wait for the piece to cure with just increase their anticipation.
Cheers,
Laura

Hi Nazare,
There are companies here in Canada who specialize in shipping art. It sounds like this is the kind of service you will need. They can take care of everything for you, from packaging to shipping and including any legalities.
Here are the companies I found online:
http://shipfineart.com/company/
https://www.gonavis.com/art-shipping
http://www.pacart.ca/home.shtml
http://www.fedex.com/ca_english/office/packing-services.html

Hope this helps and good luck!
Cheers,
Laura

Hi Gabrielle,
I am not sure if the post office has kits, but you can check on their website to see what is available. I don't sell on Etsy, but I am pretty sure you can choose whether to make your price include shipping or have it as an added expense.
Good luck in all your endevors!
Cheers,
Laura

Hi Krista,
My method is meant for flat paintings, and would not work for you. I would suggest you google shipping sculptures as you work sounds pretty 3d. Good luck in all you endeavors!
Cheers,
Laura

OK...this is a bit weird, but I accidentally hit the delete button on someone's comment. I feel so badly about it because she is reaching out for help on an international shipment of artwork. So if any of you out there have any experience that may be helpful, please read her comments below:

Thanks, Laura, for your excellent advice, and to everyone else for the helpful comments.
I''m in need of some advice/input about an exhibition I have coming up. I live in the US (CT) and the exhibition is in Dublin, Ireland. This will be my first time shipping my artwork, as well as my first international show! My work is all framed, in shadowboxes, behind glass. If it''s possible I would rather keep it the way it is, because it is a TON of work to remove and refit all the glass, but I could do it if I absolutely had to; or I could switch it all out to plexiglass, again a ton of work, but isn''t as fragile. The work will be for sale, but there is no guarantee that it will be sold, so I''m confused about how to fill out customs paperwork. Also confused about how to deal with return shipping, if there is any.
I am planning to send roughly 15 pieces. Most are in the size range of 18x24x2", but a few get up to around 27x40x2". Do you (or anyone else reading th is) have any advice about the best way to deal with this? Also, how much time I should leave for customs to do their thing?
I will be going there myself, so there is also the possibility of bringing work on the place. However, they are larger than a normal carry-on allowance, and I am not sure if it is safe to pack them into my checked luggage.
Thanks very much for all the helpful ideas in this blog. If there is anything else that you think I should take into account, please everybody speak up!

Many thanks,
Lisa

Laura,
Wonderful, detailed, step-by-step examination of the packing process. I especially appreciate the pictures. I recently interviewed Mike Schwed who has developed an innovative type of canvas that makes shipping easier. I believe you and your readers will find it helpful: http://canopygallery.com/index.php/2015/11/25/canvas-innovation-for-artists-via-geniecanvas/
Best wishes,
James Elmore
Canopy Gallery

Hi Lee,
I have never stored my work in packaging and I can see your concern. Might I suggest that if the work is being stored in a dry place that you skip the plastic bag completely. I would lay something that cannot affect the surface of the work over time...perhaps archival paper?
My only other suggestion is to look at the big guys...the art shippers who pack for storage, and find out how they handle it. You could even ask FedEx or UPS.
Good luck!
Laura

Even with all this done it's good to go with insured shipping, I've had a bad experience once and since than I don't settle down without some kind of insurance.

Lisa,
I use UPS for larger works...in my experience they have better prices (and great service) than Fed Ex.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Laura

Thank you so much for the information. I ship the smaller paintings myself and have trouble finding boxes the right size and then worry if I have put enough cushioning in. For large paintings I use UPS and let them package the painting, that way they guarantee they will arrive undamaged.

Informative blog post ! Incidentally , you are requiring a a form , my company found a sample form here http://goo.gl/KwuZdc.

My business partners wanted USPS PS 2976-A last year and saw an online platform that hosts a lot of sample forms . If you need USPS PS 2976-A too , here's or http://goo.gl/ZkiH2q

It's always good to have it covered, even if you do everything to protect it physically you never know.

Write another comment . . .

When shipping some very valuable things and arts this is really some basic things to know, shipping is reliable but many things can happen, more safer it is better are the chances it will arrive just the way you wanted.

Hi Julie,
Thanks for getting in touch. I have not covered tips on rolling canvas to ship, but I know artists who do just that. I dont know if they do anything beyond making sure the painting is completely dry before rolling it. I have seen some artists who purchase canvas (probably pre coated with gesso) and tack it up on a wall to paint. in other words, skip the stretcher bars completely. Pretty cool! I would do some research on that idea, if I were you.
Most framer can handle stretching or mounting the canvas for you client once it arrive at the destination.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Laura

Hi Wendy,
I'm really glad you found this blog post useful. Even though your paintings are small and on flat panels, I would still use foam board. Maybe just one layer, instead of making a sandwich. It will prevent your work from being bent, or worse, snapped in half.
Wishing you every success,
Cheers,
Laura

I love your video and advise! I want to know what you would recommend for mixed media on canvus? Would you recommend cutting parts of the foam to mold over the structures to fit?

Thanks! so much! Love your paintings

I found your shipping article a few years ago and have been using the method ever since. It is so helpful! Thank you!

i gotta bookmark this web sites it seems invaluable very benificial.
Thank You