If you’re wanting to send the art, you’ll likely need a courier if you sell a painting to a consumer who resides outside of your state. This raises real-world concerns. How do you wrap an oil painting?
We do not recommend rolling your oil painting into a tube for transportation because the canvas has dense areas where multiple layers of paint have been applied and it could degrade rapidly. The risk of damage increases when removing an oil painting off its stretcher, yet it is acceptable for a poster or photographic copy. In addition to drying slowly, oil paintings are more susceptible to damage from light, heat, humidity, and dirt. Simply said, it is not cost-effective to risk damage to reduce shipping costs.
It is advised to ship the goods with a courier service that provides competitive prices. If you are on a tight budget, you can contact us for this. If you do not wish to complete the subsequent steps, please contact us here.
PACKING AN OIL PAINTING:
Will you be shipping framed or unframed canvases? Finding the optimal equilibrium can be difficult. You want to protect your artwork without adding more weight.
As an oil painter, ensuring that your canvas is not perforated is your top priority. If your painting is valuable, you may wish to take it to a packaging and crating firm that specializes in creating and constructing custom containers for valuable artwork.
For this piece, here are some brief and basic shipping instructions for oil paintings. Please keep in mind that this is merely a general, illustrative method of packing. The recommendations might be scaled up to accommodate the big oil paintings that we have completed many times.
MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR PACKING OIL PAINTING:
From our years of expertise, the following things are required for the safe packaging of your oil painting:
- Acid-free artist cassette tape
- Protective cardboard or foam
- Sealing Tape
- Burp Cloth
- non-acidic glassine paper
- ‘Fragile’ and ‘Handle with care labels on double- or triple-wall cardboard boxes
- Stanley Knife or Scissors (utility knife)
- Heavy-Duty Black Refuse or Garbage Bags
- Triple-ply cardboard
WRAP A THIN FOAM LAYER AROUND THE CANVAS:
Canvas paintings can be protected from shipping damage by being wrapped in a thin layer of foam. If you use too much foam, the corner protectors will not sit flush on the edge of the frame. As though it were a fragile present, tape the frame into place with care.
COVER THE CORNERS:
The second line of defence is typically recommended. Most packing businesses provide corner protectors consisting of plastic, foam, or cardboard. Spending money on foam edge and corner covers is preferred for unframed oil paintings. The foam protectors must fit snugly, but not too tightly. Use cardboard or plastic protection for framed artwork. However, these must be fastened to the frame before a small coating of foam is applied.
After applying corner protectors and correctly wrapping your canvas in a thin layer of foam, it is vital to seal it against dust and moisture with plastic or robust black rubbish or refuse bags. If the bag is significantly larger than the frame, trim the excess fabric using scissors.
It is necessary to use insulation foam to insulate the canvas. Finding insulating foam large enough to support your artwork may be difficult. If so, you may need to use multiple boards and tap them together gently to create a sandwich. If the artwork is on the smaller side, two pieces of insulating foam will need to be cut out. Using your Stanley knife, cut two foam slabs to the size of the canvas by tracing its contours. Place a slab between the frame’s ends.
DOCUMENTS FOR CUSTOMS AND SHIPPING:
When you hire a courier service, the majority of companies provide customs and shipping labels. If you are exporting within the United States, no customs papers will be necessary. If you are shipping overseas, you must verify and examine any shipping restrictions for the destination country. At the time of booking, most businesses will automatically print personalized forms and labels. Print and include these documents with your shipment. When delivering something overseas, it is recommended to include a backup copy within the shipment.
BOX THE CANVAS:
Most packing services will use triple-ply cardboard to wrap artwork for a fitted fit. In addition, it eliminates the requirement for package chips and minimizes package volume. It should go without saying that shipping will be more expensive the larger the merchandise. The cardboard from a flattened box or a prefabricated sheet can be carefully cut to fit your project.
Wrapping artwork is similar to wrapping a boxed present, but using more durable materials. To enable the box’s flaps to be delicately folded and fitted into position, score each side of the package, cutting corners. After folding the flaps over the frame, seal them shut with tape.
The artwork has been wrapped in plastic and the cardboard has been taped shut; now seal the package. If your box doesn’t look as it should, don’t worry. It has nothing to do with aesthetics. As seen in the accompanying image, the edges must be sealed at least twice around the entire circumference for it to be secure.
AFFIX LABELS AND PAPERWORK:
Any lettering or barcodes that may be present on the box must be removed, covered, or blacked out with a marker. When the courier arrives to collect, there will be no delays. Attach all labels and customs paperwork to the shipment with care.
Although rolling your canvas can be cost-effective, it’s not the suggested way for transporting oil paintings. After spending several hours developing your canvas, why not use the finest packaging materials to protect it? Your clients will be grateful in the end.
CUTTING DOWN ON SHIPPING COSTS FOR YOUR OIL PAINTING:
Here are some ways to reduce the cost of shipping your oil painting:
- As far as possible, without jeopardizing the package’s security, attempt to lower its weight. If the transportation of the artwork will occur within a few hours, a large wooden container may not be necessary. For large paintings, avoiding this practice can save you money. By requesting shipping prices, you may compare several providers. It is necessary to comprehend why you choose the specific service. Make a cost-benefit analysis by evaluating the pricing, convenience, aid with packaging, and reviews.
- You may delay framing your artwork if you plan to have it done when you reach your final destination. Without frames, paintings are lighter. They have the potential for more innovative packaging. The artwork could be folded up, allowing it to be shipped for less money and with significantly less wasted space.
When shipping an oil painting to another city, state, or even nation, there are numerous factors to consider. The primary purpose of shipping an oil painting is to preserve the painting’s quality throughout the journey.
While there are ways to lower the expense of moving your painting, security should always take precedence.
For more details please visit Custom Crating and Logistics
