One of the most challenging things to ship is artwork. If you are an artist or an online retailer of artwork, you'll probably need to ship art through the mail.
While shipping artwork can seem challenging, these days it's actually quite simple and straightforward to reliably ship artwork in mail tubes all around the world affordably and without significant risk of damage. The following are six key tips for shipping your artwork in mailing tubes:
Measure artwork dimensions carefully
Probably the most important thing you need to do to ship out your artwork conveniently and efficiently is take careful measurements. You want to find the ideal mailing tube size for your artwork.
Obviously, you need a mailing tube that's wide enough for your canvas, photograph, or other forms of artwork. However, you also want to avoid shipping your artwork in a mailing tube that's significantly wider than your artwork.
If your mailing tubes are too wide, artwork will be able to move around too much and could become damaged along the edges en route.
Be aware of different shape options for mailing tubes
Cylindrical tubes are not the only option these days -- there are also square and triangular mailing "tubes" available now.
Square and triangular shapes offer the advantage of allowing tubes to be stacked on top of one another in a way that cylindrical tubes can't be. Additionally, square and triangular tubes can often be filled more easily than cylindrical tubes with round openings, so you might want to consider them as a mailing tube option.
Pack your artwork in glassine paper or another type of protection
Your artwork will have the best chances of arriving in pristine condition if you pack it up in materials like glassine paper and/or bubble wrap before putting it into the mailing tube.
Archival-quality glassine paper will seal out moisture and dust. It's therefore a great option for protecting fragile pieces of artwork while they're being shipped.
Shop around for the cheapest mailing tube shipping supplies
There are many different suppliers out there to consider. The cost of your shipping supplies cuts into your profits, so it's best to shop around for the cheapest option to make the most on each sale.
Find prices from all possible carriers
There are also numerous shippers out there to consider. Some shippers might offer lower cost rates on shipping tubes than others. Do your research and find a shipper that will handle mailing tubes on a schedule that suits your needs at an acceptable cost.
Pay attention to corners specifically
As you pack your mailing tubes, pay special attention to the corners. It's easy to accidentally fold up the corners of canvases, prints, and photographs as you pack them up. It's sometimes impossible to repair folds in corners, so be vigilant as you do your packing.